Hi Chalky - You can set drippers up on a timer etc which I did with that hot weather in July(distant memory !) and in advance of a two week holiday away and nobody to water for me this year.

I set up an irrigation system for circa 50 bonsai plants and about 20 other 'potensai' that were dealt with by way of individual drippers, mini-sprinklers and misters.

I used the website waterirrigation.co.uk who were about half the price of my local garden centre (all the bits add up) and the delivery was next day - stunning. I had adjustable drippers (max 2 and 4 litre per hour) on my key plants all linked with tubing. However, few retailers sell 'inline drippers' (cheaply),so Hozelock were the only option to me and you therefore need a few 'T Junctions' here and there as well. There were sprinklers to cover other plants and to make sure all plants got a good soaking. The Hozelock timer was set to twice a day - 5 mins at 7am and 6 mins at 8 pm, to avoid the (then!) heat.

Verdict - I lost two plants that werent quite in range of the sprinkler - one of which now looks like it will make it. However, everything else really thrived, to the extent that I think I have not been giveng my 'developing' plants enough water.

Whilst my system does not beat indivual hand watering, which I have always done (with rain water), I havent lost anything of value. The only thng I would probably cut out is the misters as some leaves have water/sun burn marks and a layer of limescale. Plus next year I will work on some net shading to reduce the sun and drying out. I may also reduce the time on to 4 mins twice a day. Nevertheless, I am still perfecting the system.

I hope this helps - but it can be done and cheaply.

David.