Most of the time your garden can withstand short periods of drought, but sometimes rains just don't come when they are needed.  If you see your plants looking slightly wilted during the day, you might want to give them some additional water if rain is not expected. Below are some tips on when and how to water correctly.

Watering container plants

Container plants in your yard or on the porch will need watered almost daily in hot, dry weather. Some may be hanging in areas that receive little or no rain. Container plants that don't do well can often be traced back to not getting enough water. Think of the money you have invested in your plants. It's well worth the effort to take care of them properly.

As long as the pot has drainage holes in the bottom, your risk of over watering is pretty well impossible. Most people, especially if they are watering with a hose, run the risk of just soaking the top couple of inches in the pots. This will not sustain your plants. They should be soaked clear to the bottom.

One trick that may help is to use a two-liter pop bottle and put a couple of holes in the bottom. Fill them with water and set down amongst the container plants and let the water drip out slowly enough that the plant and soil can absorb it all.

Just make sure you water more than the top couple of inches. If you can use rain water collected in a barrel that would be good, (make sure it has a tight fitting lid to prevent mosquito infestations) but water from the well or faucet will work too.

Watering in the Garden

Mulching your plants will go a long way in keeping your garden from drying out, but sometimes throughout the hot, dry months of July and August your plants may need a bit extra. Again the best way to water is only when plants need the moisture and you notice them starting to droop a bit in the heat of the day.

If you water in the evening, use a soaker hose, again, watering until the soil is soaked 12 inches. For heavy soils this will be about 3/4 to 1 inch of water.  If you use overhead sprinklers, make sure you water in the morning so your plants can dry before evening. Staying wet all night can encourage disease. 

You must be sure to soak the soil surface thoroughly. If you just water until the soil looks wet on the top, your plants may develop shallow roots and be more likely to suffer during droughts.

Adding compost to your garden each year will help hold the moisture so very little water will be needed. Check out the mulching article on this website for suggestions and tips on how to mulch.

When You Can't Water

If you don't have time to water your garden, perhaps you can choose plants that are more tolerant of dry conditions. Again, mulching will help too.

You can also make an inexpensive irrigation system using rubber soaking hoses cut to fit the contours of the garden. Then you can simply fasten a hose to the system and soak the garden when needed.

There are some flower pots and containers that have a self-contained water system to help sustain your plants through dry weather. You can also use milk jugs or buckets with small holes in the bottom. Set them around you plants and fill with water if you are going to be gone for a few days. Or, you can place you pots in a shallow container that is filled with water so they can draw up what they need when you are gone.

You can always have a neighbor check on your plants so when you return they are as crisp and fresh as the day you left.

Watering Efficiently

The bottom line is that often overhead sprinklers and watering with a garden hose over the top of plants is a water waster. Some water evaporates into the air and often hits areas that don't need watering such as a sidewalk or driveway. It is best to invest in a soaker hose, which are not expensive.

Use a rain gauge if you do use an overhead system to check the amount of water the soil receives.

Replace large stretches of lawn with ground covers so you do not have to water as often.

And again, make sure you water the ground until it is soaked so your plants develop deep roots. This way they will take less water.

And, finally, don't water gardens and lawns until it becomes necessary. Most of the time they will do quite well on the rains nature provides.

Happy Gardening!

The Clean and Green Team