An expert has shared his top tips (Picture: Getty Images)
After weeks of low rainfall and exceptionally high temperatures, the UK is finally going to get some wet weather.
Outbreaks of rain are expected in Northern Ireland, Scotland, western England and Wales, with more unsettled weather and thunderstorms forecast for later in the week.
But while your garden might be in desperate need of a drink, an expert has revealed there are a few things you’ll want to do before the heavens open.
Guy Barter, the chief horticulturist at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), has shared his top tips for getting your garden ready to absorb sudden storms.
Parts of the UK are finally going to see some rain (Picture: Getty Images)
Clear your gutters
While we might not be expecting torrential rain, it’s always best to be prepared. So start by ensuring all of your water butts, pipes, and gutters are clear and ready to accept whatever may come.
Loosen compacted soils
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Next, your attention should turn to the soil, which after weeks of drought will have become dusty, compacted, and water repellent.
To help it better absorb water, Guy advises loosening compacted soil with a fork or spade.
But this doesn’t apply to clay soils, which should be left alone.
‘Clay soils develop alarming cracks in dry weather,’ he explains. ‘In effect they are, rather conveniently, digging themselves. Don’t attempt to fill in cracks with sand or soil. Excess rain here just runs into the cracks and is gone. The soil then swells, and the cracks disappear until the next period.’
The drought will have left gardens in need of a drink (Picture: Geoffrey Swaine/Shutterstock)
The soaking process
Apply coarse mulch such as bark and woodchips to bare soil to aid in the soaking process, but leave any areas around trees and plants as they are, so the water can go straight to the roots. The plants don’t need the additional help, as the foliage will collect rain, which gets channelled down the trunk or stem and goes into the roots.
Don’t get out the watering can
According to Guy, it’s best to suspend watering until the storms have passed. This is because wet soil has no room to accommodate more water.
‘With luck the rain will be enough to limit the need to resume watering, but in truth several wet days will be needed to do that,’ he says.
Don’t get the mower out just yet (Picture: Getty Images)
Avoid mowing grass
By now you’ll probably have had the urge to get the mower out and tidy up any long, dried grass, but Guy claims this would be a mistake.
‘Taller grass is good at stopping water run-off, and immobile water can overcome the water-repellent properties of turf in time,’ he explains.
He also advises against cutting back perennials before it rains, and says you should leave spent vegetable plants alone too in order to help protect the soil and wildlife.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk
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