You may be struggling to water your plants as often or as much as you would like during spells of hot weather but do not despair as there are steps you can take to water more effectively in hot weather:

• Water as early in the morning or as late in the evening as you can to reduce the risk of evaporation of water from the heat of the day. If you really need to get the watering done during the daytime, you can still do it, just make sure you water the soil, not the plants as watering plants in full sun can make the droplets act like a magnifying glass on the leaves and can scorch them.
• Water at the base of the plants in borders as well as in pots so you are watering the soil where it is really needed and not just wetting the leaves. For some foliage plants like hostas, the leaves act like an umbrella for any rainfall so be sure to give the base of the plant a good soak when you can so you are not wasting water.
• Put saucers underneath your plant pots to save any water which runs through the plant pot and this can then be taken up later by the plant roots.
• If you can move your pots into the shade during any really hot weather, you will be able to water the pots less frequently.
• You can put gravel on top of your pots to conserve moisture but do water the soil in the pots before you add gravel or stones.
• Take down and put your hanging baskets in a bucket of water for 10 minutes to thoroughly soak them right through. You can then use the water remaining to water other pots in the garden.
• For any hard to reach baskets which need to be watered more frequently, try throwing in a couple of ice cubes at night which will melt through slowly

We often complain about too much rain, so let’s not complain about too much hot sunshine: with a few simple tips you can spend less time watering and more time enjoying the sun!