Is it boring to start with a comment on the weather?

Maybe, but hasn’t it been great?! Everyone is in a good mood, we’re getting jobs done, like painting the house and fence and we can go to the beach.
However, it is also fantastic weather for blight, powdery mildew, blackspot, wilt, the list goes on.
So what does the gardener need to do in this weather? Well, watering is an obvious job, but as with everything, there is a right way and a wrong way.
All watering should preferably be done in the morning.
The reasons for this are twofold, first of all, the plants get a chance to take up the water before the heat of the day, and secondly, the water can permeate to the roots before evaporating.
There are those who say that water on the leaves will scorch them, but here the water will have evaporated before it gets a chance to focus the sunlight and cause scorching.
Alternatively, if schedules don’t allow for morning watering, the evening is okay too.
The problem with evening watering is that often leaves don’t get a chance to dry out and this leads to mildew and other fungi taking hold.
Another thing to think about when it comes to watering is amount. It may sound obvious, but giving enough is crucial.
Many people believe they are watering, when in fact all that is happening is misting, or run-off. To be technical, peat based compost is hydrophobic, meaning it repels water. This is why ‘wetting agents’ are added to compost.
Sand and topsoil mixed into compost have the same effect, in that they absorb water more easily. It takes a surprising amount of time and water before baskets and pots are saturated – the best way to water baskets is often to sit them in a bucket of water till they are wet through. Watering newly planted trees and shrubs is also very important, as their roots have not yet broken into the existing soil around them.
The easiest way to ensure you give them enough is by using a bucket per plant. Lawns also suffer in these dry times. Make sure you water for long enough that the water filters down at least ten centimetres, and also that you don’t cut the grass as short as you normally might. Raise the blade by a notch.
Potatoes are at risk of getting blight, so spray with a copper mixture to prevent this. If you have blight, cut the foliage back and burn it, or spray with something like Bayer’s Blight control. Your spuds will no longer be organic though.
Roses are susceptible to blackspot and mildew during times of warm, humid weather, and the only answer to this is make sure your plants are strong and healthy. Give them plenty of feeding, preferably manure, and make sure they are not stressed.
If they do get disease, Roseclear or fungus clear are really the only solution.