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Is anyone watering their gardens in this constant heat?

CraighBCraighB Posts: 758
in Plants
Hi guys,

My garden isn't coping with this heat we are having. The soil isn't great even after mulching with well rotted manure for the past few years. Everything is wilting every single day. I always feel the need to go out watering constantly when they are wilting because sometimes they look literally collapsed on the floor!

Do any of you guys water your garden in dry spells or do you just leave it? Also do your plants wilt at the slightest bit of heat?

This is one of my delphiniums and its leaves at the bottom have gone crispy and then yellow as you go up the plant. Is this from dry soil or too wet?

Thanks
Craigh

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Posts

  • mwtbonesmwtbones Posts: 16
    I try to limit watering established plants to when they are still wilted in the evening or early morning. Young plants and those in containers get more attention and things like broad beans in flower get watered without having to look sad.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I try not to water things too often so that the roots will go down in search of water rather than keeping near the surface.
    If there's a long spell and no hosepipe ban, I give them a major soak and leave it at that.
    I tend to plant drought tolerant plants in the soil and keep the thirsty ones in pots.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    I water the newly planted. Otherwise I try and grow what will go well in my soil


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Like Nutcutlet, l water anything that has been planted in the last few months. Anything else is left until it really starts to wilt, then it gets pretty  much a full watering can round the roots. 
  • CraighBCraighB Posts: 758
    Thanks guys that's pretty much what I have been doing. I just didn't realise how much work it was watering everything. Im having to water almost everything!

    What do you think is wrong with the delphinium?
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Don’t worry about the delphinium it looks good, just cut the dead bits off.
    i dont water the garden either, only the newly planted, that way the roots go down deeper to find the moisture.
    if you water, you can only water the top inch or so and the roots will come to the top looking for it. You then need to water again, and again. 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • CraighBCraighB Posts: 758
    Thanks Lyn. Maybe in being a bit OCD about the watering. I should probably just leave them even if they look wilted and only water the things that were planted recently.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    the more water and food you give them, the softer they grow and the more they wilt. Grow something drought resistant in front of it.


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    My dad told me if I wanted to water the garden to do any good I would need to stand there with hose pipe all night. It was him who explained about not watering in little can fulls. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I haven't noticed much heat. It's been about 20oC in London
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