The Best Time to Water Your Plants

Drive around your neighbors on a hot summer day and you’ll see many ways to water your plants. Some homeowners turn on the hose at the end of the workday, while others set the automatic sprinklers to turn on for 15 minutes at dawn each day. Others believe that the plants drink water whenever the children decide to play in the water sprinklers. However, regular irrigation makes the plants healthier, and it can also save money on water bills.

How to Water Plants in Summer

Watering plants in the summer is an art. Too little or too much water is not good for the garden. Experienced gardeners follow this rule of thumb: water deeply, less, not too little, too often.

Use tools such as seedbed soaking hoses and container watering cans to water evenly to provide consistent moisture to the plants. Allowing the soil to dry slightly before watering can promote growth. Careful fertilization must also be taken during periods of high temperatures so as not to burn the plants.

Tip: Keep an eye on the water immersion hoses to make sure they are in good working order. Degraded hoses create small fountains that flood parts of the garden while drying out others.

When to Water the Plants During the Day

Early in the morning, it’s best to use an overhead device such as a sprinkler or rain stick to supply water. Watering at this time of day will allow the leaves to dry out quickly, which inhibits the growth of fungal spores. But if you don’t have time in the morning, watering at night is also perfectly acceptable. At night, take care to water directly to the roots and not to the leaves. Watering on cool nights also has its benefits, as the water doesn’t evaporate as quickly and there is time to soak into the soil.

Watering Annual and Perennial Plants

Whether your plant is an annual or a perennial, try watering in the morning during a heat wave. Watering in the morning allows the roots to soak well and provide the plant with enough moisture to get through the day without adding stress. But during the hot summer months, you may need to water annuals and perennials more often.

An annual plant is a plant that completes its entire life cycle within a growing season. These include the most popular plants in the garden, such as marigolds, impatiens, and geraniums. These plants have very shallow root systems, and they are affected when the top few inches of soil dry out during the summer months. When the mercury rises, you have to water them often, even twice a day.

Perennials have a deeper root system that allows them to survive periods of drought from one season to the next. Some perennials, such as butterfly grass and false indigo, whose taproot extends several inches into the soil, actually utilize water reserves during periods when there is no rainfall. The best time to water perennials is once or twice a week, slowly and deeply, so that the water does not run off before it has time to soak into the soil.

Tip: A rain gauge can help; many plants need about an inch of water per week to thrive.

Container Factory

Containers dry faster than garden beds, so it’s best to increase watering in the summer. During a heat wave, water the container plants twice a day, once in the morning to water the plants before the sun starts to bake, and once in the evening to replenish the water lost during the day. However, the type of container can also affect the frequency of watering. For example, plastic and fiberglass pots are non-porous, which means they retain moisture well, so you need to be careful not to overwater them. On the other hand, terracotta pots are porous, breathable, and insulate the roots, but the soil will dry out quickly and require more watering.

Tip: Try using an automatic watering container. Tropical plants and some vegetables such as tomatoes grow well in these types of pots, which have cisterns inside to provide constant moisture to the plants.

Vegetable Garden

Drought in the vegetable garden can lead to flower drop, stunted vegetable growth, and even plant death. The vegetable garden needs to be deeply watered at least two to three times a week, preferably in the morning, to keep the soil moist2. Vegetables that may need extra water during a heat wave include cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, peppers, turnips, and pumpkin. These plants need consistently moist soil to produce the best crops. Use drip irrigation, or place a water-soaked hose at the bottom of the plant to avoid wetting the leaves. If you must rely on a sprinkler, water early in the morning and let the sun dry the leaves.

Trees and Shrubs

Showers do not provide trees and shrubs with enough water they need in summer. Trees and shrubs need deep watering to promote a healthy root system. Sometimes, the best time to water is after a light rain to help moisture soak into the soil. The time of day when watering the plants is not as important as soaking them thoroughly.

Follow general watering guidelines for trees and shrubs:

• Mature Trees and Shrubs: For deep watering, place a hose at the root of a bush or tree and let the water run until the top 8 inches of soil are moist. Do this every few days for trees and shrubs that have grown.
• Shallow-rooted plants: Hydrangeas, dogwoods, Japanese maples, and magnolias need extra water – at least three times a week – to prevent dehydration.
• Newly planted or transplanted: Newly planted or transplanted specimens have smaller, still developing root systems that require encouragement to settle down. It takes at least two to three years to be considered established. To encourage them, water deeply twice a week. Allowing water to soak into the soil will stimulate new roots to grow deeper in the soil.

Tip: Keep watering throughout the fall to prepare your plants for healthy winter dormancy.

How to Help Withered Plants

When plants wilt due to lack of water, watering can rejuvenate them quickly. However, other factors can also contribute to wilting, including pest and disease issues, and even overwatering (which can be the case if the soil is moist and the plants are drooping). In addition, plants wilt in hot weather to conserve energy to cope with the heat, but rebound in the cooler evenings. Over time, you will learn about your plants and recognize those that cope with heat waves in this way.

Summer Watering Tips

• Plants absorb water through their roots, not their leaves, so you don’t need to waste water on leaves that look dry.
• To know how deep the water seeps into the soil, use a hard metal rod. Push it into the soil after watering and it will stop when it hits dry soil.
• Using a thin layer of mulch can help plants conserve water during the hot summer months.
• Irrigate your garden with pure rainwater by collecting runoff by setting up rain barrels near gutters and downspouts or installing rain gardens. Plants will thrive and will reduce your water bill.
• Another way to conserve water is to bury unglazed clay pots in the ground and fill them with water. This ancient method of irrigation uses low-fire containers called ollas, which allow water to continuously penetrate through the clay walls to nearby plants and trees.