When and how often to water gardens to stop plants ‘drying out and dying’

As the UK is set to experience some of the hottest days of the year, keeping the garden fit, healthy and growing during this hot weather can be a huge task.

Of course, watering them more is the obvious first step, but there is a chance that gardeners are going about it all wrong for optimum hydration.

To give an insight into how and when to water plants during hot weather, gardening enthusiasts have taken to the Gardening UK Facebook page to share their recommendations.

Unsure of how often to water his outdoor space, Garry Bra wrote: “How often is everyone watering their garden at the moment? Pots, ground fruit, veg etc.”

Many group members suggested that garden plants in the ground should be watered in the early morning a couple of times a week rather than daily.

When it comes to plants in containers, they suggested watering them at the same time but daily.

Wizz Cornelius said: “Couple times a week instead of daily and I test the soil too a few inches down. When it’s dry I water usually early morning.”

Cheryl Fox wrote: “I’m doing pots daily and stuff in the ground every couple of days unless it looks dry.”

James Murray commented: “I found that it’s better to give them a good soak every couple of days (especially in warmer weather) than a quick splash every day.

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“I water the plants and lawn two to three times a week in the early morning. This way the plants have time to take in the water.”

Lyndsey Gibson replied: “I’m watering my garden every two days in the early morning. I found that this prevents my plants from drying out and during when it’s really hot.”

Michael Abley said: “Smaller pots tend to need it daily. Larger ones can go two to three days. Not really watering beds except for newly planted without established roots.”

Jane Fisher commented: “Pots and seedlings every evening. I put drip trays under pots so that water doesn’t drain away.”

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Helen Louise wrote: “Every other day, but I’m only soaking my roses once or twice a week. They seem to love the drier weather/soil. When I watered daily the leaves started turning yellow.”

According to the gardening experts at Henry Street Garden Centre, “watering becomes critical” during hot weather.

They said: “As well as being essential to plants’ survival, water is also the way in which they draw up nutrients from the soil through the roots and stems and into the leaves and fruit.”

They view the morning or early evening “when the sun starts to go down” as the “best times” to water gardens. They warned: “If you water in the peak heat of the day you’ll be wasting water through evaporation and it rarely helps the plants.”

When it comes to how often tower plants, they argue that on the whole, “watering deeply and less often will help grow healthy and deeper roots”. 

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