Tips on Watering Your Garden

Want strong, beautiful plants? Then water them less often. If plants are watered too frequently, then they don't have to grow their roots far down into the soil to reach the water they need, making them susceptible to being uprooted by strong winds. Established plants only need about an inch of water per week, so give them one or two deep waterings weekly and let the soil dry out between times. Seedlings and transplants need two or three weeks to grow their roots sufficiently, so these plants should receive shallow daily waterings. The soil in containers tends to dry out quickly, so plants grown in them should be watered more frequently as well. Dig down into the soil two or three inches. If the soil is dry, it's time to water again.

If you use a sprinkler system to water your garden, do so early in the morning so that the foliage has time to dry off before nightfall. This will lessen the likelihood of water-borne diseases like mold and mildew. Hand watering is better because you can direct the flow of water to the root zone, which is where the plants need it most. A drip irrigation or soaker hose system is the best of all. It also targets the root zone and is much less labor-intensive than hand watering.

A layer of organic mulch such as untreated grass clippings will help to conserve water in the garden by keeping the soil cooler. As a bonus, it also helps to shade weed seeds so they don't get the sunlight they need to germinate and it will eventually decompose and add nutrients to your garden beds.