The UK is set to experience another dose of summer this Friday and Saturday, with temperatures predicted to be as high as 29C in parts of the country. While the sunshine might draw green-thumbed Britons out into their garden, Royal Gardener, Jack Stooks who has tended to the gardens of Highgrove for more than 20 years, has shared some crucial gardening mistakes to avoid in toasty temperatures.
Speaking to Betway, Jack opened up about some of the most common gardening mistakes Britons make, and many of them occur when the sun is shining.
Watering plants
When the sun is shining, Jack explained that it is crucial Britons make sure they are not watering their flowers during the peak heat of the day. “The best time to water is either very early morning or late evening. Ideally when the sun is not shining and never in direct sunlight,” he explained.
“Overnight watering also does well for grass but we also need to try to conserve water so keeping that in mind is always important.
“You should only water if necessary and don’t overwater, as it wastes water and can also leach the goodness from the soil that we need to improve the plant matter – things like plant feed or fertiliser.”
Planting new plants
While you may be tempted to get out and add some colour to your garden, Jack warns that it is best to avoid planting any new plants during heatwaves.
“Ideally when you have excessively hot weather, you don’t want to be planting trees and shrubs because when you plant these you will expose roots,” he explained.
“You want to be planting these early on in the season or late in the season to get them established quite well. All in all, I wouldn’t recommend planting anything in really hot weather because you have to really keep on top of it and really be cautious with what you are planting.
“If you do plant things you should keep an eye on them and I would suggest only planting small things. If you have plants that were planted earlier this year then you want to be watering them really well in excessive heat.”
Cutting the grass
Once again, while it might be tempting to pull the lawnmower out of the shed as soon as the sun makes an appearance, Jack says you should exercise caution.
The royal gardener explained: “In hotter weather, you don’t need to cut your lawn as short as you normally would. For example, if you cut it into a three, you might want to take it up to a four or a five depending on how you like it to look.
“You can do it regularly but don’t scalp the grass, especially when it’s dry, it can look a little bit yellow but it is nothing to worry about because it will come back.”
Protect your plants from heat
Finally, it’s also important to make sure any flowers and plants are protected from the heat. Jack said: ”Any plants we have that don’t do well in heat ideally are in pots so can easily be moved to shady areas or replanted in shady spots within the garden. Some plants that aren’t performing can even be brought into the house in a cool shady room, as they will vastly improve that way too.”
