As the tabloid newspaper headlines put it, “Phew! What a scorcher!” Well, June was certainly very much that with records being broken all over the country for highest recorded temperatures or the longest spells without rain falling. Here at Thompson Towers, we are feeling the heat, too. As July progresses, we enter our busiest time of the year for groundwork and agri maintenance jobs. What’s more, all of the meteorological data seems to point in the same direction. July and August are going to be hot, too. The UK looks set for one of its sunniest ever summers.

Soon too the long school holidays will be upon us. These days most kids enjoy a six-week break and have down time. Of course, the long summer holidays used to be there so that children could help out with harvesting. In most cases this year, the harvest is going to come earlier than usual. Certainly, if the sun keeps up, then we will be bringing in crops sooner than you’d usually otherwise see. Some crops will need to be harvested this month and not wait until late August which is the more common time. Of course, it’s not just farmers that need to consider when the best time to harvest crops is – it affects anyone from market gardeners to enthusiastic amateur horticulturalists.

One of the important jobs to get on with right now is making hay. If you own or rent a paddock for your horses, then setting aside a patch of grass to make hay with makes a lot of sense. However, without significant rainfall for weeks, it is now unlikely your grass will grow much more so now is the time to cut it for hay. It is also a good time to deal with any manure from your horses that has been building up. If you see a light shower, then take the opportunity to aerate your paddock’s soil as much as possible to promote healthy growth. Right now, though, the ground is rock hard. Again, paddock care is something we can help with.

So, with a hosepipe ban having already been introduced in late June across Northern Ireland, it seems that other local water authorities will soon be implementing similar measures. If you have crops currently coming into a ripened state, then water them without fail. Wait until the early evening when the water can really soak in without immediately evaporating under the sun’s rays. Anything growing in pots is especially susceptible to under watering. At this time of year and with these weather conditions you really can’t over water so grab your watering can on a daily basis, if possible.

Also don’t forget, if you have booked a week or two away when there won’t be anyone around to weed, water and keep everything in ship shape for your return. Don’t rely on an automated irrigation system when you are away to do the watering for you. If we do see a hosepipe ban coming into place, then you could potentially fall foul of the law by leaving such as system turned on when you are not around to turn it off.

Signing off from Thompson Towers, have a lovely summer. Happy camping!

Feel free to call me for a quick chat about what to do while it’s so hot. Call me on 07710 780943 or 01664 900044.