When you have learnt to water, you have learnt to garden!
Top tips on watering brought to you by our experts…
Watering is crucial this month! Plants in containers rely on you almost entirely for water and plants in the ground may also need more if it has been a dry month.
The secret to watering is a really thorough watering and then leave it for a few days. This will encourage the roots to go deeper making them less vulnerable to drought and ensuring that the root ball is wet all the way through. Don’t be tempted to water every night, unless the plant is in a small pot or in a basket when it will need topping up almost daily. The danger with a dribble of water every night is either that you will encourage the roots to the surface or the plant will get insufficient water (it only being the top inch or two of the root ball that gets wet each time). Also there is often a problem with a plant remaining constantly too wet and then the root starts to rot, the plant will often then wilt and the temptation then is to water it again. It is very hard to rescue a plant that has got too wet and has started to rot.
Make sure that your pots and containers are heavy and wet – weight is a good way of determining how wet a pot is. If the pot is very large to push it with your foot or hand to see how easily it moves. It is paradoxically also important that the pot drains properly with all this water going in, so check that the drainage holes are unobstructed, that the pot is on pot feet or bricks so it is lifted up and that the soil has been changed within the last 3 years, as old compost does not drain properly.
…don’t forget to sit down and enjoy what you have created so far this year too! An ideal time to relax with friends, a glass of wine and a barbecue.
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