Watering Is A Bit Of An Art

Watering is a bit of an art. I’m sure we’ve all learned the hard way plenty of times. Keeping your garden looking great is definitely a challenge right now so I thought I’d offer some tips that I’ve learned from various gardeners.

Firstly, think of the roots as little water sensors that move to wherever the water is. Down or up.

The goal is for the roots to grow deep into the ground so that they can withstand hot, dry periods more readily.

Best to water very deeply so roots go downward. Shallow watering encourages the roots to grow upward towards the water on the top and leads to plants drying out quickly.

Better to water very deeply every couple of days vs. a little water every day. It’s OK if the mulch on top dries out as long as the dirt deeper in the ground moist. Same goes for growing more resilient grass. Watering daily isn’t always the best.

If it’s been dry and when you start watering you see water pooling on top it does not mean that you lucked out. It means that it’s super dry. You’ll need to let that water soak in while you move along watering other parts of the garden “breaking the seal” of dryness. Then, go back and water again (and maybe again) until the water is soaking into the ground quickly. Once the water is going down easily it means your soil is doing better.

If it’s a quick rain it doesn’t count.

Watering leaves doesn’t really matter much. It’s the roots that count.

If it might “rain tomorrow” water on your watering day and don’t wait to water otherwise you’ll risk dehydrating the plants. If it actually does “rain tomorrow” you are in luck because the new rain will go more deeply into the ground encouraging deep roots.

If you notice leaves looking droopy it’s time to pull out the hose and water deeply. Many times I’ll water deeply down the row of plants, then go back over and water deeply again. Then sometimes once more.

I hope you find this helpful. And, please do your rain dance… We can sure use it here in New England.