Tips for YOU and for YOUR GARDEN during the current ‘heatwave’.

FOR YOU:

• Keep well hydrated with regular non-alcoholic drinks
• Apply and re-apply suntan lotion/sun block (with high SPF) regularly
• Wear a sun hat, headscarf or similar to keep the sun off your head/face
• When working in the garden or when out and about, take advantage of the shade, staying out of direct sunlight as much as possible
• Take regular breaks / sit down in the shade when active in hot weather

FOR YOUR  GARDEN:

• Keep your garden well watered – particularly pots that rely purely on the moisture of the compost. Water early morning and evening to avoid leaf scorch
• If pots are looking ‘stressed’, move them into a shadier position
• A light blanket of mulch can help conserve water in the soil/compost
• Irrigation systems can often be an effective alternative to hand watering – using only the water needed and delivering it in a way that will penetrate right down to the roots
• If you usually use irrigation systems with timers, be sure to adjust them to account for the much drier, warmer weather
• Keep water baths and bowls topped up for birds and wildlife… we all need water!
• Cut the lawn less regularly and on a higher cutting setting if dry weather persists
• Maintain good ventilation in the greenhouse, opening doors and windows
• Dampen the floor of the greenhouse to keep it cooler, and shading topped up to reduce scorch
• Introduce new plants that cope well in drought conditions. Those with fine, stiff foliage or with hairy, succulent or wax coated leaves tend to be better adapted to dry conditions, as are those with grey or silver coloured foliage