The gardening expert said many people water their plants wrong
09:37, 29 Apr 2026Updated 09:37, 29 Apr 2026
Make sure you are not making this common mistake(Image: Getty Images)
Alan Titchmarsh has warned gardeners to be careful when watering their gardens this spring. The gardening expert and TV presenter revealed that many make a common mistake when they water their plants.
Now that sunnier and drier weather is here, gardeners need to give their flowers, shrubs and vegetables a helping hand. Staying on top of watering will not only help the plant survive but also thrive.
Alan noted that many gardeners prefer to use a sprinkler hose when watering. This is a popular choice as it covers a lot of surface area and is much easier than filling up watering cans.
However, Alan said that a common mistake is not using the sprinkler hose properly. In his Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh TikTok video, the expert demonstrated how not to water gardens.
Don’t water the top of plants, as you need to ensure the roots get wet(Image: SHARED CONTENT UNIT)
He held his sprinkler hose high above the plant so the water reached the leaves rather than the base. Alan explained: “This is how not to water.
“You go out there on a sunny day and you think ‘I’ll give the plants a really good soak’. But, you’re not giving them a really good soak.
“You’re just putting water on the leaves and flowers, and it’s going to evaporate from the leaves and flowers before it goes where it’s needed.”
Instead, Alan urged gardeners: “Get it down there,” as he put the hose at the base of the plant. He added that it doesn’t matter if some of the foliage gets wet, as long as you are watering at the base of the plant.
This is so the roots can take in water as it sinks into the soil.
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If you have roses in your garden, Alan previously shared how they require specialist attention, especially at this time of year. He explained that rose shrubs should be pruned to look their best this summer.
It is important to distinguish between dead and old stems when pruning. Alan said: “Dead has no living wood on it at all. A lot of older stems have green, young ones coming out the top.”
Cutting shrub roses has different rules; as Alan said, they should not be cut down to knee height, as you would for bush roses.
He said: “These [shrub roses] tend to be taller, so you tip them back and thin the framework out.” Alan cut off flimsy branches and overcrowded areas of his rose shrub.
Once cut, your shrub rose should have strong stems left. Alan recommends feeding the plant with blood, fish and bone, then the shrub will be “set up for the summer”.
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