Homebase detail water saving tips for the garden in summer
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Britain has been blasted by heatwaves this summer. Many of us have turned to gardening during the pandemic, spending hours of our precious time tending our plants. Express.co.uk has pulled together some tips on how to stop your hard work from being undone by the ravages of the heatwaves scorching the country.
Heat stress can devastate a garden causing your plants to wilt and die.
Here are some essential jobs to do in your garden when heatwaves strike.
Water first thing in the morning
This may sound obvious but watering is essential during a heatwave.
Your plants will quickly become dehydrated and die in periods of high heat and little rain.
It is important to water your plants first thing in the morning.
Heatwaves can quickly draw the moisture out of the soil and dehydrate shallow roots.
Watering early in the morning will ensure the roots of your plants are sufficiently hydrated before the moisture-wicking heat sets in.
This will also help prevent heat stress.
In times of high heat, you may want to consider another water afternoon to ensure your plants don’t dehydrate.
But avoid the temptation to overwater your plants. They may wilt under high temperatures but that doesn’t necessarily mean they need more water.
Remember to mulch
Mulching will offer a valuable defence against the heat for your soil and roots during heatwaves.
Mulch is a layer of material that goes on top of the soil.
It will help to buffer against high temperatures and will allow more steady soil temperatures overall.
Mulch will also help to reduce evaporation and runoff and so prevent the soil from drying out.
Provide shade
This may sound like another obvious one but many gardeners skip on creating shade, finding it too much of a faff.
There are a number of simple ways to create shade in your garden.
You can drape old bedsheets over makeshift frames, stakes or washing like type supports.
You can even use large beach or patio umbrellas.
Basically, anything that will block out the sun will work.
Don’t water the leaves
Be sure to water the soil around the plant, not the leaves.
It’s best to apply water directly to the soil around plants as opposed to watering from above with a sprinkler.
Less water will be lost to evaporation on hot sunny days.
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