It may be raining now, but it's time to plan your watering regime for the summer

It may well be pouring with rain as you look out of the window and the water butts will be lapping around their tops but it won’t last! By mid-summer you may well be feverishly watering and hoping there is no hose-pipe ban. So, do something about it, now.

The trouble with automatic and timed watering systems, particularly in glass houses, is that they do not take account of the needs of the plant. They plod on throughout the day delivering a pre-determined volume of water, regardless of whether or not the plant needs it.

But times have changed – quite literally. Solar powered watering systems provide a unique and economic way to water such moisture demanding crops as tomato, sweet peppers, aubergines and lettuce. Because they are powered by day-light, they automatically adjust so that in warm, sunny weather they water for longer and, conversely, when its dull and cold, the watering time is shorter.

The science is in the photo-voltaic panel that delivered the energy to the system and, just like the larger versions on house roofs, they harness the daylight and sun. The water is supplied either from an adjacent water butt or from a smaller reservoir that can be purchased with the solar kit.

Now is the ideal time of year to start thinking about how you want to water your plants in the summer. It means one less worry knowing your irrigation kit is set up ready to go, and whether you are at home or on holiday, your plants are getting precisely the right amount of water that they need to flourish.