With temperatures in the Shrewsbury area reaching over 30 degrees Celsius in the summer months, it can leave your garden in need of attention.
Parched lawns, shrubs and flowering plants can suffer extreme moisture loss, which impacts their growth cycle. To cope, the plants stop essential processes like photosynthesis to conserve water, leaving them drooping and wilting in the heat.
How does strategic watering help plants in heatwaves?
Watering plants and your lawn in the early morning before the sun gets too high in the sky is the best time. This allows the water to seep deep into the soil before sunshine causes it to evaporate.
The other top tip is to water at the base of the plant, rather than spraying the garden more broadly and prioritising plants that are not so hardy.
How can you protect plants in the heat?
After watering, add a layer of mulch, made of either wood chips, compost, grass cuttings or straw. This helps keep the moisture in the soil while providing nutrients for growth.
Alternatively, with plants and veg that are lower to the ground, use a shade cloth to protect them from harsh sunlight that can leach the moisture from the leaves and soil. This works well for plants about to sprout or salads such as lettuce, spinach and arugula.
Shade cloth can also be used suspended on a frame to protect taller plants. Or add taller plants in the same beds to provide shade for the more vulnerable ones.
How can you keep potted plants cool?
If your patio or driveway is home to potted plants and containers, grouping them together allows them to provide shade for each other. In extreme heat, shade the pots with sacking or even cardboard boxes so the clay of the pots doesn’t overheat as much.
Maintaining your garden during a heatwave can be hard work. Employing a professional gardening service to design and plant a low-maintenance garden can help save you time when the next heatwave arrives.
