This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Heatwave!
duncan.smith775
Posts: 37
in Plants
Hi gardeners everywhere. During this heatwave a lot of my shrubs (shrubby salvias, Himalayan honeysuckles, weigelias, spiraeas etc) are turning brown and crispy. My husband seems to think this is a defence mechanism as they can’t support their leaves and they will come back fine next spring. What do you all think?
Thanks, Eve
0
Posts
If you're in one of the areas which regularly gets these long dry spells, it's worth doing some work over autumn and winter to help them in future years. Lots of organic matter applied regularly - after the ground is properly soaked, will help retain that moisture. It also helps the soil structure, so it won't mean they'd be water logged in long wet spells.
It's really the only way to help them, although some shrubs may also benefit from pruning back. It depends on the shrub though.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I think it's better to think of the UK as two separate countries at the moment. The South East, with zero rain for 2 months, and 25-40c temperatures, is having a Mediterranean Summer. The rest of the country, depending on where you are, is having cooler temperatures and some rain (albeit considerably reduced depending on where you are).
I would advise gardeners to keep a close eye on all plants, including well established shrubs and trees. @duncan.smith775 You don't say where you are, I would suggest a good soak once a week for those shrubs would be advisable, if you want to be fairly sure they will survive the Summer.
Other recently planted trees and shrubs were also watered deeply with a spray gun on the hose pipe once a week. I have found it takes 3 to 4 years here for new shrubs and trees to get their roots down deep enough to access water in dry spells and I now keep them in pots for 2 or 3 years to develop good root systems, increasing the pot size each year. This also means I ca kep themnear th ehouse in summer for easier watering.
The water butts were emptied weeks ago so now we have a hosepipe ban for ornamentals we have taken to collecting any tap water we run off while waiting for the hot water to come thru plus any water used for rinsing veg and that gets poured by the bucket-load on shrubs and trees. We have seep hoses in some of the veggie beds and are allowed to water those between 8pm and 8am but our brassicas are really suffering. Next year they'll get seep hoses too.
We usually advise keeping on top of watering of shrubs and trees for the first year or two. With the extraordinary conditions endured in the east and south east this year I would also advise being watchful of shrubs and trees planted within the last 3 to 4 years.
My soil is parched to a worrying depth and shrubs planted 2 & 3 years ago and which were doing well are now struggling. I think their root systems just aren't big enough yet to get to deeper moisture.
I have one large border that I have just about given up on (south facing and overshadowed by a huge ash tree which sucks all the moisture from the ground). I'm concentrating there on deep watering the younger shrubs about once every 10 days. The more mature ones should still survive by themselves. A lot of the filler perennials have gone though - just too shallow rooted to survive the intensity of this drought. We haven't had 'proper' rain since March and no sustained periods of wet weather since last October. Currently low to mid 30's and most of the hot spells have been accompanied by dessicating swirling winds which cause a lot of leaf crisping.
Here, the rowans have been fully berried up since late July, which is down to lack of rain, so they're coloured up due to stress, rather than it just being autumnal. A full month early, as they're normally getting going around now. However, that's a small setback, and not terminal, and all other plants are fine because we still have enough rain, and enough resources. I still believe I should be careful with what water I use in dry spells, and not contribute to the problem. I can't imagine what it's like to have no rain for long periods.
I think many people will have to make choices in the next few years about what plants to continue with in their gardens @Plantminded, which is very sad. There's only so much you can do if the climate isn't right, and it's questionable whether it's even right to try and keep certain plants going in domestic gardens, if it's a huge drain on resources. I said a while ago on a thread that perhaps people need to look at making bog gardens - ie digging holes and using liners, but not for the usual bog plants - for standard perennials.
I don't have the answers - I expect most people are the same. That's possibly the saddest thing of all
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thanks.