Plantwatch: Why dandelions should be left to grow in spring
Dandelion plants are particularly adept at thriving in urban places and can even grow in cracks in pavements, using a long, large taproot to tap into water and nutrients well below the ground surface. Urban dandelions grow bigger and better than those in the countryside, thriving in the warmer urban climate . Some species of dandelions can even tolerate the high levels of salt sprayed on roads in winter to help melt ice, and withstand roadside pollution from traffic.
This month gardeners are encouraged with 'No Mow May' by the charity Plantlife to avoid mowing lawns and let weeds such as dandelions grow unmolested.
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The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
An expert guide to looking after your lawn and garden during a heatwave
The UK is set for another heatwave. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned of possible deadly effects as it issued heat health warnings for all of England. Amber warnings are in place for the East Midlands, West Midlands, east of England, London and the South East until Wednesday, with yellow warnings in place for the remainder of the country. Southern areas including Berkshire, Oxfordshire and the outskirts of London such as Heathrow may reach 34C. But how do you look after your garden in the heat? 'It's about risk management,' says Nick Turrell, RHS horticultural advisor. 'No-one's going to suddenly change all their plants, getting plants with silver leaves etc. 'Some plants are more susceptible than others, and I would say the top five are hydrangea, which likes slightly cooler temperatures and plenty of water, Japanese maples, which have thin leaves and lose moisture, fuchsia, astilbes and roses, which are hungry and thirsty. They catch gardeners out.' Plants likely to cope better include lavender, rosemary, sedum and other succulents, he says. But what else can we do? 1. Water wisely 'Water in the morning because that's when the plants are going to be needing it during the day,' Turrell advises. 'Don't spray the leaves or water on the top of the leaves, get it underneath to the roots and use a watering can, not a hose, because if you've a hose, you're more likely to liberally spray it around, which means you get a sprinkling on the surface which just evaporates. Get the nozzle of the watering can right in at the roots.' Melissa Quinney at Cabin Master, advises: 'During hosepipe bans or dry spells, greywater (from baths or washing up, provided it's free from harsh chemicals) can be reused to water ornamental plants.' 'It's best to water less frequently but more thoroughly, soaking the rootball properly,' suggests Charles Carr, head of wholesale nurseries at Hillier Nurseries and Garden Centres. Water plants in the area where the roots are, suggests Nick Hamilton, son of the late Gardeners' World icon Geoff Hamilton and owner of Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland. 'Some plants will require more than others, so when considering whether a plant needs water then my view is that if you're not sure, don't water. Don't worry if a plant begins to wilt from under-watering, because if you then apply water, within an hour or so you would never know it was wilting.' Give watering priority to anything which has been planted within the last 12 months, and particularly newly planted trees, Turrell adds. 2. Mulch the surface 'To lock in moisture and protect plants during a hot spell, cover the top of container plants with a mulch such as gravel, bark or a good quality compost. You should also mulch garden beds to help bedding plants retain moisture and give them a nutrient boost,' suggests Dobbies ' plant buyer, Nigel Lawton. 'Add organic mulch such as wood chippings, garden compost or leaf mould to beds to save water and improve moisture retention. A thick layer of mulch will block sunlight, insulating the soil and reducing the amount of water evaporating from the garden,' Carr adds. 'I think a good shredder is a very worthwhile investment as old flower stems, twigs and vegetable material, such as brassica stems, can be shredded down, composted and used as an excellent mulch,' suggests Hamilton. 3. Don't buy new plants If the hot weather is forecast for a few weeks, there's no point planting new plants because you'll just be putting stress on them and on the watering system, Turrell advises. 'Anything that has been established for more than two years should be OK because it already has its roots down deep enough to cope with unusual circumstances. 'But the plants will tell you if they need a drink, when they start wilting or the leaves start to curl up around the edges,' he explains. 4. Take hanging baskets down The compost in hanging baskets can evaporate so quickly that it's best to take them down during a heatwave and put them in the shade where they won't lose water so rapidly, says Turrell. 5. Pick vegetables which are likely to bolt Lettuces are prone to running to seed in hot weather, so pick them young and keep them in the fridge, or shade them with netting to keep the heat of the sun at bay, says Turrell. 6. Find shade 'For those especially vulnerable during extreme heat, temporary shade structures using old bedsheets, garden furniture, or shade cloths can make all the difference,' says Quinney. 7. Huddle patio pots Put patio pots in the shade together to create a microclimate and reduce evaporation, says Turrell. 8. Look after wildlife Make sure birdbaths are topped up because they will need it for drinking and bathing, and put some pebbles in water-filled pot saucers to allow insects to land and drink as well. 9. Leave your grass The grass may look like a mass of straw but it will recover when the autumn rain comes, so if you can stand it looking brown, just leave it, says Turrell. However, if it has been newly laid and hasn't yet been through a winter, you'll need to water it. 'In hot spells, it's best to hold off on applying weedkillers or fertilisers. These can be too harsh when the lawn is already under stress and may cause more harm than good,' says Peter Chaloner, managing director of garden machinery specialists Cobra. 'When grass turns yellow and brittle, it's a sign it's conserving energy due to lack of water. At this point, try to keep foot traffic to a minimum and clear away furniture or toys so the lawn has the best chance to recover undisturbed.' 10. Plant drought-tolerant species If you have spaces you feel you must fill, plug the gap with drought-tolerant species such as lavender, rosemary, salvia and sedum – but remember they will also need watering until they become established. 'Generally, succulents and silver foliage plants like lavender are the best at adapting to warmer conditions, so these are fine to be left as they are, but you should make a point to check up on your other plants throughout the summer months and adjust watering as needed,' says Lawton. 11. Improve your soil 'An excellent way to improve a light soil and increase its moisture retention capabilities is to add organic matter, which could be your own garden compost, green composts or well-rotted farmyard manure. Any one of these can be lightly forked into the surface and then added to the surface as a thickish layer to act as a mulch,' Hamilton advises. 'If you look after your soil, pretty much everything else falls into place,' says Turrell. 'If every year you mulch that soil with as much organic matter as you can, you are helping to prepare for any eventuality.' 12. Use a water butt This is another vital investment, says Hamilton, and can be fitted to trap and hold much needed rainwater – when it does finally come – from all your downpipes. 'I would also consider using the low-pressure leaking pipe that will work from a water butt. When buried just under the soil surface and laid out around the plants that require a bit more moisture, water will just gradually leak out and because it is under the soil, evaporation will be minimal.'
BBC News
25 minutes ago
- BBC News
Where are the hottest places in the UK?
When hot spells of weather arrive in the UK, you may have noticed that some locations seem to more often record the highest temperatures. So where are the UK's hotspots? What is so special about these sites that make them more likely to see the hottest weather? Eastern England tops the charts If you like your weather extremely hot, then eastern England is the place to be. Eight out of ten of the UK's hottest days ever recorded were from locations in eastern England. This includes the current UK temperature record of 40.3C set on 19 July 2022 in Coningsby, England often sees the highest temperature in the UK for a number of reasons. It is well away from the prevailing westerly winds which bring in fresher air from the Atlantic. Its proximity to Europe helps too as any hot weather that develops over the continent can more easily spread in. Much of eastern England is relatively low with many areas below 100m elevation. This is important, because for every 100m higher a location is, temperatures drop by 1C. The sun's energy is more concentrated in the south of the UK than the north, this can lead to higher temperatures. Also atmospheric pressure tends to be higher to the south of the UK, this means more sunshine and more heat. Urban heat island effect hits London Each day the Met Office records the location with the highest maximum temperature, with Heathrow, Kew and St James's Park seeming to often feature. These sites are all within Greater heavily built up areas with lots of concrete and asphalt heat up more quickly, and hold on to that heat much more than rural areas. The city acts as a big storage heater so overnight temperatures don't fall as far as those in the countryside which is known as the urban heat island effect. During warm spells, temperatures will often start the day from a much higher point with the heat continuing to build through the morning and afternoon. Both daytime and night time temperatures can then climb over consecutive days during warm out of 12 of the UK calendar month records are set by locations in Greater London, testament to the heating power of London's urban heat island. Santon Downham and Usk feature frequently Santon Downham (Suffolk) is another site that seems to pop up frequently as the day's hotspot. Although some heat could easily waft here from the heat islands of London or Cambridge, there is another explanation for the high temperatures. This area has sandy soils and these drain water very efficiently. This means a greater proportion of the sun's energy goes into heating the ground rather than evaporating water in the soil. This warmer ground then goes on to heat the surrounding air, making it a UK hotspot. Usk in Monmouthshire is a frequent Wales hotspot. This lowland site is sheltered from the prevailing westerly winds by the mountains of the Brecon Beacons with temperatures sometimes boosted by the foehn effect. During heatwaves, hot air from the Midlands can easily drift here too. Meanwhile, if the winds are blowing from the east over the Cambrian mountains or Eryri (Snowdonia), watch out for Trawscoed (Ceredigion) or Porthmadog (Gwynedd) also making the hotspot Northern Ireland, Castlederg (County Tyrone) often tops the list. This site is on low ground and is sandwiched between the Blue Stack Mountains to the west and the Sperrins to the east. Again this means that the foehn effect can boost temperatures here whether the winds are coming from either the west or the east. Warmest spots in winter Looking back at the list of the UK's highest calendar month temperatures for the winter months, both the December (18.7C) and January (19.9C) records are from Achfary in the northwest Scottish Highlands. We don't get as much energy from the sun during winter, so other factors can be much more important for warmth. The Atlantic Gulf Stream boosts sea temperatures to the west of the UK, with much cooler waters forming in the North Sea. This means western areas will often have milder winter weather with St Mary's, (Isles of Scilly) often a winter warm spotThe foehn effect (which gives Usk its summer hotspot status) has a few different causes but can be really important for boosting winter temperatures too. Warm moist air rises up over mountains, with rain on the windward slopes. The air cools as it rises. Drier air descends on the other side of the mountain, and this drier air warms at a greater rate. This can lead to much warmer air forming to the lee of mountains. Mountains can also block cloud from moving in, so the lee side of the mountain can be much sunnier, this can also boost temperatures. Finally, winds moving over the mountains can mix down different airmasses, causing warmer air to arrive in valley like Altnaharra, Tulloch Bridge, Lossiemouth and Aboyne are frequently winter warm spots due to the foehn effect.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Is the UK doing enough to prepare for more frequent droughts and extreme weather? Join The Independent Debate
A summer of record-breaking heatwaves, parched fields and dwindling reservoirs has left parts of England facing 'nationally significant' water shortages – even after a wetter-than-usual July in some areas. Officials warn that climate change is making droughts and extreme weather more frequent and more severe, hitting farmers, wildlife and communities. Hosepipe bans are already in place for millions – and experts say the country's rivers and wetlands are under severe strain. Meanwhile, wildfires have already burned more than 40,000 hectares across the UK this year – twice the area of Glasgow. It is also almost four times the average area burned in wildfires by this stage of the year. The government insists it is working with water companies, regulators and farmers to protect supplies and invest in infrastructure. But critics argue that progress is too slow, leaks remain rampant, and the UK is still unprepared for the challenges ahead. We want to hear from you. Is Britain taking the threat seriously enough – or are we failing to prepare for a future of more frequent droughts and extreme weather? Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll below – we'll feature the most compelling responses and discuss the results in the coming days. All you have to do is sign up and register your details – then you can take part in the debate. You can also sign up by clicking 'log in' on the top right-hand corner of the screen.
