HOW TO WATER WISE-ly

Yes, we know that you know how to water a plant. But here are some tips anyway, as we have seen some photos of pretty sorry-looking plants that could have benefitted from better watering practices.

Remember that it's all about the roots! Your plants need water at the root level (which is why watering on top of plants is often ineffective and may damage leaves or increase fungal pressure). And roots are deep, so you want to provide enough water to reach the roots. But roots also need oxygen, so make sure that your soil drains well.

Here are some tips to make your watering more effective. Come on in for our more complete free handout on watering.

• Watering deeply less often is better than watering shallow more often. After you water, use a moisture tester or put your finger in the soil and see how far down the water went. If it's not reaching the roots, you need to water more.
• When it rains, remember that the amount of water actually reaching the plant roots might be insufficient, so don't assume that a little rain is an excuse not to water.

• Watering in the early morning or evening minimizes evaporation, but be more careful if you water in the evening, as the lack of evaporation could also increase disease pressure.
• Try mulching around your plant beds to slow down evaporation.
• Very dry soil may need repeated watering to get the soil to absorb water. If you water an area and the water simply runs off, it's not reaching the roots. Also root-bound plants may be hard to penetrate with water, so they may need repeated waterings.
• Try a soaker hose or invest in drip irrigation. Not only do these water regularly, they water slowly, which prevents runoff and ensures that water will reach roots.
• Remember that drought tolerant plants need water too, just not as often. Also, drought tolerant plants must be established to be drought tolerant (sorry), so they will need to be watered much like other plants for the first few years.