The summer sunshine is so lovely and we can’t get enough of it, but we all despair as we see our plants wilting in the heat!
The best way to ensure the survival of our plants is by watering and the necessity of watering is determined by the weather conditions – how much sun the plants receive, the amount of wind and the temperature. These factors all work together to evaporate water from the soil which needs to be replaced in different amounts depending on the exposure to the elements. If watering the sunny areas with an irrigation system then these areas should be watered longer than the shady areas and this could be set on a timer. Hand watering of course allows you to concentrate water where it is needed.
It must be remembered that container plants have a far higher evaporation rate than the plants in your garden and they will need to be watered daily in the summer time and sometimes twice a day if exposed to full sun.
The principles of good watering are that plants should be watered at their base. If you are watering by hand then a watering wand is recommended which will dampen the water pressure and also reduce soil erosion around the plant base. Wherever possible try not to water the leaves as the water left on the leaves tends to collect dust and other foreign matter from the air which can be the cause of a variety of diseases for the plant and also clogs up the pores for the natural intake of moisture.
The value of watering depends on the ability of your soil to soak up water and for small plants it is best to have the hose at a slow trickle and allow the water to run for 1-2 minutes and 5-10 minutes for larger plants and trees. This makes sure that the water soaks at least 6” down into the soil and that the roots get enough moisture.
In order to ensure that plants are constantly given the amount of water they require it is a good idea to use a Soaker Hose. This type of hose comes in a kit form and is often termed a Weeping Watering System. The value of the soaker hose is that it is easy to install and simple to use, it can be installed on a temporary or permanent basis, can be used in the greenhouse or the garden or from a water butt and is also able to be used during hosepipe bans. It can simply be woven through the flowers or garden area requiring water and the entire area can be watered by simply turning on the tap. The Soaker Hose is a controlled method of watering that uses up to 70% less water than conventional methods as well as reducing evaporation and run-off. As the water fills the hose, pressure builds up and expands the hose wall opening the tiny holes that weep water slowly to saturate the ground at the plants’ roots. If you want to sophisticate the system a timer could be introduced which would allow watering to take place regularly even when on holiday.
British Seed Houses have introduced a new product which will greatly help the gardener with the problem of how much and when? Aquafeed and Zeba have an extremely wide range of applications covering all aspects of indoor and outdoor gardening. The product is a unique super absorbent polymer based on natural corn starch which is non toxic and odourless. It is 100% biodegradable and environmentally friendly with a slow release organic based fertiliser to promote a steady supply of nutrients for healthy plant growth. Both Zeba and Aquafeed hold 400 times its weight in water and reduce the frequency of watering.
Zeba is especially beneficial in facilitating sod establishment by helping new sod to knit faster and lowering the susceptibility of drying out. it has also been found that when used with potatoes early in the season Zeba encourages strong root development which continues through to the tuber formation and multiple trials have shown that bigger and better potatoes as well as more of them are produced
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