If you need to water and you will in hot weather, do it in the early morning or evening. Watering at the cooler ends of the day prevents waste from evaporation. It also helps prevent leaf scorch. So first thing in the morning or in the evening when the temperature drops.
Stand plants in the shade if they are struggling and or if you are going away leave your high maintenance baskets also over a bucket of water. Larger containers clustered together will not dry out as quickly as smaller pots. They will also retain more moisture in shadier positions! Moving pots into the shade will reduce evaporation.
If you can stand plants in trays filled with water that will help.
Tubes , pipes or pots buried in the ground directed at the roots of newly planted shrubs and help direct water to whee it is needed.
Regular hoeing helps prevent the weeds from taking hold. Weeds absorbed approximately 4 times more water and nutrients from the soil than regular plants. That's how they grow so quickly!
High levels of organic matter introduced into your soil will help it retain a good moisture balance. This is particularly useful in a light sandy soil which may drain too quickly in heavy clay soils which can set like a brick when dry or soak up water like a sponge when wet. Organic matter ,(in the form of soil conditioner, compost , soil conditioner, fine composted bark and well rotted manure. All these will improve the soil structure and help produce a more even water environment for plants to flourish.
Create a mulch on the soil surface using fine composted bark or well rotted manure. This helps lock moisture in.
The water retaining agent silica gel is brilliant for retaining extra available moisture in hanging baskets and containers but only it any use if you added it when you put the compost in the basket at planting! Take care to line the baskets well and use a good peat free organic compost. You can take baskets down when it is baking hot weather and soak them in a dustbin full of water to make sure the water goes into the compost and hits the spot.
Create a mulch on the soil surface using fine composted bark or well rotted manure. This helps lock moisture in.
The water retaining agent silica gel is brilliant for retaining extra available moisture in hanging baskets and containers but only it any use if you added it when you put the compost in the basket at planting! Take care to line the baskets well and use a good peat free organic compost. You can take baskets down when it is baking hot weather and soak them in a dustbin full of water to make sure the water goes into the compost and hits the spot.
