GARDEN NOTES Helpful advice for the summer months

Without sufficient water, plants become weak and vulnerable to pests and diseases. Endless watering can be tedious, but follow our high-summer strategy and your plants will thank you for it.

Water either in the early morning or at dusk, so it doesn’t evaporate too quickly. Aim to wet the root systems, which means watering thoroughly at the base of the stem, not over flowers and foliage.

Buy a nozzle for your hosepipe so you can control the pressure: a light spray for more delicate plants; a full-on flow for larger shrubs and trees. An irrigation system – basically a hosepipe with holes in it laid through a bed and often controlled by a timing device – is useful for larger gardens.

Plastic pots retain water better than terracotta, but all containers may need watering twice on hot days. Place a saucer underneath to catch overflow and consider adding water-retaining granules to compost.

After a thorough watering, add a layer of mulch to containers or around plants – it will help slow evaporation. You don’t need to water established lawns; they’re surprisingly resilient and will bounce back (just think of your local park). Not all plants require the same amount of water – established shrubs, for instance, don’t need to be watered as often as a ripening tomato plant. Finally, get a water butt, or at least leave out vessels to collect rainwater, in case there are hosepipe bans.