Top Tips & Advice For Gardening in Dry & Warm Weather

Top Tips & Advice For Gardening in Dry & Warm Weather

The UK is known for its rainy, mild climate, but many of us gardeners are feeling the brunt of the dry period we’ve been experiencing lately. After last year’s particularly hot summer, it’s becoming more important than ever to adapt our gardening to the effects of climate change.

Extreme weather conditions are challenging for any gardener, but fortunately there are steps you can take to create a thriving garden in the face of dry, warm spells. Here we’ll explore some top tips and techniques for getting the most out of your gardening in dry weather.

Choose drought-tolerant trees & shrubs that are well-suited to warm, dry conditions

A number of trees & shrubs are drought-tolerant, meaning they require less watering once fully established. However, all trees & shrubs require watering when they are newly planted, even the drought-tolerant ones, so don’t skip the watering during these important early stages of growth. Then, once fully established, these drought-tolerant varieties will survive much better than others without needing as much water.

Browse all trees for Dry Sites

Species that originate from warmer climates, such as the Mediterranean, are a good bet as they are adapted to tolerate warmer, dryer weather.

As an evergreen, Arbutus unedo (Strawberry tree), which is native to the Mediterranean Basin, ticks many boxes, as it will provide year-round interest while tolerating dry weather. It grows bright-red ornamental fruits and pretty bell-shaped flowers which can be found on the tree at the same time, making it a lovely specimen tree.

Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens 'Pyramidalis') is another evergreen option, perfect for gardeners going for that Tuscan countryside vibe. They make a wonderful architectural statement when planted in pairs of rows, and they tolerate low temperatures as well as high ones.

Also native to the Mediterranean is the Bay Laurel, which not only provides an excellent evergreen screen, but will produce wonderfully aromatic bay leaves for cooking.

Most Eucalyptus gunnii (or Cider Gum) trees are native to Australia (there are more than 700 species and only 15 occur outside of the country) so are another excellent option for warm weather. We recommend Eucalyptus gunnii Azura which grows lovely blue-green evergreen foliage all year round. It is a more compact form of Eucalyptus, so is ideal for smaller gardens. It’s a very popular tree for floral arrangements as well – its foliage pairs very well with flowers when cut.

The good thing about our trees is they are pot-grown, which means they can be planted at any time of year, so the warm weather doesn't necessarily need to stop you from planting a new tree or two.

Adopt watering strategies to maximise water usage

Watering is critical during hot spells, especially for young trees. Make sure you are being mindful of water conservation with these tips:

Consider installing an irrigation system to allow your tree to be watered directly at the roots. This reduces water wastage, and minimizes water loss through evaporation. We offer irrigation kits of various sizes suitable for both container-planted trees and trees planted in the ground, which are easy to use and quick to install.

If you must water from the surface level of the soil, make sure you do so in the morning or evening when the weather is cooler, to allow the water enough time to reach the roots without losing too much to evaporation. In general—drought or no drought—you should aim for infrequent, deep watering sessions, as opposed to frequent, shallow watering sessions, to avoid your trees developing more shallow root systems.

Make sure you have installed a water barrel if you haven't already, to collect and recycle your rainwater.

Look after your soil & keep it healthy with proper soil management

Well-looked after soil can go a long way to helping your trees thrive during a drought.

For instance, mixing organic matter such as compost or well-rotted manure into your soil will improve its structure, thereby improving both water and nutrient retention capacity (by acting as a sponge). You can also apply a layer of top mulch around your trees to further lock moisture in the soil – as well as retaining moisture, a layer of mulch will help to reduce evaporation, keep the temperature of the soil cooler, and protect it from direct sunlight. Once your trees are established, you can further protect your soil from drying out in direct sunlight by planting ground covers – opt for drought-tolerant ground covers that do well in shade. We only recommend this for older trees so that plants are not competing with young trees for moisture.

Create shade & improve water absorption with adjustments to your garden landscape

When it’s especially hot, protect your most delicate plants from the sun during the warmest points of the day by using temporary structures like a parasol or shade cloth to create shade.

If you have a lot of hard landscaping, consider removing some to decrease surface run-off of rain and allow more water to be absorbed into your garden (this also helps to distribute rainwater more evenly around your garden in times of heavy rain, reducing the risk of water-logging).