How often to water the garden?

[Sunshine49]

Hi everyone, complete novice/first-time gardener here!

I have a relatively large garden in south London with two long flower beds either side. The soil is presumably clay and is very dry and cracked-looking in appearance. I’m worrying it will have an adverse impact on my plants. How often do you think I need to be watering the beds to ensure my plants stay alive, especially given that it’s been such a dry June so far? How often do you water your plants in the summer?

Thanks!

I have a clay allotment and only ever water in the plants when I plant them. In my garden, same.

If you have cracked soil, you need to mulch it with something to keep the moisture in, woodchip or bark or the grass trimmings when you mow.

Alternatively, water when plants are looking like they need it. Water the soil for the plants to soak up the water not the leaves as this can result in burning in extreme sunlight.

As little as possible though some things like runner beans do need regular watering. Have had to do my raspberries this week as they were starting to wilt. Better to give a thorough soaking occasionally than to give a dribble frequentl - not watering too often encourages the plants to send down strong roots so the find water.

In very hot weather I water my pots and baskets daily.
The flower beds get a drenching every couple of days. But as pp has said perhaps introducing some organic matter to loosen up the soil would help anyway.
The roots will struggle to establish themselves in heavy clay soil and a mulch would help.

I agree with previous posters. A good mulch over the top helps soil retain moisture. I only water my flower beds every 3 days as I apply a generous layer of bark chip each year in March.
I do however have a couple of plants that have a tendency to droop on the hotter days so I might give them a top up of water.
My flower pots get watered every day.

It depends on what plants are in the beds, and whether they are established. We've got large established roses etc that are never watered, geraniums that need a drink once a week and others that have to be watered every two days.

I'm throwing water on the strawberries & rasps almost daily or the fruit won't be nice. Grass around here is turning universally yellow, but grass always recovers in Britain. My hedge (native plants like hawthorn & hazel) would probably appreciate a drink.

I only water pots and newly planted stuff. Anything that can’t cope without being watered isn’t for me.

We literally have the sprinkler on all day in this weather, just move it around the garden and turn it off when we go to bed. Otherwise the lawn goes yellow, plus lots of rhododendrons that like a lot of water, and new hedging.

Thanks everyone. I haven’t watered my plants once all summer!

@TimeToDash I thought it wasn't recommended to water plants in the heat of the day as it puts too much stress on them/they can't take it up/waste of water etc? I might be wrong but I thought watering at dawn or dusk were recommended.

Watering at dusk just creates a nice environment for the snails.

Pots and veg daily. Borders twice a week, with a proper drenching at root level, not a quick shower. Greenhouse stuff at least once a day. Usually early morning.

I’m in SW London so similar clay.
I turned the hose on for the first time today and gave everything a proper drenching.
In previous years I might have left the borders for longer but I’ve got fruit trees i’m trying to train across the wall behind the flowers.
I send a child out to water a pot as soon as it looks wilty.

The mulching advice above is sound (thoroughly soak the ground beforehand)

Don’t despair, clay is great to grow in as it holds nutrients. Just walk on it/dig it/ cultivate it as little as posssible and dump loads of organic matter over it for the worms to take down.

If you are going to mulch, make sure the soil underneath is properly wet and then water the mulch once it's on. You don't want to get a hard 'cap' of mulch.

Yes, true but I always move it around so it's not in full sun (apart from the lawn)

How does one mulch please???

Just put the mowings on top or does it have to be dug in?? Worried about disturbing the plants if it does need digging.

I water daily

I have a lot of pots, and the soil in the (slightly raised, London clay) beds is still not terribly good quality. The established plants don't really need it, but there's a terrible attrition rate for everything else otherwise.

I'm watering daily, to every other day. Fairly new garden, lots of newly planted stuff, a big veg patch and a greenhouse along with new areas of lawn and pots and planters means it is a fairly big job! I quite like it though, it's a peaceful job.

Following with interest .

SE London clay + rubble

One of my beds is under a privet hedge and gets a lot of sun so bakes away .
My hydrangea always wilts as soon as it gets hot ,as does my buddlei and Clerodendrum bungei,and I drench them every 2 or 3 days .

(If anyone wants a Clerodendrum bungei let me know ,they sucker and I pull them up and pot them or replant .)

I'm always mulching ,mainly with bark in the summer .

In the autumn /winter some straw and decomposing leaves , not fully decomposed because I seem to need to empty the bags to make way for more leaves.

If I added grass clippings to leaves would they decompose more quickly ???

I can't get my head round what to do with grass clippings .
I think it's good to leave on grass to promote growth ,but only if v short clippings .
And adding to beds as a mulch I have no idea and fear it will harm plants !
Any advice gratefully received .

Read this ,but it's a bit advanced for me

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/23/tiny-microbes-produce-perfect-plant-food

@FusionChefGeoff
You don’t need to necessarily dig the mulch in. Apply a good layer of it over the top of the soil and don’t mulch right up to plant bases. I leave a good 3 inch gap between a plant base and the mulch.

I can't get my head round what to do with grass clippings.
I think it's good to leave on grass to promote growth ,but only if v short clippings
And adding to beds as a mulch I have no idea and fear it will harm plants !

It won't unless you have used weed and feed. I usually weed, plant up, water in and then mow, and put the clippings around the newly watered plant. They soon dry up and shrink down.

Never dig your mulch in...let the worms do that for you.

@peridito

You can use short **fresh grass clippings on flowerbeds but no more than a layer of 1/4 inch.
Dried grass clippings can go on as a slightly thicker mulch.

You can use short fresh grass clippings on flowerbeds but no more than a layer of 1/4 inch

Why no more than 1/4 of an inch? i pile it on. And have done for years. It's the main reason we have a grass path, for the clippings to be used as a mulch.