Our top 5 tips for hot weather gardening

Start saving water

The biggest challenge in summer is keeping everything in your garden hydrated. Frequent soaks with the hose or trips with the watering can start to add up when it comes to your water bill, not to mention that hosepipe bans could come into effect. Thankfully, there are easy ways to start stockpiling this essential commodity in time for summer.

Water butts

Harvesting rainwater is one of the easiest and cheapest ways of stocking up on water for summer. These can easily attach to downpipes and save water run-off for use around your garden. As well as being free, rainwater is much preferred by your garden plants compared to tap water.

Harvest as much rainwater as you can by using multiple water butts, either connected to each other or to different downpipes around your home. To make the most of it, you could even install a simple gutter onto your shed or garden building to attach a water butt to.

Tumble dryer and dehumidifier water

The idea of using ‘grey water’ from your washing up, washing machine and dishwasher is a hotly debated subject when it comes to reusing it to water your garden. We’d recommend only using water from your condenser dryer or dehumidifier for watering plants, as they won’t have the same concentration of potentially harmful chemicals. The wastewater from these appliances is perfectly safe to use on both indoor and outdoor plants. Water from your tumble dryer is also great for topping up your steam iron, so don’t throw it away!

Don’t forget to mulch

Mulching around the base of your plants helps retain moisture in the soil longer. Simply keep hold of any grass clippings and spread them on top of the soil underneath any plants prone to drying out before giving them a good watering. This is especially useful for potted plants.

When to water your garden in hot weather

When the weather is hot, aim to water your garden in the morning or evening. This allows your plants to fully absorb the water before it gets too hot. Plus, water droplets act like a magnifying glass in sunlight, potentially damaging the plant.

Prioritise your potted plants, as these will dry out much quicker than those in beds. Don’t worry too much about your lawn – grass is very good at retaining moisture and, though it may go a little brown, will almost always bounce back after a bit of rain. If it’s been a while without rain, don’t mow your lawn, or you could stress it further.

Know your garden

If you’re thinking ahead to summer, make a note of which parts of your garden get the most light, where the shaded spots are, and plan accordingly. Every plant, whether it’s flowers or fruit & veg, will have a preference for how much light it gets. Raspberries, for example, like a bit of shade, whereas strawberries are quite happy in direct sun. Many brassicas will start to ‘bolt’, flower prematurely, if they get too much sun, rendering them inedible. Don’t dig them up if this happens, though – the flowers are good for the bees.

Provide some shelter

Create some shaded spots in your garden for vulnerable plants (or humans!) with some shelters. Fencing can shield a flowerbed very nicely, as can larger shrubs and bushes if you want to add some natural shade.

For larger-scale shelters, garden buildings like gazebos and summerhouses are a welcome break from the summer sun, and give a nice spot of interest in your garden.

Look after the wildlife

If you can, keep a corner of your garden slightly chaotic. Overgrown greenery and dead plants are a haven for all sorts of beneficial wildlife, including small mammals and insects, especially when it’s hot. Give them a place to call home, and they’ll help keep your garden free from pests.

Leave a fresh bowl of water out for birds and bees, which they’ll use for drinking as well as bathing. Replace the water once a day to keep things hygienic.