Plant
Care
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The
Importance of Watering
Quenching
Their Thirst
Once your
garden has been planted, nothing is more important to its ability
to thrive than water. When provided too little water, plants are
unable to develop properly and become more susceptible to damage
from pests. Too much water can of course be equally bad. In soil
that is kept too moist plants become prone to rots and other diseases.
For
Want of a Little Water
As a commercial
gardener, I have many times been shown plants on death's door and
asked what should they be sprayed with, as if there is some miracle
chemical capable of reviving neglected gardens. Nine times out of
ten, the answer is water. It never ceases to amaze me how people
can spend hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars on a landscape
and then watch it gradually die for want of an occasional watering.
Proper watering would probably save 75% of the plants that are lost
in gardens each year. Even those plants that succumb to pests were
usually first weakened by inconsistent watering.
How
Much Is Enough?
In most
cases, the gardener needs to supplement natural rain water. The
questions of how much and how often are a matter of judgement. The
best way to tell when a garden needs watering is to look at it.
If the soil is dry to a depth of a half an inch or so, it's time
to water. How often you need to water varies greatly with the temperature.
With high temperatures in the mid-70s (24 C), watering once a week
will probably be more than adequate. But when temperatures hit the
mid-90s (35 C), you may need to water as often as every other day.
Other factors influencing the frequency of watering are the nature
of the soil, the amount of sunlight, how well the garden is mulched
and whether the plants are in flower (during flowering plants generally
require more water). But always keep in mind, you can most definitely
water too much. When watering you want to make sure the soil is
well moistened. This can be time consuming, but it is better to
water thoroughly once a week than to give your garden a brief shower
every day. Never use a spray nozzle on a hose, it delivers either
too strong a flow or an inefficient mist. The best way of controlling
water flow is to use your thumb. Always try to water the base of
the plants, but in times of meager rainfall you can give the foliage
an occasional spray as well. The best time to water is in the morning,
but the warnings against mid-day watering are over done. Late evening
is probably the worst time to water, as it leaves the foliage damp
at night when molds and fungi are most active. But never let a bone-dry
garden go without watering simply because you can't do it at the
optimum time of day.
Automating
Your Watering
Irrigation
systems can be great time savers for those with large gardens or
little time. The best use drip hoses to supply water directly to
the base of the plants. This minimizes the loss of water to evaporation
that makes sprinkler systems so inefficient, particularly in hot,
dry climates. Sprinkler systems are also much more prone to mechanical
failure. And since they are usually set to go off in very early
morning, problems can be difficult to detect. For some very large
landscapes a sprinkler system is a necessity, but bear in mind they
are expensive both to install and to maintain. The most economical
way of creating an automatic watering system is to use soaker hoses
(porous hoses that allow water to trickle out throughout their length)
and a simple timer that fits onto the tap. Mechanical flow timers
(these turn off after a certain amount of water has flowed through)
can be found for $10-$15 and more elaborate electronic timers are
available for $30-$50. Place the hoses under any mulch and about
six inches from the base of your plants. With just a minimum amount
of pressure, this hose can be left on for several hours. Keep an
eye on your garden's moisture and you'll save yourself much trouble
and expense.
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