Rain is coming tomorrow after weeks of drought — prepare your garden now

| Senior Lifestyle Reporter Published August 25, 2026 12:18pm Updated August 25, 2026 12:35pm An expert has shared his top tips (Picture: Getty Images) After weeks of low rainfall, Brits in the South East of England are expected to wake up to wet weather on Wednesday morning. Outbreaks of rain are anticipated to move from London towards Manchester by the afternoon, with more unsettled weather and thunderstorms forecast for later in the week. But while your garden might be in desperate need of a drink, an expert has revealed there are a few things you’ll want to do before the heavens open. Guy Barter, the chief horticulturist at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), has shared his top tips for getting your garden ready to absorb sudden storms. Parts of the UK are finally going to see some rain (Picture: Getty Images) Clear your gutters While we might not be expecting torrential rain, it’s always best to be prepared. So start by ensuring all of your water butts, pipes, and gutters are clear and ready to accept whatever may come. Loosen compacted soils Next, your attention should turn to the soil, which after weeks of drought will have become dusty, compacted, and water repellent. To help it better absorb water, Guy advises loosening compacted soil with a fork or spade. But this doesn’t apply to clay soils, which should be left alone. ‘Clay soils develop alarming cracks in dry weather,’ he explains. ‘In effect they are, rather conveniently, digging themselves. Don’t attempt to fill in cracks with sand or soil. Excess rain here just runs into the cracks and is gone. The soil then swells, and the cracks disappear until the next period.’ The drought will have left gardens in need of a drink (Picture: Geoffrey Swaine/Shutterstock) The soaking process Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Latest heatwave news and guidance Apply coarse mulch such as bark and woodchips to bare soil to aid in the soaking process, but leave any areas around trees and plants as they are, so the water can go straight to the roots. The plants don’t need the additional help, as the foliage will collect rain, which gets channelled down the trunk or stem and goes into the roots. Don’t get out the watering can According to Guy, it’s best to suspend watering until the storms have passed. This is because wet soil has no room to accommodate more water. ‘With luck the rain will be enough to limit the need to resume watering, but in truth several wet days will be needed to do that,’ he says. Don’t get the mower out just yet (Picture: Getty Images) Avoid mowing grass By now you’ll probably have had the urge to get the mower out and tidy up any long, dried grass, but Guy claims this would be a mistake. ‘Taller grass is good at stopping water run-off, and immobile water can overcome the water-repellent properties of turf in time,’ he explains. He also advises against cutting back perennials before it rains, and says you should leave spent vegetable plants alone too in order to help protect the soil and wildlife. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Deals of the Day Shop MySweetSmile's biggest Bank Holiday offers before they end Back-to-school shopping just got a lot cheaper thanks to Primark The back-to-school essential parents forget every year – and it could cost them Simba's cooling mattresses are now up to 30% off ahead of the bank holiday The best hosepipe ban-friendly products to protect your garden this summer Arrow MORE: Full list of all 42 London bus routes affected by strikes after talks fail Arrow MORE: Wildfires burning across Europe are setting off old WWI and WWII bombs Arrow MORE: UK tap water tastes especially ‘musty’ this week — here’s why The Key Sign up for must-read property stories, DIY hacks and tips for buying a home.