Renowned gardening expert Monty Don has shared critical advice on soil health and watering techniques during hot and dry weather. Speaking on the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Podcast, the 71-year-old emphasized that watering should focus on the soil, not the plants themselves.
Water the Soil, Not the Plants
Monty explained that most plants derive moisture from the soil, not direct watering. He stated: "It always helps if you get your soil in good health. If you have soil that is full of organic matter, and therefore becomes loam, it will retain moisture and that's really the secret of watering plants. Your plants should not be dependent upon you giving them water. They should be dependent upon accessing water that's in the soil. So…never water plants, water the soil. That may sound like I'm being glib, I really mean that, that's serious."
He noted that only ferns, particularly tree ferns, require direct watering as they prefer moist air. "It's the soil that needs it because plants get their moisture through the roots and they draw it up through the soil. And what you'll find is that if the water is quite deep, plants will go and find it, whereas if you only water on the surface, the roots have to come to the surface to find it, and therefore they're more exposed to heat and drought," Monty added.
Importance of Organic Matter
Monty stressed the role of compost in soil health: "If you have lots of organic matter, ideally garden compost, quite frankly any organic matter, including roots of old plants that opens the soil out and also retains moisture. So it opens out so the roots can go and get down and find it and then by retaining moisture there is moisture to find, so it's the perfect solution."
UK Heatwave and Climate Change
The advice comes as the UK experiences temperatures near 30°C, with the Met Office warning that extreme weather is becoming normal. Climate information scientist Mike Kendon said: "What we used to think of as extreme, we increasingly consider as normal. What is particularly concerning is how temperature extremes are being affected, as these cause the greatest impacts – a pattern we've seen again in 2026 so far. Every year is adding to the body of evidence showing climate change in the UK. We are right now living in a time of historic and unprecedented change and in terms of temperature, on annual, seasonal, monthly and daily timescales, this evidence shows the climate of the 20th Century has now gone."
Best Time to Water
Monty has previously advised on optimal watering times for container plants: "In fact, every day when it's as hot as this and, if you can, the best time to water your container is early morning before the sun warms up. If you can't get it done early in the morning, don't do it during the middle of the day wait till the evening. Basically, when it's cool. The plants will then take the moisture and they can lose it during the day without suffering any problems."
Gardener's World will be broadcast on Saturday, July 18th, at 9.15am on BBC Two.
