Gardeners' World presentershared his key plant care advice as the UK experiences record-breaking May temperatures, warning that watering at the wrong time could damage or kill your plants07:54, 26 May 2026It's the crucial question gardeners grapple with during a heatwave — when should I water my plants to keep them alive, and could it actually kill them? If you water at the wrong time, droplets on the leaves can magnify the sun's rays and scorch them — but leave them too long and they might wither and perish in the heat.‌The UK braces for more records to tumble today after experiencing its hottest May day ever. The nation also registered its provisional all-time hottest meteorological spring temperature when Kew Gardens in south-west London reached 34.8C.‌The Met Office identified 12 locations where the record was surpassed on Monday — spanning from Suffolk to Berkshire to Warwickshire — while 97 of its sites hit or exceeded 30C. Prior to that day, the all-time May peak stood at 32.8C achieved in 1922 and 1944.‌The anticipated high for vast areas of southern England and Wales on Tuesday is 35C — which could edge up to 36C, senior Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said. Those predictions cover the Midlands, the south-east and south-west England, East Anglia, and South Wales.Thunderstorms may develop in the afternoon, which will influence how hot it becomes. Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don has discussed how to care for your plants. He said hot weather is 'lovely but quite tough on plants.' He explained: "Particularly if they're in a container so they do need watering much more often than normal. In fact, every day when it's as hot as this and, if you can, the best time to water your container is early morning before the sun warms up.""If you can't get it done early in the morning, don't do it during the middle of the day wait till the evening. Basically, when it's cool.‌"The plants will then take the moisture and they can lose it during the day without suffering any problems," he continued. "The rule of watering is always the same soak don't sprinkle."READ MORE: Eliminate black spots on roses by using Monty Don tip that is 'only possible method'READ MORE: Gardeners can keep slugs at bay with one common item that you already ownHe explained: "Water directly to the roots of the soil or the compost and go on until the water is running out of the bottom of the container and then the roots can get down deep and find that moisture."And finally, just because you're watering every day you don't need to feed any more than normal. These plants will grow strong and healthy even if it's burning hot."‌Gardeners' World followers shared their own tips on Facebook. One said: "Make sure you water at the base of your plants otherwise your leaves will be toast in the morning in this roasting sun !" Another added: "Before going on holiday I create a plant paddling pool from plastic sheets and put pots in then fill with water. They look nice and healthy when u get back." Records could also tumble in the build-up, with forecasters warning that some areas may not dip below 20C overnight. This follows the UK's warmest May night on record, which was logged on Sunday when temperatures failed to drop below 19.4C at Kenley Airfield, Surrey.Numerous locations across England and Wales will hit the heatwave threshold on Tuesday, with some set to have endured five consecutive days of it by Wednesday, Ms Mitchell said.Heatwave conditions had already been met across eight parts of England by Sunday night: Heathrow, Kew Gardens and Northolt in London; Benson in Oxfordshire; Brooms Barn and Santon Downham in Suffolk; and High Beech and Writtle in Essex. That figure is expected to be considerably higher following the Bank Holiday weather, though the data is yet to be released, Ms Mitchell added.‌The fact that nearly a hundred sites hit 30C on Monday "goes to show just how many places would have succeeded their heatwave threshold", she said. To officially qualify as a heatwave, temperatures must meet or exceed a specific threshold for three consecutive days.The highest heatwave threshold in the UK at this time of year stands at 28C, which applies to London and areas north of the capital towards Cambridgeshire.Temperatures will begin to ease gradually from the middle of the week, though conditions will remain largely dry with plenty of sunny spells. Many areas will still see mercury sitting in the high 20Cs. Temperatures will, however, drop by around 10C in eastern areas as a brisk easterly wind picks up. Should the latest May record be confirmed, it would mean seven of the 12 monthly highs have been set since 2003, according to the Met Office.‌A previous study by the forecasters found that breaking that record "is around three times more likely now in our current climate than it would have been in a natural climate not impacted by greenhouse gas emissions".This means what was once considered a one-in-a-hundred year event is now a one-in-33 occurrence, it said.This follows a week that saw temperatures plummet to minus 5C in Scotland, with daytime highs more broadly peaking at around 14C to 15C.Article continues below"We see these changes happening so much more dramatically," Met Office senior forecaster Greg Dewhurst said on Monday morning, adding that climate change is fuelling the rising heat."In the past, heatwaves built and built and built and built over days and days and days - these now just develop so quickly."Amid the sweltering bank holiday weekend, South East Water issued an apology and distributed bottled water after approximately 502 of its customers experienced problems including outages and low pressure.