Home Gardener....Watering During the Hot Summer

It is a toasty hot July, no doubt about it.  Too hot in my opinion but Mother Nature does not listen to me!  So, I thought it appropriate that I should say a few words on watering.  Some people seem to water their gardens every single day.  I see them out there doing it! Or their sprinklers are set on automatic to water at a certain time every single day. That is really not healthy for your garden (or lawn).  It is better to let it go a few days and then deep water it over a length of time so the water soaks down as opposed to a five minute sprinkle that may not do more than wet the top inch or two of ground.  I know it is so tempting to water every day but it really does tend to give your plants the impression of there being no need for deep roots.  Not good.  A deep weekly or twice weekly soaking is more likely to convince your plants to put out long strong roots which make it healthier and more resistant to hot spells like we have this week.  Of course, some plants need more water than others.  Succulants and cactus need less, corn and tomatoes more.

Even better, use a soaker hose, This is a hose that has porosity so that when you turn on the water it slowly leaks out into your garden, soaking down like rain does rather than washing over the top of the soil and draining away into the lawn.  You can get them at garden centers or gardening sites on line.  They conserve water and do a great job at keeping the garden appropriately watered.

But.…. Yeap, there is generally always a but!  As far as planters and pots go, depending on their size, the amount of direct sun they get and the material they are made out of, you might have to water them every day.  The rule of thumb is that you should stick your finger down two inches into the soil and if it is dry down there; time to water.   Clay pots lose their moisture the fastest particularly unglazed or plain clay.  So if you have planters made of unglazed earthenware they will dry out crazy fast in this summer heat.  The same goes for small pots in the sun.  The plan is to water until the water flows out the bottom of each pot so they are soaked all the way from the top to the bottom. No quick splashes of wet; get them soaked fully so they can go a day or two before needing more water.  You can even put a clay pot into a basin of water and let it set in there for 30 to 60 minutes so the pot soaks up water and the soil is very wet.

Plus you need to be careful about when you water.  It is best to water the garden in the morning before the sun gets too high in the sky.  Evening watering can lead to a variety of negative issues for your plants including mold spots.  So try to fit it into the day early as opposed to just before sunset.

So, get out that watering can, the hose or whatever you use to get the job done, just do it right so your plants get the right message and stay healthy and lush!