Expert local gardeners would tell you that watering the plants is a little more complicated task than it seems to be. You have seen gardens where plants are always fresh and thriving, but your vegetables perform worse than you have expected? Perhaps you underestimated the importance of mastering the right watering techniques. Don’t give up on your garden, it never too late to grow healthy plants. Read on to discover which are the inappropriate water-related practices and switch to some advantageous watering routines:
- You shouldn’t misuse the sprinkler’s automatic option – the automatic function of your watering device is a setting that allows you to determine an exact hour for the sprinkler to turn on. Surely this is a cool option and it facilitates watering when you are away, but don’t get carried away with it. Instead of using that privilege every single day, water the plants by yourself and benefit from the self-control alternative only when necessary. Otherwise, likely, your garden wouldn’t get the right amount of water.
- You shouldn’t water only on the surface – unless you are planting seeds, make sure that water goes deep into the ground. It is a common mistake to believe that if you moisturise the surface every day, you take good care of your plants. Generous watering is just as important as its frequency. For plants to have powerful roots, water has to reach them deeply. In the opposite case, roots stay closer to the surface and they can dry out fast.
- You should adjust the right water stream – if you decide to use a hose for watering the garden, don’t maximise the power of the water stream. Despite the common concept that severe pressure would damage the plants, this is not the real issue. Too hard of a water stream is a plain waste of water that doesn’t reach plants’ roots and it is unnecessary for their good health. A more gentle, but steady water stream would do the job more efficiently.
- Your watering schedule is ill-timed – the problem that comes with a poor choice of watering time is the ability of water to vaporise. Don’t start with the task in the middle of the day or later in the evening, because a great amount of water would disappear before reaching the roots of your plants. The best moment to schedule watering is early in the morning when the weather is still cool. This way your plants would be supplied with the entire amount of water they need to grow strong and healthy.
- You shouldn’t overwater – the first thought of many non-pro gardeners is to feed their lovely plants as often as possible. Indeed, too much water is often as dangerous as neglecting your garden. How to determine the number of times you should deal with watering? It depends on factors like the type of soil and the kind of plants you grow. A smart approach would be for you to organise plants considering their needs. This way you will be able to supply each group with the exact amount of water it requires.
- You shouldn’t concentrate on the leaves – no doubt tiny drops of water on your plants’ leaves look nice, but that’s not the way to go. Watering only the leaves means that you don’t supply your plants with enough food. While watering, direct your efforts to the roots since they should grow strong for the plants to stay healthy.
Each first-time gardener makes watering mistakes that often result in weak plants. Do your best to avoid these common misconceptions and your garden will shelter green, healthy plants.
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