Millions of Brits have been told to conserve their water usage as the UK experiences dry weather
As the UK braces for its fourth heatwave of an already scorching summer, many gardens are displaying the tell-tale signs of prolonged dryness, from parched soil and wilting plants to browning lawns.
This widespread dehydration has prompted several water companies, including Anglian Water, Cambridge Water, Thames Water, and South East Water, to introduce hosepipe bans across various regions.
While these restrictions may be disheartening for dedicated gardeners who have meticulously nurtured their outdoor spaces, there is no need for all that effort to go to waste.
To help navigate these challenging conditions, gardening experts have shared their essential advice for maintaining a healthy garden throughout the summer’s hosepipe restrictions.
“Using a watering can is the easiest and most effective way to water your plants during a hosepipe ban,” says Mark Dwelly, head gardener at luxury retirement village Audley Stanbridge Earls.
“If you have a water butt, then use water from that first. Once that’s dried up, then fill up the watering can from a tap.”
You could also use water from a bath or a shower.
“Some people put a bucket at the bottom of the shower and collect it as they’re showering and you can collect grey water from the dishwasher and the washing machine, too,” says Matt Adams, founder and lead gardener at The Relentless Gardener.
Dwelly says that getting all your watering done early in the mornings or late in the evenings will be the most effective.
“If you water your plants around midday, the water will evaporate a lot quicker due to the high temperatures,” explains Dwelly.
“Whereas, when it’s cool during the early mornings and late evenings, the plants will absorb it a little bit quicker and won’t dry out quite as quick.”
Instead of sprinkling some drops of water over the leaves, go closer to the roots.
“Make sure you water the base of the plant rather than just over the foliage, so that the water definitely gets into the soil,” advises Dwelly.
Some plants prefer deep watering from time to time rather than frequent light bursts.
“For example, with hydrangeas it’s better to do deep watering into the soil two or three times a week rather than trying to do a little bit of water every day because the water will get deeper into the root system,” says Adams. “It’s the same with roses and salvia. They don’t need wet roots constantly, but they do need deep watering every now and again.”
“You could use a wetting agent on the grass to help it hold the water in the soil for longer,” suggests Adams.
“Flowers like hydrangeas do tend to suffer a bit in the heat and go a bit floppy, so they are quite thirsty plants that need lots of water at the roots,” says Dwelly. “Roses and crocosmia also tend to suffer a bit in dry conditions as well.”
However, some plants are more tolerate to drier conditions.
“Plants like salvia, lavender, agastache and penstemon don’t necessarily need as much watering as they can tolerate really dry soil,” says Adams.
“If you use farmyard manure on your flower beds, that’ll definitely help keep moisture in your soil,” says Adams. “However, it won’t be suitable for all plants.”
“Having a good mulch on the beds can help prevent the soil from drying out,” says Dwelly. “We usually mulch around April when there’s still moisture in the soil.
“A good layer of bark chippings will also help to retain some of the moisture as well.”
“If you’ve got pots on castor wheels, then I would recommend moving them into the shade or putting a light fleece over the top,” suggests Dwelly.
“Don’t mow the grass right down to the soil,” says Adams. “If you are going to mow it, mow it on the highest setting.
“When the grass is longer, the roots go further down into the soil, which means they can get a little bit more moisture into them.”
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