Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don has warned gardeners about the dangers of watering plants at the wrong time during a heatwave. The UK is experiencing record-breaking temperatures, with the hottest May day ever recorded on Monday when Kew Gardens in south-west London reached 34.8C.
Don advised that the best time to water plants, especially those in containers, is early morning before the sun warms up. If that is not possible, he recommended waiting until the evening when it is cool. Watering during the middle of the day can cause droplets on leaves to magnify the sun's rays and scorch the plants.
He emphasised the importance of watering directly to the roots and continuing until water runs out of the bottom of the container. 'The rule of watering is always the same: soak, don't sprinkle,' he said. Don also advised that despite the heat, gardeners should not feed plants more than normal.
The Met Office reported that 97 of its sites hit or exceeded 30C on Monday, with temperatures expected to reach 35C on Tuesday in southern England and Wales. Heatwave conditions have already been met across eight parts of England, and the threshold for a heatwave—temperatures at or above 28C for three consecutive days—is likely to be exceeded in many areas.
Temperatures are expected to ease gradually from midweek, but conditions will remain largely dry with plenty of sunny spells. The Met Office noted that seven of the 12 monthly high temperature records have been set since 2003, attributing this to climate change.
