Is it time to water yet? Only your plants will know
Circumstances can vary, so there is no one simple answer about how much or how often to water.
Every year I have to write a column about watering. In fact, it probably wouldn’t hurt if I talked about watering plants on a weekly basis. Allow me to explain.
Most people think that watering plants is easy, a no-brainer, right? After all, you just point the hose at the plant and run the water over it back and forth a couple of times.
Wrong. The most important person in a greenhouse or nursery operation is the person who oversees irrigation or watering. It’s a tough job when it comes down to it; the plants depend on this person to get it right.
Your plants depend on you to get it right! But just what is “right?” This is the million dollar question when it comes to plants.
Recommendations for optimal plant growth is generally one inch of water per week. This can be rainfall or from irrigation sources.
Keep in mind that this is for optimal growth. Very few gardeners hit that target, including me. We tend to think more about watering when it gets dry; and even then, sometimes we don’t think about it.
All species of plants have certain water requirements that leads to optimal growth. If they don’t get enough, they show it through slow or no growth, dried up leaves, wilting, and others symptoms.
If they get too much, they also wilt but not because they are lacking water. When there is too much water and they wilt, it’s because the soil is waterlogged and there is no space for oxygen. Plant roots rot in this case and can’t take in water.
So it’s up to the gardener to hit the “sweet spot” for watering. The only way to know this for sure is through your experience. Growing plants and taking care of them teaches you a lot about their needs.
Growing plants in containers versus growing them in the ground is quite different. Water requirements are also quite different. Containers need watered more often.
Usually people pay more attention to those plants in containers and ensure that they get watered on a regular basis.
However, it’s those plants in the ground that we tend to forget about. We can’t see the roots so — out of sight, out of mind!
Keep the basic suggestions below in mind when it comes to dry spells this season. And by the way, my part of the Miami Valley is quite dry already and I haven’t gotten the sporadic rains on my garden.
Newly planted or recently planted (within three to five years) require more water than established plants. Don’t let them dry out. Trees that have root systems that dry out during the season start to lose branches.
Water thoroughly, less often. Don’t “bless” your plants. Soak them so that the entire root system is moist.
The only way to know how long to keep a sprinkler or hose on a plant is to dig down in the soil and touch the soil to know the answer.
Mulch the soil around plants to hold moisture longer.
Finally, don’t let plants dry to the wilting stage. Once or twice might be OK, but each time they wilt, it leads to root damage and more decline. At some point they won’t come back.
Happy watering — if it’s needed!