With another heatwave forecast for the UK, gardeners are seeking ways to protect their plants from scorching temperatures. Gardener's World presenter Carol Klein has shared two straightforward tasks that can shield plants with minimal effort.
Watering at the Right Time
In a video on Instagram, Klein emphasised the importance of timing when watering. 'Well we're in a heatwave, and it's really tough going for us humans and also for our plants. Well you can't change the weather, so best thing to do is, first of all, watering,' she said.
To maximise water usage, even when supplies are limited, Klein advises watering either first thing in the morning or late in the evening. Watering late in the evening, as the sun sets, allows plants to absorb the most moisture before the heat returns.
Mulching to Retain Moisture
In addition to watering, mulching helps safeguard plants. Klein explained: 'If you haven't already mulched your soil, trapping that moisture underneath, it's not too late. If you've got great compost, bung it on, or composted bark, anything like that, just to retain that water under the surface of the soil.'
She also recommended using plants themselves as mulch: 'As far as I'm concerned the very best mulch is plants. I tend to put plants close together. That way the soil hardly sees the sun at all and they'll stay as fresh as anything, indefinitely.'
Protecting Container Plants
For container-grown plants, Klein suggests moving them to a shaded spot first thing in the morning to shield them from intense heat. They can be returned to their original position in the evening or left in the cooler location until the heatwave passes.
