May - Watering

Since it's now so SO dry! Here's my advice on watering... to ensure your plants get the water straight to their roots, water directly at the base, not sprinkling it over the foliage, and water deeply - better to thoroughly soak a plant less regularly rather than with small amounts of water daily. Move any containers to a shadier spot if you know you'll have to leave them unattended for a period of time, or if you know something is struggling with the heat. Watering is best done in the early morning if you can, giving plants the full day to utilise the water. Avoid the middle of the day, but the evening is OK as second choice to morning - though the moist environment may invite attention from slugs and snails overnight! Always check the soil with your finger, pushing down into soil 5cm - plants use differing amounts of water and it's not safe to assume they all have the same needs. Some may have sufficient and over-watering can be as damaging as not enough. Beware - peat-free composts can also look dry on the surface but be quite wet further down.