Running on empty

Scotland may have had its wettest winter for a century but water reserves in much of the rest of the country are at lower levels than in 1976, one of the worst drought years of the twentieth century. The Environment Agency’s drought map shows the East Midlands at high risk, and while the debate continues about how best to deal with the problem, it is clear that we all need to use less.

Gardens, of course, suffer during dry periods in Spring and Summer and, particularly, with the implementation of hosepipe bans. There are however plenty of things that we can do to reduce the strain on our plants. Here are some tips to help you plan ahead for the long, hot summer:-  

The right plants in the right place – plants vary considerably in the amount of water they require to thrive. The foliage of plants can provide some indication of a plants tolerance to drought, for instance the small, grey leaves, associated with mediterranean plants such as lavender, santolina and potentilla, are designed to reduce water loss through transpiration.

Shelter belt – wind sucks the moisture out of plants so providing shelter, for instance with hedges, can be beneficial particularly on exposed sites. 

Soil condition – Some soil types are very free draining, for instance sandy soils, and therefore do not retain sufficient levels of moisture for plants. On the other hand heavy clay soil can inhibit a plants ability to develop good root systems. Digging organic matter, such as manure,  into both these types of soil will help root development and moisture retention.

Lawns – these are often the part of the garden that shows the most visible signs of water stress, as they have fairly high moisture needs. Consider therefore how much lawn you really need or want when planning your garden. When the dry weather kicks raise the cutting height of your mower, as short grass will suffer more.

Water harvesting – There maybe some things that you will want to keeping watering throughout summer, such as planters or vegetables, and for these, water-butts can be useful. The roof on an average-sized house will, in normal years, yield around 3000 litres of rainwater in July, so even sheds and greenhouses are worth harvesting.

Water well – Watering in the evening will mean less moisture is lost to evaporation and watering thoroughly (a good soaking occasionally is better than little and often) will ensure a deep soaking which, again, will reduce evaporation. Deep watering will also encourage plant roots to grow downwards, which will enable them to tap into deeper reserves. To avoid runoff when watering, shallow wells can be scooped around the base of plants.

Mulching and weeding – A good layer of mulch, such as bark or gravel, will greatly reduce evaporation. It will also reduce the amount of weeds competing with your plants.

You never know though, we might be in for a short, wet summer for a change.