Watering wise… and well!

Summer is now really upon us and what a fabulous, sunny one it has been so far. Rachel and Simon from Cae Rhug Holistic Farm, Gwernaffield, take a look at what’s happening in the garden and how to keep everything blooming healthily come or shine…

At the time of writing we have had very little rain and the soil here at Cae Rhug is starting to look and feel really dry, at least on the surface. We try to save as much rain water as we can from the roofs, and if you haven’t already got a rain butt - do consider getting one so that you can support your plants more during dry times.

If we do get rain, or you need to water the garden, avoid doing so in the middle of the day when the sun is at its hottest and evaporation levels high. If watering, try to make sure plants get a really good soaking and then apply a good mulch of well-rotted manure, compost or leaf mulch around plants. This will help lock in the moisture for longer and reduce the need to water again.

Newly planted trees and plants will be more vulnerable to drying out as their roots will not be well-established so keep a careful eye on your most recent plantings. Also, plants in tubs and containers have a limited supply and really need daily watering. Make sure you check just how deep your water has gone, once the compost/soil in containers drys out much of the water we put on simply wets the surface and runs off the side. Use a finger to test how wet the soil is further down into containers.

And don’t forget windy weather, it dries plants out fast too so be extra vigilant on windy days.