Watering the garden - How to make each drop count

Have you ever stood watering the garden on a hot summer afternoon, the sprayer nozzle and hose in one hand and a cool drink in the other? It feels good, but the trouble is, you're getting a better drink than your plants are.

Why? You're using the wrong tool for the job.

A sprayer nozzle is great for washing the car, but pretty ineffective for watering because it gushes a high-pressure jet that flattens plants. This makes it almost impossible to stay in one spot long enough to give an adequate amount of water. A sprayer nozzle just won't deliver enough moisture to penetrate the soil to the root level where plants take it up.

Then there's the fact that a hot mid-afternoon is about the worst time to water this way, or to run a sprinkler as a lot of water evaporates in the heat.

Watering the garden the right way

Plants need moisture — a healthy plant is 75 to 90 percent water. Adequate water is especially critical during the first few weeks of growth, while plants are building their root systems and getting established.

To water individual plants or plants in containers, rather than a hose end sprayer nozzle, the better tool is a watering can, or a hose-end watering wand. A watering wand has a water breaker with many tiny holes to release water in a soft shower rather than a high-pressure stream.

More tips for watering the garden

• Don't water if you don't have to — too much water is as bad as too little. Measure and keep track of rainfall on a calendar. The ideal for most gardens is an inch every week, but many established plants can easily weather short periods of dryness. If heat and drought are prolonged, water your most valuable plants.


• When you're watering the garden, give infrequent but generous waterings, about an inch once a week. Avoid frequent shallow waterings, which only encourage roots to stay near the soil surface. The more deeply rooted your plants, the more resilient they'll be in a dry period.


• When you water, moisture should penetrate the top five or six inches of soil. Dig a small hole with your hand trowel an hour after you've watered to check. Let the soil surface dry between waterings.


• The best time for watering the garden is early in the morning or in the evening. In the heat of the day — between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. — sun and wind quickly evaporate a significant quantity of water.


• Overhead watering with a sprinkler is best done early in the morning so that leaves can dry off through the day. Foliage that's frequently wet overnight creates the perfect environment for fungal diseases.


• Add organic matter to improve soil's ability to retain moisture. This benefits all soils, but it is especially important for helping sandy soils retain water.


• When planting, whether annuals, perennials, trees or shrubs, dig a hole, fill it with water to allow moisture to be absorbed into the soil. Then put the plant into the moistened hole, firm soil around the roots and water again.


• Once they're in the ground, keep new plants moist, watering generously once a week if it doesn't rain adequately. After six to eight weeks, gradually cut back on watering.


• Mulch bare soil to a depth of two to four inches to help retain moisture.

Article by: Yvonne Cunnington
www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com