I've got too much in pots and a lot of newly planted stuff as well. I've emptied 2 waterbutts so far and I'm working my way through 2 more. I like to get them empty at this time of year though so they can be dried and exposed to the sun to make them extra clean.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Exactly the same conditions here @Busy-Lizzie. Beds in summer get watered very deeply (12 litre can per rose, less for drought-tolerant stuff) once a week. Veg beds get watered deeply every two to three days. We had a very dry year last year, with the exception of a few tremendous storms, but this year we have had so much rain various springs have popped up all over the the place!
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
I think your right Ian. My garden is walled all the way around and I've checked the thermometer and it's been up to around 26 degrees c. My soil does also drain very fast and I don't think it holds on to moisture very well.
What I think also doesn't help is the border that most gets affected by wilting plants is the one on the sunniest side of the garden and it is a very shallow border so I think the wall sucks all the moisture out of the ground. Also all the borders are quite raised as that's how to previous tenants had set it up and as I rent I didn't want to go changing it very much.
Here is my garden so u can see what I mean... The first photo is when we moved in and the second is how it is now...
Thank you. I shall be ripping it all out possibly next year as I should hopefully be buying a house. In making sure i take it all with me Wherever I move to though im going to make sure I spend time getting the soil right!
I'm watering bare earth at the moment but that's because I ended up putting nematodes down just as the weather dried up - typical.
Normally I only water pots and the polytunnel. If we get a warm dry late July and August (and when did THAT last happen?) I water courgettes and runner beans in the veg garden. Everything else has to fend for itself and if I lose things I plant something tougher in it's place.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Apologies if this has been mentioned before, I haven’t read the whole thread, but this time of year the growth on a lot of plants is very soft. If the plant is directly in the sun the transpiration rates are very high. There maybe plenty of moisture in the soil, but the plant just can’t keep up.
Another point worth remembering is that it is the roots that need the water, not the top growth. So put the water down at the roots and don’t waste water by giving the plants a shower!
I water my pots every day in the hot weather and water newly planted trees/shrubs once a week with a full bucket of water. I have a soaker hose round the rest of the garden which I put on occasionally over night. I don't water the lawn.
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What I think also doesn't help is the border that most gets affected by wilting plants is the one on the sunniest side of the garden and it is a very shallow border so I think the wall sucks all the moisture out of the ground. Also all the borders are quite raised as that's how to previous tenants had set it up and as I rent I didn't want to go changing it very much.
Here is my garden so u can see what I mean... The first photo is when we moved in and the second is how it is now...
I'm watering bare earth at the moment but that's because I ended up putting nematodes down just as the weather dried up - typical.
Normally I only water pots and the polytunnel. If we get a warm dry late July and August (and when did THAT last happen?) I water courgettes and runner beans in the veg garden. Everything else has to fend for itself and if I lose things I plant something tougher in it's place.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Another point worth remembering is that it is the roots that need the water, not the top growth. So put the water down at the roots and don’t waste water by giving the plants a shower!
Sorry, lecture over 😀