We often take care to keep ourselves protected and hydrated during the British Summer, but could we be wiser in watering our flowers, shrubs, fruit and vegetables?
Here are some handy tips to think about:
1. Get a Water Butt (or two!)
It's always great to have a water butt in your garden or allotment which can collect the rainwater throughout the year. If you have room, attach two water butts together using some pipe or hose low down to store more water. A great way to conserve precious water and essential if we ever have one of the dreaded hosepipe bans.
2. Water during cooler periods of the day
Try to limit watering to early morning and late afternoon to allow the water time to drain into the soil and minimise evaporation
3. Check how much water to use
Remember that different plants and vegetables require different amounts of watering. Leafy vegetables such as lettuce, Spinach and cabbage require frequent watering in small amounts compared to shrubs and trees. Root vegetables can cope with less watering, so every 14 days should be fine as long as the ground hasn’t fully dried out.
4. Check the soil needs extra water
A good tip is to dig down slightly to check if the soil has some dampness before watering the beds. You’re looking for around a foot or 12 inches.
5. Use a mulch or bark to reduce evaporation and surface temperature
Mulching at this time of year is a great way of retaining the moisture in the soil, not to mention keeping the surface of the ground at a suitable temperature (7-10 degrees is ideal). Using a mulch or bark such as our Ornamental Bark is perfect for the job.
Shop for Bark and Mulch HERE
6. Make regular watering easier
Another great way of provide regular watering is to drill small holes at even spaces along the length of a hosepipe and lay it out across the bed. Then you can then either turn it on via the outside mains at a slow rate or even better attach to a timer to water at regular intervals.
Finally...
Remember that plants tend to be so much more resilient than we think - most started out growing wild with no help from us! And whilst you're watering your plants, leave some water out for birds, butterflies and bees during the hot period, they’ll be so glad of it too!
