ARE you a gardener struggling to help your plants stay happy and healthy during this summer heatwave?
You’re not alone.
A woman on TikTok has shared her top tip for helping your garden in the heat this summer – and it isn’t what you think.
Taking to the platform, Sophie, who posts under the moniker @lookinsidemygarden, shared how to water your plants at this time of year.
She revealed you don’t need to douse your greenery in water.
“There is a misconception that your garden needs watering every single day when it’s hot, that is not true,” she begins.
She says the main aspect of your plants’ health is the schedule in which you water them.
She says the “most important” thing to do is to make sure your targeting exactly where you spray the water.
“You need to get your hose right at the base of the plant, right near to the soil, and give it a really good drench.”
No matter whether you use a hose or watering can, Sophie says it still applies.
“I tend to soak between five and 10 seconds a pop depending on what’s growing,” she explained.
In the comments, she added she waters her plants in the early morning or late evening so it’s not too hot.
Other garden essentials to keep your plants alive and well during the warmer months include compost.
It can help the soil which, even at the highest quality, can sometimes struggle to hold its moisture.
“Mulch can be a lifesaver when it comes to protecting plants from the harsh rays of the sun,” Experts at Bury Hills Landscape Supplies told Express.co.uk.
They recommend using “reflective kinds” as it will “work particularly well as they will deflect the sun’s rays.”
Mulch will also benefit the plants’ health as it helps with water retention.
To use it, you need to find the majority of the dead plants and move them so new plants can begin to grow.
Then, you can layer the soil on top of them – a thickness of about two or three inches should be enough.
The Sun's Gardening Editor Veronica Lorraine, has shared the tasks you need to tackle this July in your garden.
1. Prune Wisteria
You should only prune back Wisteria twice a year – and July – or mid summer – is one of those times. After flowering cut back long side shoots to around seven buds.five or six leaves.
2. Pinch out tomatoes
Your tomatoes should be really picking up – so pinch out all the side shoots without flowers – and remove all the leaves that are shading the tomatoes – this will give them maximum light and energy.
3. Keep weeding
Hand weeding and hoeing the surface of the soil will keep your weeds under check.
4. Feed Dahlias
To keep Dahlias flowering until Autumn, you must keep feeding them weekly with a liquid fertliser high in potassium – which encourages blooms.
5. Keep deadheading plants
Keep up with deadheading your bedding plants and perennials – so they keep coming back for the season. With roses make sure you’re deadheading back to a set of five leaves, giving you the best chance of them flowering again.
6. Check on your pond
If you’re lucky enough to have a pond – make sure it’s clear of algae, which can really bloom when the sun beats down.
7. Feed your lawn
Whether that’s with a liquid feed or granules. If you’ve chosen granules try to get them down before the rain comes, so they soak into the soil.
8. Tend to strawberry plants
Cut the leaves off strawberry plants after you’ve picked them – leaving the crown untouched – which should help with next years fruit.
9. Sow extra seeds
July weather is a great time to sow seeds as the warm soil and sunshine is great for germination. Try carrots, winter broccoli and other brassicas.
10. Move young plants into soil
Get any young plants you’ve got left in the greenhouse – like courgettes – into the soil.
Once you’ve done that, you need to work the compost into the existing soil and then water it to help the two merge.
This should then start the compost to benefit the old soil and the plants.
Another additional step you can use is to add mulch onto the compost; it should help to keep the soil and plants healthy in the long run.
Compost can be brought from many supermarkets ans garden centres for as little as £6.
