We have been going through a period of heatwaves with 35-40 degrees Celsius
and now have drought conditions that are unusual for where I live in the
UK.
I love our garden and have found that I need to change the way I garden
under these conditions. Many of the plants I love to grow are not drought tolerant and while this
may need to change if we have frequent droughts in the years to come, for
now I want to try to keep them all alive.
However, it is also very important in a rough situation not to drain
necessary water from the system so as to preserve as much as possible both
inside and outside our homes.
So here are a few tips I have picked up from other gardeners and my own
experience
1. Water Plants Deeply Once A Week.
Doing this is a much better approach than watering a little every day. We
need the water to reach the roots not just wet the top few inches which will
just evaporate in the heat anyway.
Always water either very early morning or late in the day when the sun is
fading and there will be less moisture loss. Put your finger into the soil
to check how far down the soil is wet.
2. Use Shade For Plants.
For plants in containers move them into the shade wherever possible. Place
plants in pots under the shade of a tree or by a north-facing wall of a
house or garden shed or garage. That way they will be shaded for more of the
day. Group plants in pots together. Sharing space will help each other stay
cooler. Also if you can place smaller pots above bigger pots any water that
drips through will help to water plants below, thus saving more
water.
3. Make Shade For Plants
If the containers cannot be moved into the shade try to provide them with
shade. I like to use the shade of other plants, especially those who don't
mind the sun so much but even an open umbrella over them, a patio umbrella
or a cardbox box strategically placed will help.
4. Use Large Drip Tray Containers.
For plants that do not mind being in standing water and are in pots, put
any container that holds water under the pot.
I find that these drip trays that we often use for houseplants are good to
hold some water underneath our garden plants in pots, but not so much that
the plants then get waterlogged. I tend to use larger sizes to hold more
water.
5. Prioritise Plants For Water.
Concentrate on the plants that you know need more water such as roses and
also plants that look dry, dropping leaves or droopy. Prioritise plants in pots and perennials over annuals. Plants that are more
suited to Mediterranean or hotter environments and those like Bottlebrush,
Lavender, Thyme and Rosemary will cope better than roses and new cuttings or
young plants. I rarely water any existing shrubs or trees in the ground, the
hope is that their deep roots will seek water low down.
6. Leave The Lawn.
Do not water the lawn- most lawns are robust and will recover once we start
getting rain. Also, our lawn is now mainly brown and not growing at all so
there is no point trying to mow it. When autumn comes we will feed it and
take care of it but for now the best thing is to leave it.
7. Use Watering Spikes.
Use some of these water spikes devices. They release water
slowly into the pot. If you make a hole first deep into the pot. Connect a
water bottle to the spike, turn upside down and very gently insert the spike
into the hole so that you do not break it or injure any roots. The water
will seep to where the roots are rather than wasting water at the top of the
pot. I use them for when we go on holiday and I prefer the terracotta ones,
although you do need to take more care of them being more fragile, they do a
better job in my opinion. Now they are valuable for simply giving a gentle
water source. A litre bottle should last about a week to ten days.
8. Stop Feeding Plants.
Do not feed plants as this encourages growth. I am finding that many of my
plants are going to seed much more quickly and some are already adopting
their autumn colours. I think this may be a way of ensuring their survival.
If they are under stress they want to make seed quickly in case they die and
by losing their leaves they need less energy.
9. Use Rain Barrels Or Water Butts.
Install a Water Butt or Rain Barrel to prepare for any future drought. The
water butt will fill up when we do have rain in winter and then can be
used in a summer heatwave or drought when water is in short supply.
57%
10. Use "Grey Water" To Water Some Plants.
Watering plants If there is a ban on using hosepipes or using house water
can be difficult. Instead, we can use water from handwashing clothes or washing up water on
our plants. Always allow the water to cool down first though.
However, never use this kind of "grey water" on fruit, vegetable or herb
plants. Do be careful though as some plants may be sensitive to chemicals in
your grey water. This is another reason a water butt will be useful.
People say you can always replace plants but they are expensive and this
is not always possible when a plant has a special memory or was gifted to
you by a loved one.
It breaks my heart to see them suffering in the heat and drought so if I
can do these small things to help them I certainly will. So far I have to
say they are doing remarkably well and I do feel while I have had one or two
losses that most will come through this and recover once we get some good
rain.
It may be in the future that we will have to adapt our gardens even
further and grow more drought-resistant plants but we will
see. So for now I will do what I can to keep them alive while keeping the
drain on the water systems to a minimum.
In addition, while caring for our plants never forget the wildlife and do
leave out a shallow bowl with a few pebbles and water in it to help
hedgehogs, bees and other insects get through the drought and a birdbath to help the birds care for their feathers, bathe and
drink.
As a final thought and this may be unpopular among people who love the
sunshine and hot weather, I am hoping for lots of gentle steady rain very
soon!!
More Gardening Articles
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
