Lots of people wonder how they are supposed to water their gardens. Some struggle over questions about how much water should be given and how often watering ought to be done. It’s not actually as complicated as it looks, but there are a few things you definitely have to consider like your area’s weather and climate, the type of soil you have in your yard, and the varieties of plants you are growing.
When to Water the Plants
The best time to water your plants is early in the morning while it’s still cool. Why? Simply because it’s during this instant that you allow the water to run down into the garden soil and reach the plant roots without too much excess amount of water just lost to evaporation. Besides, it also helps in making the much-needed water to be available to the plants for the entire day; thus, letting them deal with the heat of the sun better.
Nevertheless, due to work schedule or other activities, it can sometimes be challenging to water the garden early. The second best time to water your plants is in the late afternoon, if not early evening. During either of these times, you cut down on evaporation as well as allow your plants a few more hours without sun to gradually take up water into their system. But be extra careful with your timing when you water in the late afternoon. Ensure that the leaves still have a little time to dry before night, as damp leaves during the evening just encourages fungus problems.
Another way to keep the moisture in the soil, is to make sure you have put a good layer of mulch on top. This not only provides nutrients for the soil, but ensures that any water cannot easily evaporate. Biochar is also something you might look at to help hold the nutrients from the mulch in the soil and provide good water permeability.
How Much Water Should be Given
Note that deep watering tends to encourage stronger and more concentrated growth of the plant roots. Therefore, it is preferable to water your garden about two inches or so deep every week. Watering more often but less deep will only lead to evaporation and weaker root growth. While hand-watering is usually time-consuming, it is still a great option especially for container plants and smaller garden plots. Use of drip irrigation or soaker hoses is often better too as the water goes straight to the plant roots while keeping the leaves dry.
Watering Tips and Tricks
The best way to water your garden is by focusing on the root zone (remember that it’s the plant roots that require access to water – not the leaves), watering only when necessary (don’t forget that excessive water can be equally damaging to your garden as too little), and watering deeply and thoroughly. Aside from that, try to water only in the morning (so you give time for the leaves to dry out), apply a good mulch to everything (to help slow evaporation from the soil and reduce surface runoff), and to use the right watering tools.
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