The UK has had a significantly hot summer, with some areas of the country not getting any significant rainfall.
With the hot weather continuing, a drought has been declared across several areas of the country.
To no surprise, this has had devastating effects on gardens up and down the country.
With the scorching temperatures continuing, a gardener has given advice on how to help their plants survive the heatwave.
High temperatures can often cause our greenery to be ruined, and plants may begin to wilt.
Luckily, gardening expert Chris Bonnett from Gardening Express has shared five common mistakes, which if rectified could save your plants from the dry and hot weather.
6 common plant mistakes during a heatwave
Watering at the wrong time of day
Remember that even if there is a hosepipe ban in your area, you can still use a watering can for your plants.
But the key is choosing when to water them. Chris said: "It's best to water plants before or after the sun has hit its peak.
"Watering plants at the hottest point of the day won’t really benefit them.
"It needs to be done when it’s slightly cooler to give the plants the chance to really soak up the water."
Over watering
Over watering is also a problem when it comes to plants in a heatwave. Chris said: "A lot of people also think they need to give plants a lot more water in the heat, this isn’t necessarily true.
"If anything, you could be damaging your plants further by over watering them.
"Watering once a day when the temperatures are a bit lower is good enough which takes us to the next point."
Using fertiliser
According to Chris, many gardeners wrongly assume plants need fertiliser in hot conditions to make them stronger.
However, he says you should actually "avoid using fertiliser because when it is applies, it triggers the plant to grow, meaning more nutrients and water is needed"
He added: "This will be hard to keep up with in hot conditions, the soil will be drying out quicker and your plant won’t really be able to absorb water properly in the heat."
Too much sun
When the weather is hot and the sun is shining all day, it's important to make sure our plants get some respite in the shade.
If they are in pots, you could simply move them to a cooler place in your garden.
If they are in a flower bed you can still provide shade by making it yourself.
Chris explained: "You can use anything from a white bedsheet to maybe an old net curtain. Just simply pin or hang it above the area of your plants to protect them from the sun."
Not locking in the moisture
Even if you water your plants, the chances are they will dry up again quite quickly due to the heat. This is why it's important to lock in the moisture.
This is when you should use mulch. Chris explained: "Mulch is a layer that you can put on top of your soil to act as a bit of a barrier between the sun and the soil to prevent it from drying out."
Using the wrong colour pots
Picking the right pot will make a huge different in the survival of your plants during a heatwave.
Black pots will "attract the heat", which can damage them quickly, Chris said.
He added: "Similarly, pots like terracotta that are left unsealed can lose moisture quickly which means that your plant is at risk of being dehydrated."
Chris recommends to pick pots that are "sealed" and "light in colour", because these will reflect the sun rather than absorb it.
