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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Lifestyle
Saffron Otter

This Morning garden pro explains sure sign plants are rehydrated after UK heatwave

This week's heatwave was the most intense the UK has ever seen - so it will come as no surprise if your plants are looking worse for wear.

Temperatures soared above 38C, with Coningsby in Lincolnshire setting a new record daily maximum temperature at 40.3C.

The extreme heat saw the Met Office issue its lengthiest amber warning, lasting six days, followed by its first red warning as Brits were told to stay indoors as widespread travel disruption and wildfires broke out.

Those who are green-fingered might worry that the hot weather has devastated your plants and done permanent damage.

But horticulturist David Domoney has shared what you can do to revive them - and how to know when they have had enough water.

Your plants might not look the healthiest following the heatwave (Getty Images/EyeEm)

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The This Morning resident gardener and co-host of Love Your Garden, which he presents alongside Alan Titchmarsh, outlined the key sign to look for once a plant is fully hydrated during a method called 'dunking'.

Speaking on ITV's This Morning, David, 59, said: “Put [the plant] straight into a bucket of water, see the bubbles coming out, and you wait until all the bubbles have gone and then lift it out and that plant is properly hydrated.

“You leave that to stand, make sure it doesn't dry out and it should come back to normal again.”

If you are unsure whether your plant can be saved, then scrape away the darker brown colour on the leaves to see if there is green still underneath, the pro recommends.

While the extreme weather may be over for now, hot temperatures and bright sunshine are still to come over the summer months, so you must continue to protect your plants.

You can mist house plants to prevent them from drying out and to promote growth, snip off any dead leaves.

It's important to water outdoor plants either early in the morning or late at night when it's warm - avoiding direct sunlight.

David recommends "early in the morning or around seven o’clock in the evening."

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