A nationwide hosepipe ban is in effect at least until the end of July if not longer according to Irish Water.
Garden plant’s like Laurels, Griselinia, Photinia’s, Leylandii or any other hedging plants probably need less water than you think, watering little and often does not help as the water does not penetrate deep into the ground and encourages plants to develop roots near the soil’s surface, one good soak every few days is far better than a daily sprinkle when water is scarce.
When you do need to water your plants use a watering can and do it in the cool of the morning or evening to prevent the water being evaporated by the heat of the sun. Make sure that the water you give to your plants gets to where it is needed – the roots – rather than running off.
Mulches
Garden Direct says It helps if you stop the soil becoming dry in the first place, by evaporation by the wind or sun. Mulch is simply a layer of material placed on the surface of the soil that helps to stop weeds from flourishing, prevents water evaporation from the soil and improve the condition of the soil. They can be made from natural materials such as chipped bark, cocoa shells, gravel, grass cuttings etc. Flowerbeds that have been mulched will need considerably less water than those with bare soils: and the thicker the mulch, the more effective it is – a mulch of at least 5-10cm will make a big difference.
ContainerPlanting In our Photinia Container plants we have put a plastic bottle filled with water (with one minute pinhole in its base which sweats rather than drips) on top of the soil in the pot for a very slow IV drip or maybe use something like Treegator Original Slow Release Watering Bag for Trees Typically requires re-filling just once every 5 days for most applications. For Future use on beds and borders use water saving soaker hose (also known as seep hose). One run of soaker hose along your plants will do the trick.
Lawns Try cutting back on your outings with the lawn mower, and when you do cut, raise the cutting level, as a longer cut will help grass to survive dry weather. If your grass does go brown, do not worry – it will recover quickly once autumn rolls around.
Remember – Plants are resilient, they want to grow, they’re desperate to grow so they can create a new generation. They’re determined not to let a water shortage get in the way of reaching maturity.