Watering Tips for Healthy Garden Plant Growth
Water is essential for healthy growing plants and a regular supply of water is just essential as good soil and sunlight. Plants receiving the proper water that they need, whether it is gathered from nature or irrigation will respond with strong growth and provide multiple blooming cycles. At first it's not always easy to know exactly the amount of water and when plants will require water, as a lot of things must be taken into account such as the soil conditions and type of weather.
Some of the garden plants may have a consistency of up to 90% water, which is moving around the plant constantly and then exiting from the leaves pores (Process that is called transpiration). For most of the plants summer is the most active and rapid growth. To keep your plants growing healthy they will need plenty of light and food with plenty amount of water. Hot weather can put a heavy strain on your plants and they may need watering twice each day to help keep them from wilting.
Regularly check on the soils moisture
As the annual raining times and dry pattern cycles are unpredictable, you should regularly check on the soils moisture content of the soil and do your watering accordingly. On a basic average watering lawns, vegetable gardens, and flower beds with 2.5-4.0 cm (1-1.5 in) of water each time you water and about once a week. Learn to adjust your scheduling times depending on the dry time or possibly above average rainfall. Young seedlings and newly transplanted trees and shrubs will need the extra watering until established.
Underneath the eves of the house are typically high dry areas and will require the extra watering if you want plants to grow in that area. Even though in times of high rainfall it is surprising how inadequate the water that is reaching the ground may be. Use a small container in an open area where your plants are, this will provide you with a measurement of the actual amount of rain and if you need to do any additional watering.
Watering Your Plants Properly
Whenever you do water make it a habit to water deeply. Garden plants that are growing actively tend to need about an inch of water per week, not as much concerned in the winter as plants are dormant. The best approach to use to provide the right amount of water for your plants is to use an automatic watering sprinkler by gently letting it rain on your plants for an extended period of time.
Timing can be set up by using an empty can allowing it to collect the irrigation water and see how long it takes for your sprinkler to provide an inch of water. Half-hour intervals are a good time to check to see how deeply the water has penetrated. Stop watering when you find that the soil is moist and to about a 2 inch soil depth.
Testing your soil for moisture will indicate when you need to water again. The trouble with using a sprinkler water system is that the foilage on your plants become wet, this creates a really good environment for spreading fungus and diseases. If you're watering also includes flower clusters the water may become heavy and likely to bend and break the plants.
Quick Watering tips:
- Watering earlier in the morning so leaves that are wet will dry off before the sun becomes too hot, or water in the early evening so there is less water evaporation and more will reach the plants roots.
- Avoid watering in the hottest part of the day, watering plants in the sun will allow droplets that are on the leaves to act like magnifying glasses which will cause leaf burn.
- Try not to get water on your leaves especially in the evening after it gets dark as wet leaves are more prone for diseases and fungus. Also is a good habitat for slugs.
- Run the water slowly so that it is allowed to penetrate deeply into the plants roots. This will provide a much healthier drought tolerant plant. If you plan to water thoroughly but less often give them a light watering now and then.
- Try not to use sprinkler systems when it is windy. The wind will blow water droplets away from where the plant is. Wind also increases your water loss through evaporation.
- Newly planted plants need to have a lot or water to start root stimulation this includes trees, shrubs, young seedlings and potted plants. Water them frequently until root systems have developed.
- Mulch the plants or use soil additives such as bark, compost which helps reduce evaporation and minimize the amount of water that you may need to do.
How to Save an Overwatered Plant
First you have to take the plant and remove it from the pot very carefully and allow the whole thing to dry out, placed in a dish. You then want to cut off any moldy, mushy, or bits of roots that you can see small blackened bits. When the plant is on the dish do not put it in the sunshine.
Cover the plants roots with either an open sheet of newspaper or a clean cloth, so as to keep the roots from being exposed to light. When the soil has dried out enough and feels damp but not wet, you can put the plant back into its pot and add some new fresh growing mix.
When to Water and How Much Water
The easiest way to know when to water and how much is to test your plants soil to see whether it needs water.Poke your finger several inches into the soil to check whether it is dry or moist. Don't trust a visual test of the soil.Soil moisture reading tools are also available to provide you with an exact reading of the moisture level.
Wilting of the leaves is a sign after damage has begun from drought, and the soil's surface may appear dry but it has plenty of moisture underneath. It is very essential that you water your new plants for the first season after planting especially when natural rainfall does not supply enough.
Signs That Your not Watering Enough:
- Leaves are shriveled, Brown, or they have dried edges.
- The complete plant, or different parts of the plant are drooping.
- Leaves or flowers that are falling off too soon.
- Soil that is dried out and dusty, baked hard surface, cracks on the surface that is opened up. Soil that is blowing out, or if you see that the sides are pulling away in the pots.
The new root system on the new plants will need the extra care so that they can re-establish themselves in their new planted location. Into the second season, most perennial plants are strong enough to sustain themselves without the extra watering, unless there is a long duration of dry spells. Annual flowers are a little different and may require frequent watering.
The surface of the soil tends to dry out first and with the annual plants their root systems don't extend as far down as a lot of perennial plants. To help prevent excessive evaporation and help retain moisture in the soil mulching the plant bed with extra organic soil matter is a good practice.
Plants Most at Risk with Poor Watering
Usually the rule of thumb is the sappier the plant and the more delicate and softer its growth is usually an indication of the more vulnerability that it has to suffer from drought or even overwatering. Bedding plants, will rapidly wilt when confronted with dry conditions.
Young plants are especially at risk, because their root system is not established well enough and is not penetrated far enough into the soil. If you have newly planted vegetables, shrubs, or trees these also are vulnerable. If you have plants that are growing near mature trees, or beside a house wall or landscaping wall in the dry soil, these plants should be checked regularly for moisture loss.
How to Cut down on Watering Plants
Starting with a water saving garden design and knowing the best time to water the plants will benefit your plants in a strong healthy growth and root system by not losing out on evaporation or poor drainage. It all starts in the planning of your Xeriscape Gardening, flower bed, landscape design. 
Tips on Minimizing Water Usage for Healthy Plants:
- Grow plants in large containers. Planters that are bigger tend to dry out slower.
- Don't use clay pots. Plastic or the resin type of pots hold water longer.
- Place plants in groups together in areas that aren't windy.
- Don't use hanging baskets. Hanging baskets overheat and fry out quickly(especially when the pots are lined with moss as there is no moisture retention).
- Use growing mix that is made up of moisture retaining perlite or vermiculite, this will help retain the moisture level in the soil.
- Use landscape cloth or old newspaper at bottom of pots then add soil, help stop water from draining away too quickly.
- Put mulch on top of the soil in all of your containers, this will help the soil retain moisture.
- Stay away from plants that need high moisture and have labels that read (needs a moist location).
- Water when it's cooler out not in the heat of the day.
- Try to use native plants in the growing area/zone.
- Use rainwater collecting methods, rain barrels, rain collection tanks.
How to revive dried out plants
Fill the kitchen sink and take your entire plant put it in. Make sure there is at least an inch of water that is over the top of the container. Watch for bubbles and leave the plant immersed until you have seen that the bubbles have stopped coming to the surface. Remove the plant out of the water and put it somewhere out of the sun for a few days.
Plant pots too big for the sink or too heavy to lift? Use your garden hose to soak them thoroughly so that they are really saturated. This may take up to 10 min. or more. If watering on a balcony be careful of the poor people below you.
Benefits of Deep Root Watering
Deep root watering allows you to saturate the root system of a plant and making sure that it has a right amount of water supply that it needs to thrive and stay strong and healthy. Typically deep watering a plant consists of saturating the soil below the surface at least 8 to 9 inches in depth for the best benefits.
If plants are watered infrequently but heavy deep root watering, this is where they will thrive and develop large root networks that are deep and strong. Watering in frequent intervals (shallow watering) tends to cause plants that will grow shallow root systems that are just below the soil surface, causing the plants that will typically have poor anchoring.
The shallow root system subjects plants to falling over with heavy rain and wind. Because of the poor root system the plants are prone to wilting unless daily watering is achieved.
Deep Root Watering Benefits:
- Good deep watering for plant roots.
- Stronger and healthier plant roots.
- Plants will not dry out.
- Will survive longer in dryer times.
- Helps conserve water with no evaporation or run off.
- Faster water absorption for plant roots.
- Less stress on plant from under watering.
- Faster nutrient absorption directly to roots.
Therefore, the benefits of deep watering your plants with a slow, deep soak watering will provide you with a stronger and healthier plants root system. Best time to water is during the cooler part of the day to allow the water to penetrate to the root system and not evaporate. Trees and shrubs will greatly benefit from deep irrigation techniques by using drip watering stakes or deep root watering tubes which are inserted into the ground down into the root system allowing you to add water, fertilizer nutrients and also provides oxygen which goes directly below the surface for a good deep irrigation solution.
Watering with a soaker hose
One of the best ways that you will find for watering plants is to use a soaker hose on a timer. With this type of watering you can snake the soaker hose through your beds, hidden with a layer of mulch that is lightly spread over the soil. This watering system can last the whole duration of your growing season providing deep watering in landscape beds.
The function of the soaker hose is that water slowly oozes from hundreds of many tiny holes in the holes itself which can last over several hours, even overnight watering. This system allows water to soak directly onto the soil and allowing it to absorb deep down into the plant roots without wasting any water or damaging the plants.
Soaker hose watering advantages:
- Can be hidden by layer of mulch for concealment appearances .
- Can be used for complete duration of growing season.
- Soaks directly on soil and down to plants roots evenly.
- Garden hose quick connector can be used for speedy attachment.
- Allows for even watering through season keeping soil moist.
- Healthier plants with no root rot.
- Minimize against plant diseases and fungus.
Having a soaker hose already installed inside your flower beds allows you to use a quick connector on the soaker hose providing you a speedy attachment to your garden hose every time watering is needed in the plants. After the soil is well soaked, the garden hose is disconnected easily which can then be stored out of the way until watering is needed again. You can also hook up the soaker hose to a water timer so that you will never forget to water your plants and give you more time to enjoy your garden.
Drip Irrigation Watering Systems
Drip irrigation is another option for a slow soaking water system to provide you with a good alternative if there is large plant beds to be irrigated or gardens that may be in climates where irrigation is needed regularly for cultivated plants to grow. Once the drip irrigation system has been placed out, it is a permanent system that can be used year after year.
If you live in a climate area that will freeze during the winter months, the irrigation system should be drained and blown out for the winter season. Drip irrigation watering works well in areas that have little natural rainfall. The system can be run by a timer which is a great alternative for a carefree watering method. Suitable for complete flower beds, plants that are individually spaced and container gardening.
Drip irrigation benefits:
- System can be designed to fit your landscaping design.
- Water system can be changed for different watering needs.
- Provides deep watering for plant roots.
- Good for large plant beds or potted plants.
- Good for low rainfall areas.
- Reduces fungus and diseases on plants.
- Can be placed on a timer.
- Can be a permanent drip watering system design.
This is a deep watering that will allow slow penetration directly to each plants root system. Tiny tubes or sprinklers provide water to single plants or if you have plants in groups. This is the best way to conserve and get the most out of your water as there is no waste do to run off and evaporation. Deep watering encourages the plants to have stronger and deeper roots which allows them to be more drought tolerant.
With the drip system the foilage on your plants will stay dry, this reduces things like fungus and diseases from starting and spreading. Drip irrigation lowers the uses of pesticides, since damp leaves typically will attract some pests. Not all drip water system lines need to be buried, this gives you the benefit that you can move the water lines around easily and adapt your water system to new ideas and changes that you may make your in garden design. The pipe watering system allows you to add new lines, remove old water lines or even to plug up the ends of feeder lines that you are no longer using.
Plants with Water Dams
Water dams are great for new plants or if you're transplanting plants as this is a great starting point for healthy root growth. As you are adding the plants into the garden, build a little ring of soil that goes around the plant and encircles it.
This is where rain and the water irrigation system will collect rather than immediately run off. This will allow the water that was collected time to soak in and around the roots of the plant. If you have flower beds that are level this is not a strategy that you need to do.
If you're planting on a slope, then the water dams will help the plants dramatically by holding the water. After awhile these small dams will disappear and at this point they are not necessary to rebuild as the plant has become rooted and is now ready for regular irrigation.
Bubbler Wands for Watering Individual Plants
Bubbler wands are great if you are not trying to water the entire flower bed but only want to water a few individual plants. A bubbler wand is easily connected to your garden hose. This type of water attachment will break the pressure of the water as it is exiting the hose, allowing a soft rain slow watering with minimal water runoff and not push the soil causing soil erosion.
The wand allows you to target underneath the plant and right at the root zone. Leaves and flowers will be Dry as they are not given water directly on them,this stops from wet foilage that will promote the spread of mildew.
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