Water water water!

It's been warm today, sunny, blue skies.  Lovely day for lazing (or working) in the garden.  Don't forget to water though, your plants, particularly those in pots, will be thirsty after a day like today.  Once a plant begins to wilt, it's growth rate has already begun to slow down.  Some do's and dont's of watering:-

DO water at the end of the day, preferably when the sun has gone (or is about to go) down.  If you water during the day, the plant will not benefit from it's drink as it's likely to be drunk too quickly and evaporate.  Also, water droplets on leaves might magnify the sun's rays and burn the plant.

DON'T water plants at a rate that causes puddling on the soil surface.  This leads to run-off and erodes the soil.

DO use a gentle spray not a harsh jet if you have a hosepipe.

DO water regularly, especially in the plant's first year.

DO create a saucer shaped dip around each plant stem to hold water and avoid run-off.