Using water wisely in a heatwave

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It’s not often that our gardens have to cope with such extreme weather as we’re seeing at the moment.

Temperatures are predicted to rise towards an unprecedented 40°C in the central part of the country.

For gardeners this isn’t the best news. Lawns are looking a little less green than usual, and container plants are drooping.

But before you reach for the hose, have you thought about how much water you’re using? Reservoir levels are impacted by heatwaves, and they have been falling in our region.

Use a watering can

Watering containers and borders using a watering can is more time consuming than using a hosepipe. But it’s a better use of water – you can target where it goes, rather than water the patio at the same time as the plants!

When to water

The reason that it’s sensible to water in the early morning or the evening is to do with the speed at which the water evaporates. There’s little point watering at midday in a heatwave as the soil will dry out again before the water reaches the roots.

Watering the lawn

Everyone loves a lush green lawn, but yours may be looking a little scorched. Watering lawns can use a great deal of water, so keep this to once a week. If you want to continue to mow the lawn, use a higher blade setting and cut the frequency of mowing.

Use shady spaces

If they’re not too heavy, it’s a good idea to move pots and containers temporarily out of the direct sun and into a shady space.

Install a water butt

Many gardeners will already have a water butt – or two, so now’s the time to use those resources. If you haven’t got one yet, then it’s a good idea to invest in one ready for the return of the rain. Water butts come in many sizes, if you only have a small garden then a slim version is ideal. If you have the space, there are plenty of large water butts on the market.

Mulching

Mulching is a good way to keep moisture in the soil, and many gardeners recommend dry grass clippings as an ideal choice. Grass clippings will also add nutrients back into the soil.

More heatwave gardening tips

Even if your plants are looking a bit wilted, don’t give up on them! With judicious watering and mulching they should recover

For the longer term, if we are going to have hotter summers then it’s worth planning for this in advance, for example by planting perennials rather than annuals, and creating more shady spots in your garden.

Here’s hoping you manage to keep cool in the heatwave and still enjoy your garden!

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