UK Gardeners Advised To Lift Potted Plant Containers ASAP

As the weather stays largely dry in the UK (though not as hot as it had previously been), gardeners are being advised to check for signs of dehydration in their lawn. 

Signs of “drought stress” can include footprint imprints in your grass that stay put for long after you make them or curling, yellowing leaves.

But what about potted plants, which should be kept out of the sun during heatwaves because of how vulnerable they are to heat exposure (terracotta ones in particular)?

Luckily, it seems there’s a simple test which can reveal dehydrated soil in seconds. 

Pick up your potted plants

According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), “There is no simple rule of thumb for watering as each plant has different needs – for example, a container plant in hot sunny weather may need watering daily, whereas a mature shrub might only need a drink in extreme drought.”

But the RHS add that because dry soil is lighter and more powdery than dehydrated soil, potted plants will weigh less when they’re in need of a drink. 

If your potted plants become lighter in weight or start blowing over in the wind, they continue, you almost certainly need to water them more often. 

This is especially useful given that the surface of soil isn’t always a good indicator of how much water your vegetation needs – plants can only use water available to their roots. 

A simpler test for small containers, the RHS says, is to “gently lift the pot after watering to see if it feels heavy, and if not, add a little more water. You will soon gauge how light the pots are when they are in need of water.”

How should I water potted plants?

Gardeners’ World writes that you should direct your water to your potted plants’ soil rather than their leaves. 

This way, the hydration gets to the plants’ root systems. 

If you see water dripping out of the holes at the best of the plant pots, gardener Richard Jackson adds, you have watered them enough. 

If a free-standing container has really dried out, you may want to submerge it in a bucket of water for deep rehydration.