Don’t let the wet weather get the better of your garden
IT MAY have been a relatively mild winter, but the rain has been incessant and waterlogging can be a problem for plants.
Guy Barter, chief horticulturist at the RHS, tells HANNAH STEPHENSON that if the rain continues into spring, it can be extremely damaging as the roots come back into life but can’t get the oxygen they need because the water has pushed it out of the soil.
So, we need to be prepared...
SHORT-TERM REMEDIES
■ IDENTIFY soggy bits of lawn, spike them and rake in top dressing to improve drainage.
■ UPTURN waterlogged plants in pots. Remove the parts of the root system that are affected and replant in fresh compost. A smaller pot may be required.
■ KEEP off waterlogged soil to avoid making it worse.
■ REMOVE dead or dying shoots from affected plants.
■ APPLY a dressing of balanced fertiliser in the spring and mulch over the root area.
■ FOLIAR feeds during the growing season will improve leaf colour and root growth.
■ WATER thoroughly in dry spells as plants can suffer drought stress following waterlogging.
LONG-TERM PREVENTION
■ REDUCE the damage to waterlogged lawns by laying paths or stepping stones.
■ SOME plants grow well in wet soils, including Iris sibirica, some lobelias, dogwoods, elders and even daffodils, Zantedeschia aethiopica, hosta and Hydrangea paniculata.
■ DIG in organic matter in autumn to improve drainage and aeration.
■ ENSURE container plants are well crocked and free draining.
■ WHERE appropriate, it may be worth digging out a ditch or seasonal pond at the lowest part of the garden to catch surplus water and let it soak in slowly.
■ USE a fork for digging to break up soil.
■ PLANT in raised beds, or on a slight mound, so roots aren’t sitting in the water.
■ USE a thick organic mulch around susceptible plants to create an aerated area between sky and soil where roots thrive.
■ CHOOSE permeable surfaces for drives, paths and patios so rain soaks in