Protecting your garden during a heatwave

Our gardens are well-watered with natural rainfall throughout the year with the UK seeing an annual  average of 133 days of rain or snow, totalling 885 millimetres (33.7 inches).

But with temperatures set to soar up to 38°C in some parts of the UK over the next few days, we look at some top tips on how to care for your garden during a #heatwave ☀️

While many of us love basking in the warm weather, this extreme heat could play havoc with your plants and turf – turning them crispy, dry and yellow.

Top Tips

• Water your plants and turf in the morning to give them the best chance at soaking up all the moisture. When the sunlight shines on water, it can act as a magnifying glass sometimes leading to scorching the leaves below during the midday sun. This is particularly important for your turf.
• Avoid digging in your turf as it can destroy the structure of the soil, increase moisture loss and disturb plant roots.
• Every morning during the heatwave, perform a test where you stick your index finger into the soil around the root; if the soil is still wet below the surface, there's no need to water. If it's damp, it's time to water again. It’s just as important to avoid over-saturating as it is to letting them dry out completely.
• Create some shade – plants that are situated in garden beds will benefit greatly from having some temporary shade, especially during the midday and afternoon sun. You can use anything from beach umbrellas to DIY cloths to protect your prized patches.

It is the latter part of the day where you will see most wilting and scorching of plants. Obvious signs of this include leaves and shrubs looking brown, burnt, shrivelled and dead on the ends.

Britons have been advised to use minimal amounts of water, as a potential hosepipe ban could be introduced later in the year.

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