On the Walking Talking Gardeners YouTube channel, expert Simon shows how to give your plants the best chance of survival in the summer heat – and prevent a hosepipe ban
Michael Moran and Daniel Windham
10:23, 10 Jul 2025
Be careful that your pot plants need plenty of watering(Image: Getty)
British gardeners are preparing themselves for another blistering heatwave, with mercury levels expected to reach around 30C in some parts by the weekend. This spells trouble not just for those wanting to avoid the sweltering heat but also for ensuring plant survival amidst intense sunshine and looming hosepipe restrictions.
Simon, a gardening aficionado from the Walking Talking Gardeners YouTube channel, has pointed out a fundamental error that numerous gardeners commit — failing to remove plants from their greenhouses or to properly acclimatise them after purchasing from garden centres. According to Simon, although greenhouses have their merits during the colder season, come summer, they can turn into a veritable “death trap” for vegetation.
To combat this, Simon shares three key tactics for safeguarding greenhouse-grown plants against summer’s harsh conditions. He recommends first using greenhouse whitewash to convert the south-facing wall of your greenhouse into a reflective barrier.
Your greenhouse is a ‘death trap’ in a heatwave, Simon says(Image: Getty)
Secondly, Simon suggests going beyond just watering the plants; dousing the greenhouse floor is also beneficial, as the evaporating water cools the environment.
However, the most crucial piece of advice he imparts is emphatically clear: “Get your plants out of the flipping greenhouse.” Only then can the plants truly escape the suffocating confines of the glasshouse during these peak warm months, he urges.
However, there is a crucial rule that those who have recently purchased new plants should follow. Simon advises: “You can’t just put them out and plant them up into their final position because they will be scorched from the sun.”
Simon says you should let plants acclimatise to being outdoors(Image: YouTube/WalkingTalkingGardeners)
He explains that when plants are in the greenhouse, they are protected from UV light. Exposure to full sunlight can scorch them, much like how pale skin can easily burn in the sun.
Instead, he suggests “hardening” plants by placing them in dappled shade, such as under a small tree, until they become more accustomed to outdoor conditions.
“Over a period of about 10 days or so, they’ll build up their resistance to the sun, and then at that point, they can go outside into full sun.”
Simon emphasises the importance of this process, stating: “It’s an important job. It’s not really spoken about much, but the hardening off of plants is absolutely critical.”
Plants shouldn’t be transferred straight from a greenhouse to their final position in the garden(Image: Getty)
He also notes that plants which have been well cared for in a garden centre will require the same treatment: “So many times you’ll be purchasing plants from your garden centre. They have been kept under protection. You plant them out. The next day—dead.”
As always, it’s essential to ensure that potted plants are adequately watered, keeping in mind that foliage often prevents rainwater from reaching the soil in potted plants.
Simon points out that it’s important to consider that various types of pots lose water at differing rates. “Terracotta pots and concrete or stone pots are porous and will evaporate moisture through the sides of the pot,” he explains.
Hence, he notes: “So, these lose water very quickly and will need more watering than plastic pots or glazed terracotta pots.”