This clever pencil trick will help you prioritise your plants during a hosepipe ban – a simple way to save time and effort

It’s been a long hot summer and, even for lovers of the heat, it can certainly start to take its toll – especially on the garden. Factor in water droughts and hosepipe bans, and suddenly you’re facing potential gardening disasters.

While there are ways you can still water your garden during water restrictions, thanks to a handful of tools you can use instead of the hosepipe, if you’re concerned about water usage, another habit to get used to is deciding which plants actually need watering, and which ones might be wasting water.

As it turns out, there’s a surprisingly simple method that takes little time and effort to help you properly decide which plants need watering immediately, and which ones you can perhaps spare for a while – and all you need is a pencil.

Simon Akeroyd, a popular garden expert and author with over one million followers on Instagram, explained how inserting a pencil into the compost of your potted plants is all it takes. Once you’ve popped your pencil or finger in, if it comes out covered in compost, your plant is probably wet enough and can be spared watering for another day.

If it comes out without any compost stuck on, then you’re likely facing a plant that is very dry and gasping for a drink. This can ensure that your outdoor plants or your houseplants survive the latest heatwave without using excessive amounts of water.

While you can also perform the same trick with your finger, when the soil is too compact, a pencil will be easier to insert.

Simon concedes that this is not a foolproof method, but during intense heatwaves and hosepipe bans, it’s a great first step in deciding which plants should be your priority.

Some exceptions to the rule will apply, naturally. Some plants, such as succulents and cacti, thrive when they’re on the dry side, so the pencil trick wouldn’t apply. Also, regardless of what the compost might be doing, if your plants or flowers are wilting and sagging, they clearly need a bit of water.

While this trick might help prevent any plants dying out, if you fear it's too late to save some dry, sorry-looking ones, there's a 'secret ingredient' from the kitchen to help revive them without needing to rely on excess watering.

While heatwaves and hosepipe bans might not be ideal, they shouldn't have you waving the white flag on your plants or cracking on with the rest of your August gardening jobs. Thanks to savvy tips such as this one, you can make your watering efforts more valuable.