Watering Garden: 23 Tips To Water Your Garden Efficiently

How And When To Water Garden?

Many people struggle in deciding how much you need to water your plants or how often you need to water your plants. If your plant’s head is hanging in summer or you gave too much water in spring, is it good to water from the top or below, read on to know many helpful facts that you can adapt to water your plants?

Deep and watering 2 inches of soil from the top is an effective way of watering the garden. If you give less watering or more frequent watering will only result in low root growth. Water your garden in the late afternoon or early in the morning when the sun starts to come up so that water is not evaporated and less affected by fungus diseases.

In many sources like blogs or videos, I studied that we need to water the garden very early in the morning or late evening, if we do this we save from water evaporation but our plants may suffer from fungus disease or other diseases. What I learned from this is watering plants in the late afternoon or early in the morning when the sun is about to come up so that water is not evaporated and less affected by fungus or another disease.

Here are the tips that I follow to water my garden efficiently and effectively:

Tips To How and When To Water Garden

1. Watering Time

Watering time really matters, the best watering time for the garden is morning just before sunrise or post afternoon. This will help in 2 ways:
a) Water evaporation: If you water in the noon, mostly your water will get evaporated and less water will be absorbed by the plant.
b) Diseases: If you water in the evening when the sun is not there, then there must be more chances that your plant may get fungus diseases, scale.
To prevent this from water the garden in the morning just before sunrise or post afternoon.

2. Sufficient Water or Water Quantity

To give the plant sufficient water we need to water the plant at least the top 2 inches of the soil is wet, where roots are there and this helps the plant to absorb the water well. Watering in good quantity matters, even if you water less frequently it’s fine.

Don’t water the plants more frequently with less quantity of water, in this case, most of the water doesn’t reach roots or gets evaporated by the sun.

3. Keeping Soil Evenly moist

Most plants like even moisture, plants also like drying before you water again. Even moisture means all roots can absorb water, enough water can be absorbed by the plant.

Keep even moisture it doesn’t mean over-watering or water clogging, these things plants don’t like and even plant roots can be start rot or many diseases may come.

4. Water less frequently, more thoroughly

For the flower bet weekly twice watering is enough but we need to provide enough quantity that is 2 inches from the top of the soil should get water to absorb water by roots.

Keeping evenly moist the soil and giving enough water (not under-watered) helps the plant to grow well. Give plants plenty of water other than giving them in small quantities more frequently (most of the water will be evaporated).

5. Keep plant leaves dry to stay away from diseases

Wet leaves always be a problem, It will make way for more disease, it invites pests, scale to spoil plant, So always when you are watering don’t make leaves wet. If you make it wet also, wipe it off or allow it to quickly dry through the sun (if there is sun).

If you keep leaves overnight wet then leaf mold disease may result, if you keep it wet under the sun it may result in a burning effect on water droplets.

6. Watering Place

Don’t water on leaves, keep plant leaves dry to stay away from diseases. Water plant at the main stem or main branch or to the soil, so that it won’t affect the plant. But make sure it reaches the roots of the plant for better growth and survivability.

7. Divide Large quantity of watering water to smaller parts

Water needs time to be absorbed by the soil, so before it flows away unused better give them in smaller parts so it will help the plant to get its full water and water wastage will not happen.

Water the garden with the target but distribute in parts to absorb better.

8. Water Garden in such a way you save water.

Water is a natural resource we need to save it, so give water in smaller parts to plant so that it will get absorbed by soil and then plant before it gets next smaller part.

Water in good time early morning or in the evening so that evaporation of water will be less.

9. Avoid water logging

This is basically overwatering or waterlogging this is surely dangerous for the plants why because roots of the plant cannot breathe due to clogged water. (roots cells drowns without getting oxygen)

So, Always avoid overwatering the garden plants.

10. Use clay rich soil which hold water

Plant soil-rich clay has better expanding capabilities which hold a good amount of water. in the soil in an even way, In summer or winter just make sure it has a drainage hole in the pot, to remove excess water

11. Don’t use broadcast sprinklers

In broadcast sprinklers, it wet the plant leaves, which affects the risk of fungal diseases. Broadcast sprinklers are simply inefficient, In summer or winter days most of the water is evaporated before reaching the plant itself, and less water is reached to the plant.

12. Don’t water container plants with jetspray nozzle

Pressurized water is not only good for washing the sidewalk, if you direct that to the soil, soil also washes away. It also disturbs the soil around the roots of the container. If you don’t have a watering wand, just remove the nozzle from the garden hose and hook the hose to the pot and let the water run slowly.

13. Check moisture level

Garden plants or potted plants dried out if there is not enough moisture, on the other side they don’t even like to sit on wet feet, if they are wetter then the roots of the plants won’t be able to get oxygen to breathe.

On a hot or windy day, the soil looks dry but inside the bottom of the pot, it is still wet. so we need to check if the soil is wet, and don’t overwater the plant. To test this put the wooden small stick to the soil for few inches and check it sticks or comes out easily and can easily the moisture of the soil. This trick I always use to water my plants regularly.

14. Don’t rely on rain

Don’t always rely on rain, For most of the plants sufficient if they get water at least 1 inch of water moisture to plant. But sometimes rain won’t able to provide that much water to plant.

To overcome this you can use a rain gauge in the garden to find out how much it rained and water if it is required. In this way, you can make use of rainwater to water your plants.

15. Don’t use purified / softened water for watering plants

purified water takes out many minerals like sodium etc which is required by the plants, over time this will negatively affect the quality of the soil. In some of the houses water softeners are used for inside taps, so use outside taps to water the plants to increase the level of sodium-like minerals.

16. Water according to season (winter or summer)

During the winter season days are shorter and plants receive less sunlight so most of the plants go into winter dormacy so you need to adjust the watering, plants thrive less in this season.

During summer days are longer and plants receive more sun and they thrive more, they need more water than winter or spring season. Due to photosynthesis (more sun) the growth of plants is more and hence required more water to survive and grow well.

17. Use Wicking method to water while you are away

The healthiest plants also suffer you are away for more than a week (vacation) , so you need to use the wicking method to water the plants while you are away.

The Wicking method is so easy you keep a big jar of water next to the plant and connect through cotton fabric this acts as a transfer of water from jar to pot. This is one old and easy to water plant without flooding it while you are away.

18. Don’t Over water

Overwatering is one of the major problems in household plants because usually inside plants will get less sun and if you overwater it leads to root rot and roots cannot breathe the oxygen.

This also leads to fungus diseases droopy stem, wilting leaves, whitish coating on leaves all these are related to over water problem.

Use a moisture gauge to check the moisture and water accordingly.

19. Don’t put plant in pot that don’t have drainage holes

If you put the plant in a pot that doesn’t have a drainage hole, when you water it, it won’t have an option for water to flow through the pot. Making the water clog or stand in the bottom.

This again leads to root rot and funds diseases to plant so always check for good drainage holes before watering for the first time.

20. Don’t use potting mix that is over water-retentive

choose the potting mix that has easily drainable otherwise if it is over water-retentive then again for some plants it leads to root rot and funds disease.

To overcome this use well drainable good soil for planting plants.

21. Choose proper soil

There are many kinds of soil available in the market or outside choose the one that is well drainable soil and has a good ph level.

If possible use 50 % good quality cocopeat mix to plant for better drainage and for an easy sprout of the plants. Cocopeat provides good oxygen for plants and retains moisture in the soil.

22. Use watering can for indoor plants

Using water can help to water the plant exactly at the base of the plant, this will also help in water spillage. if you are watering overhead plants this is very helpful otherwise it will be very difficult to water the plant.

23. Use mulching to reduce watering cycle

There are many kinds of mulching available, mulching paper, some people also use weeds for mulching.

Mulching helps in reducing evaporating water, and protection from the sun, to reduce the growth of weeds.

FAQ:

Watering garden twice a day

In the summer days, we need to water twice a day because there will be more heat and plants will grow better if we water it twice a day. Better time is early morning and late evening for the better results.

When is the best time to water plants in hot weather

In the summer days, we need to water twice a day because there will be more heat and plants will grow better if we water it twice a day. Better time is early morning and late evening for the better results.

How often should a garden be watered?

It really depends on which weather, if you are in summer, water it twice a day in the early morning or evening for better results. If you are in the winter season then watering weekly once will be enough. When you water thoroughly at least 2 inches of topsoil should be wet.

Can a garden be overwatered?

Garden can be overwatered, if it so then plants roots may not able to breathe and it leads to many diseases like fungus, scale, etc. plant leaves will wilt, the stem will be bent and leaves colors also may be changed to yellow if it is overwatered.

Final Thoughts:

These are the tips I normally use to water my plants in the garden. Let me know in the comments how do you find these tips are they useful?