During a drought it can be difficult to know where you should focus your efforts in the garden. Follow our summer watering guide to find out which plants need more attention during a heatwave while still being conscious of water usage. ☀🌱

Best times to water your garden…

Keep your plants happy and healthy by watering them at the best time. Watering in the morning before the day warms up allows the water to run through the soil and down to the roots before the midday heat. If you can’t water first thing, the next best option is late afternoon when plants are out of direct sunlight.

When to water these plants…

Every day or two… Seedlings, cuttings and young plants. Other thirsty plants are those recently planted or those potted in a greenhouse / conservatory such as tomatoes and cucumbers.

• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Garden Peas
• Tree Ferns

Once a week… Next come plants with shallow root systems, including bedding plants, large sub-tropical plants and ferns. Moisture loving perennials and veg crops like spinach, lettuce and celery should also be prioritised.

• Brassicas (Cabbage, Cauliflower and Brussel Sprouts)
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Celery – Water twice a week if dry

Once a fortnight… Plants like Clematis and Roses can fend for themselves by soaking them thoroughly once a fortnight. Fruit trees, shallow rooted shrubs and plantings from last Autumn can also be watered in this way.

• Roses
• Ornamental willows (Tolerant but will suffer if left dry for too long)
• Clematis
• Eupatorium

Avoid watering these plants to save water..

Some parts of the garden can be left un-watered to allow the tougher plants to thrive. Avoid watering mature trees, shrubs or hedges as this can be a waste of water. Lawns can also be left un-watered, if they start to go brown, don’t panic! They will recover as soon as rain arrives.

• Cordylines
• Verbascum (Thrives in dry soil where others can’)
• Periwinkle
• Aeoniums
• Agave