A plant daddy has issued a warning ahead of the UK’s final summer heatwave, which is expected during the coming Bank Holiday weekend.
If you want your plant babies to survive, act now or prepare to spend a fortune replacing your beloved greenery once autumn arrives.
Ishmael Kamran regularly shares advice with his social media followers on how to care for your indoor and outdoor shrubs.
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The 30-year-old, from the Midlands, UK, explains that many people will treat their plants as normal, regardless of the weather.
That’s your first mistake.
Here, Ishmael, who works as a craftsman of oak garden structures, shares his top tips, as well as busts a common myth.
“If you know there’s going to be extreme heat then in the morning before it gets too much, give your plants a good watering – and I mean a good one,” Ishmael Kamran told What’s The Jam.
“The surface water will evaporate pretty quickly in a heatwave so you want to make sure the water gets deep into the ground and to the roots.
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“Also, don’t be afraid to water midday!
“Some people say it does harm but it’s a complete myth.
“You can water your plants in the middle of the day if they look like they’re struggling.
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“If you were thirsty you wouldn’t wait until the end of the day to take a drink.”
Another tip Ishmael suggests is to cover or move plants to partial shade as hot weather can cause the leaves to crisp up if left in full sunlight.
Or pop into your local DIY or budget store and buy a cheap parasol.
Another trick? Use mulch.
Apply a layer of the material to the surface of the soil to help preserve a plant nicely.
Ishmael said: “Organic mulch, like wood chips, well-rotted compost or even composted leaves add an extra barrier to keep the ground beneath it cool.
“This can help prevent evaporation in the soil.
“I would also recommend no pruning or deadheading.
“Each time you prune or deadhead you add a bit of stress to your plant, and it needs to be in an optimal condition with enough water to recover – which heatwaves aren’t.”
Ishmael’s last piece of advice? Water all you want – but don’t feed the plants anything else until the hot weather subsides.
He said: “My final advice is not to feed plants food during a heatwave.
“It’s all about mixing the right moisture with growth and stress and it’s not great in heatwaves, if anything the opposite.”
Social media users have thanked the avid gardener for his advice.
Kat said: “Me moving my potted acer around the garden today to avoid full sun.”
Sharon also wrote: “My acer keeps dying on me, I put it in partial shade as well.”
Ishmael replied to Sharon, saying: “It sounds mad but really water it. And if you find you’ve watered it enough, go again about 15 minutes later. Some dry soil takes a bit longer to soak it up so chances are it’s not absorbing.”
“Great tips,” added Wendy.
Someone else wrote: “Really enjoy your informative videos, especially for a beginner gardener like myself. Fan here from NZ! Thanks.”
