THE SMART GARDENER’S GUIDE TO WEATHERING AN EL NIÑO SUMMER

A long, hot summer can be glorious if it includes a swimming pool or the ocean, iced drinks and air conditioning. But your garden may be less enthusiastic.

After a Northern Hemisphere summer that the World Meteorological Organization reported as the warmest on record, South Africa is now heading into its own hot season, with a strengthening El Niño in the background. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) anticipates above‑normal minimum and maximum temperatures across most of the country through spring and early summer, with generally drier, warmer conditions expected as the season develops.

Acting on this information and preparing now can make all the difference to your garden when hotter conditions do set in: from improving soil moisture retention and checking irrigation systems to putting smarter watering routines in place.

“It’s an easy mistake to react to very hot weather by simply reaching for the hose more often, but more water is not necessarily better,” says Fathima Mathen, Marketing Manager for GARDENA South Africa. “The trick is to water more intelligently using the right equipment to get moisture to the plant where and when it needs it, while wasting as little as possible.”

GARDENA’s Micro-Drip System, for example, uses adjustable drip heads and drip watering, which can reduce water use by up to 70% compared with conventional watering methods. Drip lines, inline drippers and soaker hoses can also keep beds, borders and vegetable gardens watered without giving every nearby paving stone a drink too.

Timing also matters. Watering during the cooler parts of the day, either very early in the morning or after sunset, helps reduce evaporation. “Plants cope better when watering is consistent too,” adds Mathen. “An automatic water control system takes the guesswork out of watering. These highly efficient watering devices can be scheduled to irrigate gardens at any time of day or night. This is particularly useful when people are busy, away or trying to avoid overwatering.”

Container gardens require even more attention in hot weather than in-ground gardens, often needing a top-up sooner. Pots dry out fast, especially on sunny patios and balconies, but fortunately there’s also technology for that, like GARDENA’s AquaBloom Solar Irrigation Set. It draws water from its own container and can irrigate up to 20 plants without needing either a tap or power, providing a simple, fuss-free solution.

The smartest watering systems, however, still need healthy soil to be effective. A layer of mulch acts like sunscreen for bare earth, slowing moisture loss and keeping roots cooler, while compost and water-retaining conditioners improve the soil’s ability to hold onto what it gets.

The GARDENA Soil Moisture Sensor is highly recommended as an intelligent watering solution that helps prevent unnecessary water wastage. Connected to any GARDENA Water Control, the sensor continuously measures soil moisture levels and ensures irrigation only takes place when additional watering is required. Following rainfall or when sufficient moisture is present in the soil, the sensor automatically overrides the scheduled watering cycle, helping to conserve water while maintaining optimal plant health.

And when rain does arrive, storing as much as possible means you’ll rely less on the garden tap when it really counts. A rain barrel or storage tank can turn a single downpour into a reserve you can draw on later, instead of watching it disappear the moment the sun returns.

Of course, the equipment doing all this work has to handle summer too. GARDENA’s UV-resistant watering products are designed to withstand prolonged sun exposure and high temperatures, so they can keep doing their job when the heat is on.

“As global temperatures rise, El Niño can make hot, dry conditions even harder on gardens, and while we can’t control temperatures, we can choose to be water‑smart,” Mathen concludes. “A resilient garden isn’t about watering more to keep everything green at all costs. It’s about thoughtful watering: the right amount, at the right time.”

That’s good gardening in summer… and good water sense at any time of year.

To learn more about GARDENA’s watering solutions, visit https://www.gardena.com/za.