subject: Watering Planting Techniques [print this page] One of the most time consuming jobs in the garden is watering, and when youve got masses of containers, newly planted trees and shrubs, or even a thirsty greenhouse its an essential part of the gardening day.
The problems start when you need a weekend away, or heaven forbid a fortnight in the sun beckons. Without the assistance of a garden friendly neighbour, even the best-laid plans can go astray. A few days of intense sunshine can wreak havoc on susceptible plants, but help is at hand.
Tube feed
Micro-irrigation systems are the most water efficient and cost effective ways to water the garden and greenhouse. With a variety of starter kits on offer, all of which can be extended, you really cant go wrong.
Automated systems are very versatile and can be adapted to suit individual needs and extended as plants grow. You connect a water supply pipe to an outside or greenhouse tap and, from this main pipe, run off spurs to every pot, basket, container or area of the garden or greenhouse that you want to water. At the end of each spur, or at points along its length, you can connect individual drippers, misters and spray nozzles where you want the water to fall. (Use the wider 1cm (1/2in) supply pipe on misters and spray nozzles to ensure there is enough water pressure to operate them.)
Planting techniques
But there are other techniques you can use in your garden to help your plants survive in hot weather. When planting new plants you can use the excavated soil to build a wall around the hole to keep water inside when it rains. If you are planting on a slope then build the wall around the part of the hole that is facing downhill so that any running water will gather around the precious tree or plant.
You can also create a depression in the soil around your plant, so that if you add water via a watering can it puddles within the depression, over the plant roots and then filters down through the soil without running off. This is also useful after heavy rainfall.
When planting trees bury a piece of hose with one end at the tree roots and the other end exposed at the soil surface, when watering you can pour the water down the pipe so that it by passes the surface and reaches the roots where it is needed the most.
Plant selection
Plants adapt to their growing conditions. Many of the plants that we grow in our gardens are not native to Britain and hail from all over the world. By choosing plants that tolerate similar conditions they stand a better chance of survival.
Plants are quite amazing in that they actually give us clues to indicate whether they are well suited to hot conditions. If you can learn to recognise some of these, then you are well on the way to choosing the right plants for hotter conditions.
Think about plants that grow in hot Mediterranean countries. Many have silver coloured leaves and often the leaves have tiny hairs on them: Lavender is a good example. The tiny leaf hairs protect the surface of the leaves and reduce evaporation.
[] Plants with long thin leaves such as grasses or rosemary have fewer stomata (leaf pores) and so evaporation from the leaf surface is much reduced.
[] Plants with small leaves, such as Thyme, or leathery leaves, such as sage, are also slower to give up precious water.
[] Spines can act as cooling fins on a plant, so these are often seen on more drought tolerant plants.
[] Aromatic foliage is another indicator, as the volatile oils evaporate at the leaf surface it actually cools the leaf.
[] Fleshy, succulent leaves store moisture for dry spells. Sedum spectabile (ice plant) is a hardy example, or Aeonium. And of course some plants use several of these mechanisms.
