Parched Plants and Wilted Weeds: How Often to Water Your Garden

It might sound like a no-brainer, but you should water your garden whenever it needs it, when the weather is not cooperating and the plants are starting to pay the price for it. You can tell that a plant is in distress when the stems become soft and weak, unable to support itself, or the leaves turn gray, brown or curl up. If the plants become too dry at a critical time they will either stop producing or the beginning vegetables will dry up and die.

So, should you water every single day? That depends on the climate that you are living in, the size of your garden and the condition of your plants and soil. Really good soil will hold onto some of the water that the garden is given ,releasing it slowly to the plants. In that case unless the temperature climbs to over one hundred each and every day, daily watering might not be necessary. Some plants are more heat and drought resistant, so in areas where those factors are an issue, you should consider those for your garden.

Timing is just as important as frequency when watering your garden. Again, when you water depends on where you live and the general conditions. If you live in an area with hot days, but cooler nights, it might be wiser to water in the early morning hours. If the nights remain as warm as the days however, watering in the evening is perfectly fine. Whichever climate you live in, never water in the heat of the mid afternoon hours- the water will evaporate before sinking in to the root system leaving them thirstier than they were before. The water droplets left on the plant's leaves may also concentrate and direct the sunlight making it even more potent and potentially lethal.

Some people swear by soaker hoses for their gardens, and some will say a sprinkler is the only way to go. Soakers may be expensive, initially, but they actually direct the water closer to the roots where the plants need it to be. A sprinkler may waste more water than the garden would normally use. Really small gardens or container gardens can be adequately watered with a sprinkler can or a bucket, but do not use either from above-water below the leaf system down near the base of the plant.

In the hottest days of summer, keep careful watch on your garden, making sure that it gets the water it needs to not only survive but to flourish. Daily soil checks can keep you ahead of water needs before your plants start to feel the ill effects. Stick a finger into soil near the base of a plant- if your finger comes back dry and clean, then water the garden at the appropriate time, it is moist with little clumps of soil stuck to it, then you could safely hold off.