About watering your plants

I’m enjoying this glorious weather, as are most plants.

My blue Cedar looks just as blue as the ones you see overseas. Roses are not drooping their heads and herbaceous plants are standing up on their own.

We had nearly forgotten how nice it is to sit out in the evening. So enjoy! It won’t last forever.

All plants that have been planted a season or more, except for very large trees, will not need watering. The same applies to grass – do not worry if your grass is going brown, as that is the natural way grass shuts down, and you can do more harm than good with sporadic watering.

All plants planted this season will need watering, and it is best done late in the evening as the plants will get a longer time to take it up.

It’s surprising how much water you can re-use.

Hanging baskets and containers need water on a daily basis in this weather and rather than pouring water over them – especially with baskets – take them down and soak them in a shallow container.

Use saucers under pots, to reduce watering to a litre or two per container.

If you soak cardboard and place it on the ground around trees and shrubs, it helps to prevent the soil from drying out.

Hedges that were planted this season will need the odd watering, but if you remove weeds or grass a foot to 18 inches each side of the hedge, that will greatly reduce the necessity to water.

If you are planting summer pots and containers, use planting magic mixed through the compost – it cuts down watering by up to 50%.

If you are going away on holidays, group all your pots and containers in the shade. That will help prevent drying out and, just as important, it will be more convenient for the designated waterer.

Enjoy the super weather and your garden, it will rain again…

If you have a gardening query and would like the answer shared in this column, contact O’Meara’s Garden Centre, Mullingar: 044 9342088; info@omearasgardencentre.com.