One of the more time-consuming tasks in gardening can be watering, especially during the summer season. Making sure your plants have enough water ensures that your plants are always growing and looking beautiful.
Here are a couple of signs to look out for if you need to water your plants more:
Plants are wilting or wilted.
Haven’t grown as expected. Maybe less fruit or flowers have bloomed.
The leaves and stems appear darker or duller than usual.
Showing signs of powdery mildew.
Pots are blowing over.
If the top layer of soil or compost is dry, it does not necessarily indicate that the plant requires water. The root tips require water; thus surface wetness is not always a reliable signal. Instead of only feeling the top layer of compost or soil to determine whether it is wet, press your finger down to at least knuckle depth into the material.
Try to water in the early morning or cool of the evening to reduce water loss due to evaporation.
How to water
Only the roots of plants, which draw moisture from the surrounding soil or compost, are capable of efficiently utilising water. Water, therefore, has to reach the tip of the roots, not the foliage, where it is most required. Foliage that is wet or damp will promote fungus growth.
It is easier to reach the deeper root tips by giving your plants more thorough but less regular watering. To maintain consistent soil moisture levels and prevent the soil from becoming permanently dry, it is preferable to water the garden before a drought actually begins. However, it's also crucial to note that soil moisture levels don't need to be extremely high all the time for plant roots to develop healthily.
It may be necessary to water plants more frequently when their roots are constrained, such as in containers or growing near a wall or fence post because they are drawing water from less soil.
It is useless to try to solve a drought problem by lightly watering an entire area after it has begun. Light watering may favour surface roots over deep ones, leaving plants more vulnerable to drought. Instead, give the plants that are in need of water a single thorough misting.
It is pretty challenging to efficiently water in areas with poor drainage. It is preferable to increase drainage or select plants that are suitable for the environment, such as those that can grow in both wet and dry situations. In particular, when the soil is heated in the summer, roots are particularly vulnerable to a lack of air.
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