With longer, hotter summers and wetter winters forecast for our future, it would be wise to start making our gardens less reliant on water that comes from the tap and work towards being self sufficient in the wet stuff.

Water butts – you can’t have too many. Install them now even though its sweltering. Heat waves tend to break with a downpour or two so they will fill up quickly. As we’re already on our 4^th heatwave this year its best to get ahead of the game. You can use siphons and hoses to move water between storage containers, around your garden, if the ones attached to the roof collection pipes get a bit too full.

Make sure they have a good close-fitting lid. This keeps the water from evaporating and getting too dirty particularly in the autumn. It also stops mosquitoes getting in and laying their eggs, and you suffering the subsequent bites. You can also add a small capful of clean food-grade oil to the water. This will spread out thinly over the surface. This fine layer is enough to stop the mosquitoes from laying their egg just below the surface of the water. A lose ball of chicken wire placed at the top of each down pipe will prevent leaves and larger debris from washing into the water butt. Remember to clean out your gutters in early winter to remove leaves, moss and other particulates which could cause the guttering to block and overflow.

No chemicals required – cleaning out your water butts in early winter is best, just wash them out with water and don’t use any cleaning chemicals which could damage your plants and soil.

Save water from baths, showers and sinks if you’re just rinsing your hands, washing vegetables etc. Your soil is quite adept at filtering out shampoo, conditioner and soap. However, water that has any of these products in it should be used away from ponds and other water courses so they don’t affect the delicate ecological balance. Avoid reusing water that contains harsh chemicals like bleach, caustic soda and lye etc.

Plant shrubs, hardy perennials and hardy annuals in autumn while the soil is damp but still warm. This will give the roots time to establish and will give the plants a head-start in the spring. This is particularly useful if you have a clay soil which takes longer to warm up in the spring. Mulching these soils in the autumn is very helpful.

Buy plants that have been grown peat free – The plants start life being used to free draining soil and the roots have to work harder to get established. This gives you a tougher plant with stronger roots that will adapt to you garden more easily. Also remember that apart from being a cause of peatland destruction, peat does not amalgamate with garden soil and usually dries out and is eroded away. It gives almost nothing to the plant nutritionally but was developed to make pot growing more convenient for the emerging garden centre trade. Most countries have never used peat in horticulture.

Right plant, right place – do your research and choose only plants that are adapted to grow in your conditions. We are always available to help you and the nursery is laid out to show which conditions the plants prefer.

When watering with a watering can in hot weather, remove the rose and target your water to the exact spot it is needed. Never water over the foliage as water will be lost as it evaporates. Always water at the base around the plant, straight into the soil. Water slowly and deeply, but less often. Watering fast means that a lot of the water will run away rather than seeping into the soil. Plants that are watered too much will develop shallow roots that can then suffer badly during hot weather. Watering deeply only when the plant needs it will encourage the plant to sink its roots deeper into the soil. New plants will need to be watered regularly until their roots are established and the weather has cooled. This can take a season or a few years depending on the plant, its size and the type of soil you have.

Cut back perennials and annuals that are suffering from drought. If your plants are getting very stressed despite your careful watering, you may need to cut them back. The plant will not need to push moisture out to all of its extremities and it may encourage the plant to reshoot and thicken up. Removing a third of the plant is a good place to start this process as it is unlikely to add extra stress. Avoid taking more than a third if at all possible.

When to water? This can be a little counter intuitive. Watering at night means the plant has more time in cooler conditions to take up the water. However, it can also lead to conditions that encourage mildew and root rot. Watering in the morning gives the plant the moisture it needs as the heat and sunlight increases, but many of us have less time in the mornings. So, this is one for you to decide. If your plants are struggling you may need to adjust your practices.

Avoid Overwatering Be aware if a plant is wilting it may not be because it is drying out, plants also wilt if they are overwatered. Normally you will find that the leaves on thirsty plants will drop or even curl but check the soil before you decide to water.

Mulching the soil can make a huge difference to the plants ability to withstand higher temperatures. See our previous article which explains how to make the most of your green waste. Reasons to plant in autumn and when to apply mulch

From winter into spring you can make use of the non woody material you cut from your plants. Using the cut and dump technique, place the cut material around but not touching your plants and allow it to rot down in situ. It certainly reduces the effort of collecting it all up, composting it elsewhere then dragging it all back again to use as mulch. It depends if you can cope in the spring with your beds looking a little shabby. The new growth will cover it quite quickly and it will help keep the soil a little cooler.

Other useful practices are related to the planting of large shrubs and trees. As these pants mature their roots will spread out to approximately match the spread of the crown. The root hairs at the tips of each root are the only parts that can take up water and nutrients, the reminder harden off to provide anchorage. So, if you have an established tree or shrub that is struggling, water slowly at the outer edge just below the drip line of the plant, where the rain would drip off the leaves and you’ll be sure to get the water just where its needed. Don't water around the trunk.

Newly planted shrubs and trees will have roots only as wide as the pot or root ball they came with, and this is when the plant is most vulnerable to drought. Always ensure that you plant at the same depth as the soil in the pot or in the case of bare root or root-balled plants you need to make sure the soil level is not above the root flare. Fill the hole with water and let it drain away before planting. If it doesn’t drain away the soil is water-logged and you shouldn’t plant there until the situation is corrected.

Having some moisture beneath the roots gives them a good start and you can also add some almost vertical pipe at 1/3 intervals around the plant, just outside the existing roots. Leaky pipe is great for this job but standard bathroom plastic pipe is good too. Place a little gravel in the base of each pipe to stop the air getting to the roots and drying them out. You can water into the pipes ensuring the water gets down to where its needed. Once the roots are established the pipe can be removed and back-filled with soil.

Soaker hoses which are laid on the soil and can be lightly covered in mulch and will slowly ‘sweat ‘ the water where it is needed and can be extremely effective at keeping the soil moist without using anywhere need the amount used in conventional watering. They can even be controlled with a battery powered timer.

Pots Place groups of pots together so they can shade one another and also help to hold moisture in the air. Use trays and saucers when the weather is hot to hold any run off. A large tray lined with an extra-long length of capillary matting is fantastic for taking care of plants when you are away. Ensure the matting is long enough to fill the tray and also run over one edge and into the bottom of a large bucket. Fill the bucket with water and allow it to wick the water under the plants in the tray. Make sure the plants are already well watered when you put this together, and the wick system will keep them that way. Just refill the bucket as the water level drops low. You should group plants together that have the same moisture requirements.

Other useful tips – You can place terracotta or ‘Olla ’watering pots or spikes in the soil near plants that need a little more consistent moisture and they will gently seep water into the soil. There are even plastic watering spikes that can be attached to fizzy drinks bottles. Drip irrigation is now freely available as kits and can be expanded to added extra narrow hose and drippers as required.

Finally, many of your plants will adapt to make use of the water you make available to them, so over time you can slowly reduce the amount you offer. This can help them to become more drought tolerant. No plant is drought tolerant until it is established.

The River Test by Alex Metcalf August 2025