When springtime comes around, many of us start to think about our gardens again, to ensure a showstopping floral display for summer-long al fresco entertaining! What most homeowners don’t realise is that their boiler plays a role beyond just heating their home – it can actually help plants thrive too!
Whether you’re watering delicate flowers, keeping your lawn lush, or ensuring healthy greenhouse growth, using warm water wisely can improve plant health, prevent root shock, and boost soil absorption.
With this in mind, now is the perfect time to ensure your home’s hot water system is running efficiently. Plus, with our 20% discount on boiler servicing (carried out between April – August 2025), you'll save money while keeping both your home and garden in tip-top shape!
Why Warm Water is Better for Plants
While cold tap water isn’t considered bad for garden plants, slightly warmer water (between 15-25°C) is often preferable as it can help prevent root shock and help plants absorb nutrients more efficiently:
- Minimise risk of root shock: Sudden exposure to cold water can stress plant roots, slowing growth. A gentle warm-water soak is particularly beneficial for young plants, potted flowers, and newly seeded lawns.
- Better soil absorption: Compact or dry soil absorbs warm water faster, ensuring moisture reaches deep-rooted plants more effectively.
- Lawns benefit too - sprinkling slightly warm water (never hot!) on dry grass is said to promote deeper root growth, helping revive patchy lawns during dry spells.
Greenhouse And Outdoor Plant Care With Warm Water
If you have a greenhouse, raised beds, or a rainwater harvesting system, you can maximise the benefits of warm water in several ways:
- Control the humidity level in your greenhouse: Placing a bowl of warm water inside a greenhouse creates natural humidity, perfect for tropical plants like orchids.
- Mix-up harvested rainwater: Collected rainwater can be too cold for plants, especially in early spring. Mixing in warm water from your tap helps create a more balanced watering temperature.
- Speed up your compost breakdown: A sprinkle of warm water speeds up decomposition in compost bins, helping create nutrient-rich soil faster.
Smart Heating And Irrigation: Making The Most of Your Boiler
To get the most out of warm water for your garden, consider these practical heating and irrigation tips:
1
Have you considered connecting an outdoor tap to your home’s hot water supply? With proper regulation this will allow you to irrigate plants at the ideal temperature.
2
Spring and autumn can still be very cold in the UK. By gently watering your plants with lukewarm water in the evening you will be able to reduce freezing risk if an unexpected frost arrives.
3
Instead of wasting excess warm water from cooking pasta or vegetables, why not recycle it for your plants? The water is likely to have some nutrients in it (like starch or vitamins) that your plants can benefit from too. Remember, steer clear rom scalding hot water that could damage the plants – it should be a moderate temperature.
Why Boiler Maintenance Helps Your Home And Garden
A well-maintained boiler doesn’t just keep your home warm, it ensures you always have efficient, reliable hot water for indoor and outdoor use.
A poorly serviced boiler can lead to:
- Inconsistent water temperature, making garden watering unpredictable.
- Higher energy bills, wasting money that could go towards a summer holiday or a garden makeover!
- Unexpected breakdowns, leaving you without hot water when you need it most.
Book Your Boiler Service And Keep Your Garden Thriving!
Whether you're an avid gardener or just looking to improve your lawn, making small changes like using warm water wisely can make a big difference.