TINA WOODHAMS GARDENING NOTES FOR AUGUST
With prolonged spells of dry weather and a lack of substantial rainfall during June and July, long term forecasts suggest that drier than average conditions are also possible in August. In addition, South East Water has enforced a hose pipe ban with effect from 18 July.
In view of this, here are some tips to manage our water in the garden….
Water planted pots daily, either first thing in the morning or last thing at night, to reduce evaporation. Water slowly, directly into the soil to get to the root system and not onto the leaves. Fill the pot to the rim and let it soak into the soil before repeating. If the surface of the soil is dry, the water will overflow over the top of the pot and be wasted. Push small pots with drainage holes or a tube into the soil and water into them, these will contain the water and slowly release it.
It’s important to keep the soil healthy – so don’t oversaturate it as this will flush out essential nutrients. Incorporating gel crystals into the soil will help retain water and these can be purchased at your local garden centre. Using a liquid plant feed once a week will enrich the compost and help to prolong the flowering and cropping season. Consider the type of pot that you use: deeper pots will hold moisture longer than shallow ones. Terracotta and metal pots will heat up in the sun and will lead to the compost drying out quickly.
Help to conserve moisture in the pots by applying a mulch of at least 5cm (2 inches in old money!) of organic material – use bark, woodchip, compost or straw to reduce evaporation but beware of using hay as this can disperse seed and encourage grass to grow! Grouping pots together will increase the air humidity in that area.
Using grey water, such as bath and kitchen water, is an environmentally-friendly option and will not harm your plants since potting composts are able to filter out contaminants such as soap and detergents.
Prioritise your watering in the vegetable garden. Keep tomatoes well-watered as not doing so can lead to blossom end rot (blackened areas at the base of the tomato fruit). Beans, peas and lettuces will cease cropping if not kept regularly watered. As with the pots, or indeed any area in the garden, applying a mulch will help to retain moisture in the soil.
Established plants in the borders will generally require less watering – the more readily-available water there is for them will increase their dependency and so they can be left to dry out longer which in turn will encourage the roots to grow deeper into the soil in search for water.
Water butts are an effective method of collecting rainwater, a more natural supply than tap water, but of course this is only useful when we have had that essential rainfall! Perhaps a note in your diaries as a task for autumn or winter …..
Anyhow, all this talk of water has made me thirsty!
HAPPY GARDENING!