One primary rule about plants is that the only way they’re able to relieve their thirst is through their roots — well, the leaves may also absorb water sometimes, but only residually. So when we think about watering the plants properly, what matters is how well those roots are working and what we can do to make the available water satisfy them more effectively.
But how tricky is it really to get it right and avoid submitting our garden to unnecessary distress?
Water quantity
Another rule of thumb regarding the amount of water you should pour will tell you that it’s best to drench our plants only sporadically than it is to keep sprinkling baby showers over the soil every day.
This is because adding fresh water daily will cause waterlogging too often, so much that rots and certain nasty insects or other plant diseases might find their pathways into the garden facilitated.
Another picky detail fostered by too regular watering is that the root system of your plants will tend to be more fragile and not as well adapted to then resist longer dry periods.
To better explain it, roots formed in a soil whose surface is constantly moist will be more numerous but equally immature in their function (and looks, if you dig them out). This means that the plant is less apt to use the available water because you really didn’t train it to do so.
Empirically, it’s said that one should water the average plant with about an inch of water, weekly. But in truth, it’s nearly impossible to set both volume and frequency, for even if sitting indoors, plants are still exposed to a variety of conditions that differ depending on where you place them and what season it is.
You’re the one who knows of every nuance and is thus qualified to judge these conditions, deciding on the best approach.
Water quality
In terms of quality, there’s slightly less to say, for generally the water we have in either our taps, wellbores or reservatories that kept it stored since the last rains, all tend to be more than fit for use on garden plants.
In some cases when the water has a high content of minerals, like calcium carbonate or others, you might wonder if it’s still safe to freely use; and yes it is, even though it should not be consumed.
Avoid only water from polluted sources and salty one, like that which remained in the pan from the fish you cooked for lunch, as that salt stays in the ground and can seriously interfere with the roots’ intake system.
If you’re into chemical fertilizers, there’s also the possibility to add them to your watering can before you do the evening round of irrigation. Soil correctors and other remedies may be added too, according to your needs.
The timing for better watering
Concerning the watering hour, it should be done either in the evening or early in the morning. By doing it at these times, you’re preventing immediate evaporation through heat and because during the cooler hours the plants are in a better state of hydric balance.
Be careful about moistening the leaves though, after nightfall more than in the morning, as they won’t dry so easily in the absence of sun.
About the length of your watering sessions, I’ve already said but will repeat that it’s best to take longer and soak the ground fully, which means doing it slowly. This is how the water permeates to the deeper layers where the roots can still reach, all without causing superficial runoff and soil erosion.
Watering methods
In what relates to method, there are many techniques and tricks that can be employed to more properly water a garden. From the usual hose which can be adapted with nozzles that allow you to shower your plants as you well wish, there’s also the simple watering can, drip irrigation, big sprinklers and even homemade devices.
Now, if your aim is to water in a way that’s more minute because you want to wet one plant and not the others, then most of the automated tools might not serve you as well as those that are handheld.
Unless you’re aiming to wash the foliage, for it’s dusty and hence absorbing light less efficiently, remember to refrain from bathing the aerial part of the plants (i.e., stems, leaves, fruits and flowers).
As alternatives to the usual methods, you may install particular mechanisms that promote deeper watering and slower absorption, like holed pitchers that are buried into the ground and that you can refill from the top. These will make it easier to release water uniformly along the depth of your plants’ roots.
All these techniques can assure a healthier growth, freer from the usual threats that sometimes stem without a gardener being aware of what they’re doing wrong — or at least not as right as they could’ve.
Choose to delve into the subject and adopt a few of these tips. Perhaps they’ll stick to you and quickly become routine before you even start reaping the actual benefits. I am sure that your fine plants will appreciate it if you do.
Ricardo Elisiário