garden

How to look after your garden in a heatwave

26th Jul, 2018

It’s official – we’re experiencing the longest heatwave in well over 40 years right now in the UK. It’s probably not surprising that you’re feeling the heat! Unfortunately, it’s likely that your garden is, too. Here at Skip Hire Network, we always see a huge uptick in the numbers of customers who hire a skip for garden waste at this time of year. Obviously, most people would prefer to keep their garden pristine rather than having to chuck large parts of it into a skip – so here are a few pointers on how you can do just that!

Take care of your lawn in hot weather

When the mercury rises, a major problem for many gardeners is the soil drying out. To prevent that, it’s worth tending to your grass using the lawnmower to trim it slightly longer than you normally would throughout autumn and spring. All you need to do is raise the cutting height slightly on your mower. Otherwise, crack on as you normally would, and your garden will thrive accordingly!

The proper way to give your plants some TLC

Your first instinct might be to water your plants even more generously and frequently than usual, to prevent them from drying out in the blistering heat. Try and resist the urge to do it during the day, though. Your plants will generally have a better absorption rate during the evening, so if you can hold off on the job until then, you’ll see the benefits!

watering can

Another tip: always water the base of the plant, rather than pouring water on top. This way, it better soaks the roots, helping your plant to feel maximum benefit. However, during the hottest and brightest parts of the day, it can be helpful move your potted plants into the shade, and give them a bit of a breather from the scorching weather.

Safely pruning trees and shrubs

To be honest, you don’t need to worry too much about pruning during the heatwave. Most plants respond better to being pruned in the autumn and spring, when temperatures are much cooler. Sometimes though, you might want to pre-empt a branch you feel doesn’t look sturdy or safe enough! In that case, only tackle the branches you can reach easily from the ground, or with the help of a ladder. Basically, don’t try and cut one that’s several feet above your heat. It’s a bit too much of a risk! You should always have gloves, eye protection and a proper helmet anyway, but even with all that Personal Protective Equipment, you might decide the job’s just a bit too much on the risky side. In that case, don’t hesitate to call in a professional. It might not be the cheapest option, but your safety always comes first!

Once you’ve done all that, of course, it’s always nice to leave the place tidy, isn’t it? Quite apart from it looking messy, leaving your garden untidy presents a big risk for your or a member of your family to go flying over a fallen branch. Luckily, this part’s pretty simple: just collect all your garden waste into a pile, ready for hiring a skip. That’s where we come in! It’s never been easier – all you need to do is enter your postcode and phone number into our homepage, and in no time at all you’ll have your instant skip hire quote. There’s nothing else to it!