{"id":11188,"date":"2020-10-09T13:51:59","date_gmt":"2020-10-09T03:51:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardens.theownerbuildernetwork.co\/?p=11188"},"modified":"2025-10-30T21:08:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T11:08:42","slug":"the-right-way-to-water-your-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/2020\/10\/09\/the-right-way-to-water-your-plants\/","title":{"rendered":"The Right Way to Water Your Plants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gardeners\u2019 watering habits differ as widely as their gardens. Some get so caught up in their daily routines that their poor plants wither before they get water. Other gardeners pamper their plants by drowning them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With\neither extreme, you stress your plants. Weakened plants produce fewer blooms\nand lower yields. They are also the first to fall to bugs and diseases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Gardeners\u2019
Gardeners\u2019 watering habits differ as widely as their gardens. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Proper\nWatering<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While\nwatering your garden might seem a simple enough task, proper watering requires\na bit of know-how and method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\nare a few pointers on watering your garden the correct way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water\nselectively.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You should only water if your plants really need it. Dig a small hole with a trowel – or just put your hand into the soil – to check for soil moisture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it feels moist to a depth of 6 to 12 inches, you’re in good shape. If it’s dry, then you need to water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dig
Dig a small hole with a trowel – or just put your hand into the soil – to check for soil moisture. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Focus\non the roots.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When\nwatering by hand, aim at the base of plants where water is needed. Remember\nthat it’s the roots that need access to water, not the leaves. Wetting the\nfoliage is a waste of water and encourages the spread of disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Remember
Remember that it’s the roots that need access to water, not the leaves. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Time\nyour watering.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Water\nearly in the morning. This will permit crops time to absorb the moisture before\nit evaporates in the heat of the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watering\nin the morning also allows any water on the foliage time to dry before\nnightfall. This minimizes problems with slugs and fungal diseases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Water
Water early in the morning. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Water\ndeeply and thoroughly.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Thoroughly\nsoaking the soil with infrequent watering is better than shallow regular\nwatering. Deep soaking encourages plant roots to reach into the soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shallow watering, on the other hand, draws roots close to the surface. This makes plants susceptible to the problems brought on by drought<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Thoroughly
Thoroughly soaking the soil with infrequent watering is better than shallow regular watering. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Choose\nyour pots.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Clay\npots, such as those made from terracotta, suck moisture out of the potting soil\nbecause they are porous. Metal pots heat up quickly, which speeds up\nevaporation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose\nplastic or glazed pots instead. You can always mask ugly pots within a more\ndecorative metal or terracotta outer pot if need be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Choose
Choose plastic or glazed pots. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mulch\nregularly.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You should mulch regularly. You can use landscape fabrics or pebbles and stones for pots, but the best mulch is made from well-rotted, organic matter like compost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can apply a 2-inch thick layer of organic mulch to moist the soil. Remember to keep mulches topped up throughout the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The best mulch is made from well-rotted, organic matter like compost. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Use\nthe right tools and methods.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For\nefficient watering at the root zone, use a soaker hose or a more precise drip\nirrigation system with a timer instead of a sprinkler. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to spend less money, try burying plastic pots with the bottoms cut off next to thirsty plants such as squash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you pour water into the pot, it will reach the roots instead of running off the soil surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Choosing\nPlants that Suit Your Watering Habits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some\nexperts suggest identifying your watering personality and choosing plants that\nfit your watering habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Determine if you tend to water too little or if you are the kind that frequently overwaters your garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you have that figured out, you can choose plants that thrive according to the type of care you are able to provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watering doesn\u2019t have to be an exact science. But proper watering can ensure you a healthier garden that rewards you with bigger blooms and a better harvest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Watering doesn\u2019t have to be an exact science. But proper watering can ensure you a healthier garden that rewards you with bigger blooms and a better harvest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14961,"featured_media":11198,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Learn the proper watering techniques that lead to bigger blooms and bountiful harvests. Simple tips for a thriving, healthier garden.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sma_last_campaign_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[182],"tags":[291,328],"class_list":["post-11188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-and-tricks","tag-water-conservation","tag-watering-your-garden"],"modified_by":"Freddie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14961"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11188\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}