Are you struggling to water your garden?
There's nothing better than relaxing with a cold drink in the summer, looking out at your blooming garden. All that hard work and toiling has paid off, and now you're reaping the rewards. But to keep your garden in top condition, it's not always easy. Especially when it comes to watering your plants.
Don't worry, we can help! Keep reading for these 6 common garden watering mistakes to avoid today.
When going through your garden watering routine, don't water overhead. Plants absorb their water through their roots, and might not get enough if it's sitting on the leaves.
Also, excess water on leaves and flowers can be a perfect growing place for bacteria and pests. It's worse for plants that aren't used to moist conditions like Geraniums and Dahlias.
Make sure you're watering plant roots by watering the soil. Avoid the stem, leaves, and flowers as much as possible. A more efficient way to do this is to use a soaker-hose or drip irrigation system set up to target the soil area.
This could displace the soil and destabilize your plants so they could fall over. It can also change how the soil drains around your plants, even your whole garden given enough time.
This could weaken your plants, leaving them vulnerable to diseases and pests. When watering gardens with hoses use low pressure so the soil won't move. As rainwater for plants is much better, this mimics it as best you can.
Both underwatering and overwatering your plants is bad for them, and we'll look at the latter next. If your plant doesn't get enough water it can hurt and reduce future growth.
It will wilt and start to droop. If this goes on too long, your plant can die off completely. Check the watering needs of each plant you have and provide them. Stick to a regular schedule, automatic sprinkler systems can help.
Too much water is as bad and will cause similar wilting and drooping. If you flood the roots, they can't breathe and you will drown them. This can cause root rot and other diseases as well as encourage pests.
Again, know what your plants need and make sure you're giving it to them. Keep an eye on them regularly to make sure they're healthy.
Following on from this, different plants have different water needs. If you don't plan for this, you'll forever fight a battle of overwatering or underwatering. None of them will stay healthy or thrive and you'll find most of them dying off.
Have a landscape plan which includes a planting plan. This will help you keep plants grouped with similar needs. It also helps you remember where these groups are so you can water with ease.
If you're watering at the hottest part of the day you have to use more water for longer. It evaporates faster from the soil, but this can lead to under or over-watering. Not only is it inefficient, but water left on delicate plants in the sun can also bake them!
Watering early in the morning at around dawn or early in the evening is the best time to water. An easy fix is to use a watering timer and soil moisture sensor to make sure your plants get the water they need.
So, there you have it! Now you know these 6 top garden watering mistakes you know what not to do.
Take care of how much water you're giving your plants and make sure you know what they need. Having a regular watering routine at the right time of day will help keep them at their healthiest. Even better, an automated system takes all the stress away from watering altogether.
If you're looking for a new watering system, contact us today. From drip irrigation to sprinklers, at Sprinkler System Store we'll help you get the right system for your needs.
