How to help plants through a heat wave

Garden and greenhouse enthusiasts will know that a heat wave can be extremely damaging to tender plants.

To prepare growers for such an event, LoHud.com has provided a number of hints and tips on how to deal with a sudden and prolonged rise in temperatures.

The main thing that gardeners can do to protect plants both outdoors and in greenhouses is to water them as regularly as possible.

According to the website, the best bet is to get out early in the morning before work and give them a good soak, with another bout of hydration given when you get home again.

However, watering in the heat of the day will not be beneficial, it added.

"Your plants are already stressed and the ground is particularly hot and dry at midday, so much of the water will just turn into runoff," the online resource explained.

However, watering at night leaves foliage open to fungal diseases so it is best to get it done in the cool morning light or late afternoon.

Meanwhile, SouthOrangePatch has published an article giving a number of tips to help harvest a healthy crop of tomatoes.