How to water your garden plants without making common mistakes
Watering is a primary task in plant care, but it's easy to make mistakes. Different plants have different water needs and requirements regarding the watering time and soil type. How should you water your plants correctly to keep them healthy and beautiful throughout the season? We provide some tips.
3:59 PM EDT, June 27, 2024
Watering is one of the critical activities in plant care. Although it seems simple, it's easy to make many mistakes that can harm the plants. It's important to remember that they have varying water needs. Some, like hydrangeas, require a lot of water, while others handle drought well.
Before planting, it is worth checking the water needs of different species and not combining those with other requirements. Plant labels often include watering cans or water drop symbols indicating the plant's watering preferences. You can also find this information online.
When watering, you need to consider not just the type of plant but also the prevailing weather conditions and the soil type in your garden. Plants will require more frequent watering on hot days, while sandy soil dries out faster than clay soil, which should also be considered. Watering should be adapted to current conditions, not a rigid schedule you set in advance.
When to water your garden plants and how to do it right
The best time to water plants is in the morning or early evening. Full sun combined with water can cause leaf and flower burns, and some water will evaporate before it can soak into the soil.
One mistake is to water plants with little water, which only moistens the soil's surface but doesn't reach the roots. It's better to water less frequently but thoroughly. Plants need consistent conditions—alternating between drying out and being overly wet can weaken them and make them more susceptible to diseases and pests.
Watering plants from above, meaning wetting leaves and flowers can promote the development of fungal diseases such as gray mold, leaf spot, rust, or powdery mildew. Directing the water stream directly onto the soil is best to ensure the water reaches the roots.
Water temperature also matters. Watering plants with cold water on hot days can cause thermal shock, especially in plants with shallow root systems like cucumbers. The best water for watering is rainwater, which can be collected in barrels connected to gutters.
Watering plants requires time and patience. Avoid using a solid stream of water, which can damage plants and wash away the soil. Better results come from watering longer but with a moderate stream.
