Watering is a key element when it comes to growing crops, flowers and plants. However, there is a right and a wrong way to water your garden.
Especially as water is becoming a more precious resource, we need to be careful on how much water we are using on our gardens.
A mistake a lot of new gardeners make is watering their garden too much.
In addition to this, it is important that you make sure that you have healthy soil in your garden.
Healthy soil will be able to retain the water that you apply to your garden easily.
Thus, you shouldn’t have to water it as soften, as the soil will stay wetter for longer.
In this article, we will find out how often you should be watering your garden.
When Should You Water Your Garden?
It is important that you water your garden at the right time of day. Therefore, you should aim to water your garden in the mornings, if possible.
This is because in the morning, the surface of the soil and the foliage of your plant will be able to stay dry until the sun starts to appear.
Then, once your plant starts to transpire due to the sunlight, they will draw up the water that is still in their soil.
You can also water your garden in the evenings, especially once the sun is setting.
This means that you are watering in much cooler conditions, and much less water is lost due to evaporation from the heat of the day.
Bearing that in mind, you should avoid watering your garden during the day.
This is because much more water will be lost due to the heat of the day and evaporation. Therefore, the soil will retain much less water for the plants to use.
Hence, you should always water your garden in the cooler parts of the day, either first thing in the morning or in the evenings.
How Frequently Should You Be Watering?
In all the gardening books, they all say that you should keep your plants well watered.
However, this doesn’t give us an actual amount on how often we should be watering our gardens.
Unfortunately, there is no real rule to follow. This is because each species and type of plant is different.
They all have their own watering needs that you need to be mindful of.
Therefore, there are a couple of factors to consider that will affect how frequently you should be watering.
Species And Stage Of Growth
One of the most important factors that will affect your watering habits, is the type of plants that you have in your garden and what point of growth they are at.
Generally, the larger a plant is and the wider their leaves are, the more water it will need more frequently for it to remain healthy.
In addition to that, the stage of growth they are at is really important. Mature plants will require less frequent watering compared to seedlings.
Some seedlings need to be watered everyday while they are germinating and first growing.
While a more mature plant may only need to be watered 3 times a week.
Weather And Season
The type of weather that you are experiencing will affect how much water your plants need.
The amount of sunshine, humidity, wind, temperature or amount of rainfall you have had will affect your garden’s watering needs.
Generally, plants will use much more water when the weather is hot, than when the weather is cool.
During periods of no decent amounts of rain, then you will need to water your plants more frequently.
If you are experiencing light showers, these aren’t enough for your plants, as the light shower will just wet the top surface of the soil and won’t reach down to the roots.
Type Of Soil
The soil or organic matter that you are using for your plants is vital. Clay soil can hold a lot more water than sandy soil.
Yet, plants can extract much more water from sandy soil than clay like soil.
Sandy soil can feel dry, yet there is plenty of water underneath the surface for the plants to use.
Therefore, with sandy soil requires smaller amounts of water but much more frequently.
If your soil can’t hold water very well, then you should consider some kind of organic matter to it, which will help its water retention levels.
Signs You Aren’t Watering Enough
Just because the surface of your soil feels dry doesn’t always mean that your pants need to be watered.
Water is required to reach the roots of your plants, therefore if you notice the surface of your soil is dry, that isn’t a bad thing.
To see if the soil is wet or dry, you need to push your finger into the soil until it reaches past your knuckle.
If the soil is damp, then the plant has water, if it is dry then you need to give it some water.
There are some other signs that your plants need more water as well. Your plants may start to wilt, but this can also be a sign of over-wear too.
Also, the leaves and stems of your plant will look duller and start to curl. In addition, flowers or fruits will also take much longer to grow.
Conclusion
When the weather is hot, then you will need to water your garden everyday in either the morning or evening.
However, if the weather is cooler, you can get away with watering your garden between 1 to 3 times a week.
Watering your garden does depend on the weather you are experiencing and the type of plants in your garden.
However, we hope this article has helped give you a better understanding on the frequency you should be watering.
We waste water in so many ways, like leaving the faucet on while we brush our teeth, bathing instead of showering, and watering our lawns more than we need to.
Through my site, you'll learn more about droughts and their effects on society, how to collect rainwater and use it in your everyday life, and how much water you really need to be using a day. Remember that saving water will also save money on your water bill, so why not give it a go and help me Save The Drop!
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