coping with summer droughts

GARDEN top tips for Coping with Summer Droughts

Contribution thanks to Geoff Bysouth Garden Services 07411 051772 www.geoffbgardens.co.uk

August is often the hottest, driest month of the year and keeping our plants looking their best can be challenging. Watering is key to plant health, but conserving water is also a priority for us all. The efficient use of water has never been more important so here are some tips to help keep your plants healthy without wasting water.

New plants

Young plants, whether sown from seed or newly planted, are particularly vulnerable to drought and should be checked daily and watered as often as needed. Incorporating organic matter in your soil by adding compost when planting or mulching in the spring will help with water retention.

If you are planting new plants, make sure that the roots have had a good soak beforehand. Standing them in a bucket of water will enable them to soak up all the water they can and give them a better chance of getting off to a good start. They will need regular watering until they are established, particularly during dry weather.

Containers

Plants grown in containers are at high risk of drying out if they are not kept watered, even in cooler weather. Exact requirements will vary according to type of plant, size of container and growing medium but be prepared to water every day in high summer. If you are going away, even for a few days, get someone to water them for you or install an automatic irrigation system.

Lawns

Your lawn may look brown and unsightly during a prolonged dry spell, but grass is remarkably resilient and can survive without water for a long period. The amount of water required to keep a lawn looking its best is considerable and, with pressure to conserve our natural resources, is difficult to justify. You can minimise drought stress by raising your mower blades and letting the grass grow a little longer if a dry spell is forecast. A good lawn maintenance programme, including aerating, scarifying, feeding and weed treatments, carried out at the appropriate times will keep your lawn healthier and enable it to better withstand periods of drought.

While it’s possible to lay new turf in the summer, it will be difficult to get established during a period of drought without using large quantities of water. Putting it off until early autumn is a better option.

Collecting rainwater

The water that comes out of your kitchen tap has been treated to make it fit for you to drink. There is a cost to this which most of us pay for via our water meters. Plants will thrive on rainwater, so it seems sensible to use it wherever possible and save ourselves some money at the same time. For most people the easiest way to achieve this is by installing one or more water butts.

Any building or structure in or adjacent to your garden can be used to harvest rainwater. Many greenhouses have built-in guttering to which downpipes can be attached or, if you have a shed or other garden building, you can install your own. Kits are also available to divert rainwater from house downpipes into a water butt.

Economical watering

Water can easily be wasted in the garden, so how and when you water is very important. Watering during the day when the weather is hot and sunny will result in much of the water evaporating but if you water first thing in the morning or late in the evening, more of the water will be able to reach the plants’ roots.

Hoses and sprinklers enable a large quantity of water to be applied in a short time but much of this can be wasted if not targeted in the right areas. Water landing on foliage will often evaporate before it gets to the ground and is of little benefit to the plant. Directing water to the root area is more beneficial but, if you use a hose to do this, the rate at which the water is applied is often greater than that at which it can be absorbed and a lot will run off and away from the plant. Using a watering can may take a bit longer but you will use much less water. It also gives you a chance to inspect every plant, see how it is developing and spot problems you might otherwise have missed until they became much worse.

Trees and shrubs with well-established root systems will normally get all the water they need from the ground, but it can take up to 5 years before they get to this point. Keep an eye out for any signs of drought stress and be prepared to water when necessary.