Quenching Their Thirst

Once your garden has been planted, nothing is more important to its ability to thrive than water. When provided with too little water, plants are unable to develop properly and become more susceptible to damage from pests. Too much water can of course be equally bad. In soil that is kept too moist plants become prone to rots and other diseases.

For Want of a Little Water

People wonder why their garden isn't working, nine times out ten is because of lack of water. It never ceases to amaze me how people can spend hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars on a landscape and then watch it gradually die for want of an occasional watering. Proper watering would probably save most of the plants that are lost in gardens each year. Even those plants that succumb to pests were usually first weakened by inconsistent watering.

How Much Is Enough?

The best way to tell when a garden needs watering is to look at it. If the soil is dry to a depth of a half an inch or so, it's time to water. How often you need to water varies greatly with the temperature. With high temperatures in the mid-70s, watering once a week will probably be more than adequate. But when temperatures hit the mid-90s, you may need to water as often as every other day. Other factors influencing the frequency of watering are the nature of the soil, the amount of sunlight, how well the garden is mulched and whether the plants are in flower at which time they require more water. But always remember, you can most definitely water too much.

When watering you want to make sure the soil is well moistened. This can be time consuming, but it is better to water thoroughly once a week than to give your garden a brief shower every day. Never use a spray nozzle on a hose, the best way of controlling water flow is to use your thumb. Always try to water the base of the plants, but in times of meager rainfall you can give the foliage an occasional spray as well. The best time to water is in the morning or early evening. Late evening is probably the worst time to water, as it leaves the foliage damp at night when molds and fungi are most active. But never let a bone-dry garden go without watering simply because you can't do it at the optimum time of day.

Automating Your Watering

Irrigation systems can be great time savers for those with large gardens or little time. The best use drip hoses to supply water directly to the base of the plants. This minimizes the loss of water to evaporation particularly in hot, dry climates. The most economical way of creating an automatic watering system is to use soaker hoses and a simple timer that fits onto the tap. Place the hoses under any mulch and about six inches from the base of your plants. With just a minimum amount of pressure, this hose can be left on for several hours. Keep an eye on your garden's moisture and you'll save yourself much trouble and expense.