After the driest August in more than two decades, gardeners across England are being urged to prepare for flooding. Despite lawns and borders turning brown during weeks of parched weather, experts warn that heavy rainfall forecast for September could quickly lead to waterlogging.
The culprit is soil that has been baked so hard by the sun it now struggles to absorb moisture. The National Water Situation Report, published this week, highlights how August delivered just 42% of average rainfall, the lowest figure since 2003.
In the central and northern parts of the country, in particular, soils have dried to the point of becoming compacted. When rain arrives, instead of soaking in gradually, water is likely to sit on the surface, running off into drains and leaving gardens at risk of becoming soggy quagmires.
Gardening expert Liam Cleary, from the Old Railway Line Garden Centre, says that one of the simplest defences against this problem is to aerate the ground, and that can be done with nothing more than a garden fork.
“By driving the fork into the soil and creating small holes, you open channels for water to drain away more easily,” he said.
“It also allows oxygen to reach plant roots, preventing rot and encouraging healthier growth.”
The process is most effective when carried out before heavy rainfall arrives.
“You should wait until the ground is relatively dry before doing this,” Cleary said. “That way the soil structure is loosened in time, giving the roots the longest amount of time to breathe and recover before the wetter weather sets in.”
For many gardeners, this is not a job that needs constant repetition. Aerating the soil should only be necessary every few years, unless a particular garden is prone to persistent waterlogging.
Those who want to go further can use a hollow tine aerator, which removes plugs of soil and creates larger gaps for water and air to circulate.
As weather extremes become more common, Cleary believes gardening habits will need to adapt.
For now, however, the message is straightforward: before more of the September rains arrive, grab a fork and give the soil in your garden some breathing space. It could make all the difference between a lush green lawn and a flooded patch of mud.
This comes as 44 flood warnings are in place today, September 21, as torrential rain hit parts of England and Wales.
