Gardeners are being warned over an ‘Indian summer’ that could affect your garden if you don’t take action in September.

Though the weekend was warm and sunny, rainy and mixed conditions have set in again for the start of September.

But the weather could brighten up again at some point this month or next and gardeners are being urged to take steps to protect their garden in the event of an ‘Indian Summer’ situation.

What is an Indian Summer?

The Met Office has a specific definition of an ‘Indian Summer’ although the weather experts say they don’t use the phrase themselves.

The Met Office says: During the autumn, you may hear us talking about 'summer-like weather' or 'autumnal warmth'.

“Some people refer to this kind of weather as an 'Indian summer', but this isn't a formal meteorological term. So where does this expression come from?

“The Met Office Meteorological Glossary first published in 1916, defines it as 'a warm, calm spell of weather occurring in autumn, especially in October and November.'

“There is a complicated and unclear history of the exact origins of the phrase and like many other organisations, we choose not to use the expression. The original source of the phrase is uncertain, several writers have speculated it may originally have referred to a spell of warm, hazy autumn conditions that enabled Indigenous Americans to continue hunting.

“Despite the basis of these phrases around particular dates, there is no statistical evidence to suggest that such warm spells recur at any particular time each year - warm spells during the autumn months are not uncommon.”

Should hot sunny weather return, gardeners are being urged to continue watering to make sure their garden gets enough nutrition.

It’s very easy to fall into the trap of thinking the weather must be wetter and that the garden is getting enough moisture, but lots of overcast days don’t actually produce a lot of rain, and these mixed with bouts of sunshine can leave your garden thirsty.

Alan Buckingham’s Allotment Month by Month explains: “September can be dry, particularly in a warm Indian summer. If rainfall is scarce and temperatures remain high, continue to water all crops regularly.”