Collaborative Post¦ The hot summer sun appearing over the UK often feels as though it comes and goes in an instant, yet while heatwaves may only last a few weeks until the dreary weather returns, the damage that the hot sun can do to our gardens is extensive. On occasions where these heatwaves last for a longer time, this can become problematic, turning our lawns brown and even killing certain plants, whether you keep up with the watering. In the event of a heatwave this summer, it’s best to be prepared, and so we’ve listed some of our best tips for handling this to properly care for your garden.
Using Mulch And Shade
One of the biggest issues that the hot sun causes for our gardens is drying out the soil. This leaves our plants and lawn without enough water to sustain themselves and means that we then need to water much more often to ensure that our plants do not die. One way to reduce the speed at which your soil dries out is to cover it using something called mulch. This isn’t a specific material; rather, it’s any type of material that you can place over your soil to act as a protective barrier. It’s similar to replicating the natural ground covering that you’d find in forests from fallen leaves, pine needles, and dead grasses. In fact, a popular type of mulch that you can create yourself is dried grass clippings. Spreading these clippings along your borders to cover the soil will shield it from the hot sun and allow the soil to stay moist for longer.
Water Regularly
While this may seem obvious, you’d be surprised at how quickly your plants can dry out. To reduce the chances of this happening, you’ll want to ensure you are watering regularly, in conjunction with using mulch to slow down the speed at which the ground dries. You should ensure that you do all your watering in the morning before the sun is high in the sky. It isn’t always the easiest task to make sure your garden is watered evenly every single morning, especially if you’re busy. Making use of a good quality hose or sprinkler is essential to get a good covering. You can find a variety of Hozelock attachments via shops like Little Fields Farm to suit your needs. You may think that watering in the evening after you get home from work will be a better option too, but the issue with watering in the evening is that plants won’t be able to dry as easily overnight, increasing the risk of mould and fungal diseases.
Don’t Cut Grass Short
Summertime often makes us think about spending time mowing the lawn and keeping the garden in great shape for gathering and generally enjoying this outdoor space. However, during a heatwave, one of the worst things you can do for your lawn is to cut it. There are many things you can do to keep your lawn healthy during a heatwave, but raising the height of your mowers blades will allow your grass to offer more shade to the soil beneath, increasing water retention and therefore reducing the chances of it drying out and turning yellow or brown. Combine this tactic with regular watering via a sprinkler system and aerating your soil by piercing holes in it to increase water absorption.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.