Mad, bad, hot times

It's been very busy lately, as it always is this time of year. The weather has been spectacular for the sun lovers with endless days of non stop sunshine. It has meant the gardens have become very dry though. There are ways and means to help survive the dry spell without having to spend all days with a watering can in each hand, so lets look at the most popular areas first:

Lawns: Set the blade higher and cut less often. Longer leaf length on the grass plant allows it to absorb more moisture and to tolerate higher temperatures.

Use old bath water in a watering can and water late in the evening so the water can sink down before the heat of the next day.

Containers: Try to move to a shady part of the garden during the middle of the day when the sun is highest. Soak in a bucket of saved/recycled water every other day rather than sprinkling with a can daily. Again,last thing at night.

Fruit and Vegetables: These will suffer the most if left to dry out. Water new plants first, established fruit bushes and trees later. The older plants will have deeper root systems and more resistance. Try to mulch around trees and bushes after watering. As with the others, try to recycle household water, once absorbed it won't effect the taste. Water late and if possible try to use some sort of shading, perhaps using cloches painted with white wash or fleece with sides open to ventilate.

The biggest advice for all of these is to remember to help the plants to retain moisture by watering late and using shade.

Who knows, in a couple of months we could be warning of flooding dangers so be sure to have several water butts ready!