How to protect your garden from a heatwave
Be sure to safeguard your beloved outdoor spaces by learning how to best care for it during a scorching heatwave.
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If you’ve put some serious hard work into your garden this spring and summer, take care to protect it during the heatwave that the UK is enduring and ensure it comes out the other side just as green and healthy.
Take a read of our top tips for what to do and what not to do.
Watering schedule
The best time to water your beloved garden is in the mornings when the heat isn’t at its maximum temperature. Make sure to give them a more generous amount of water during the heatwave as you don’t want any shallow roots dying off. We recommend using an old fashioned watering can rather than a sprinkler or hose as you can direct the water more accurately with a much higher flow. Water your garden once a day, but on real scorchers you can even water your potted plants twice a day.
Layer mulch
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Protect your flower beds by layering a generous amount of mulch on top of your soil to protect it from drying out too quickly. Bark mulch is a great option as it stops weeds growing and preserves water, but you can also use grass cuttings to layer on top of your beds.
Read more: How to plant a drought-proof garden
Manage your lawn
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Leaving your grass to grow a bit taller than usual is a helpful trick during a heatwave. The extra growth (2-3 inches) will help shade the rest of your garden plants. Also, avoid adding fertiliser during the hotter weather as this will hinder your plant’s ability to soak up nutrients from any water present in the soil.
Throw some shade
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If you’re really worried about your sensitive plants or veggies, those that are prone to do badly during extreme heat, then you can protect them by covering them with a shade cloth. Shade cloth can of course be purchased from garden centres; however, you can easily make your own using old pieces of fabric. It just needs to be breathable and tied securely at the bottom of the plant to stop it flying off.
Do you have any tips for protecting your garden? Tweet us @goodhomesmag or post a comment on our Facebook page.