Watering is an essential part of every gardeners routine and although it is mostly self explanatory there are a few principals you should understand and keep in mind to ensure your garden is the best it can be.
There is no set timeframe on how often you should water your garden, in fact it is usually a mistake to think that the garden should be watered at a predefined interval. Overwatering can do just as much harm as underwatering.
The best way to judge when your garden needs watering is to simply look at your soil. While there are exceptions most herbs, vegetables and flowers like moist soil; simply check your soil and see if it is moist below the surface (check around around 5cm deep). Soil will often form a dry 'crust' so scratch back the crust and check if your soil is moist underneath. If it's moist you probably don't need to water just yet, if its almost or completely dry it's time to water.
Weather also plays a huge part in determining how often you need to water your garden so pay attention to rainfall and temperatures at the same time as studying your soil. You'll quickly learn how to predict when your garden needs watering without even checking the soil.
Early morning: The best time of day to water your garden is in the early morning. The water will soak deep into the ground reaching the deepest roots with little evaporation. Plants are more receptive to watering in the morning and will absorb more water preparing them for the heat of the day.
Day: Plants should not be watered in the middle of the day. The sun is too strong and when combined with the water can burn leaves and stems. Water will also evaporate too quickly without soaking deep in to the soil.
Late afternoon: Watering in the late afternoon is another good time if the morning is inconvenient. Make sure the sun is well past it's hottest so your plants don't get burnt.
Night: Plants should not be watered at night either. Water will be slow to evaporate and wet stems and leaves can lead to problems with fungus and disease.
A Tensiometer is a simple, but efficient, device for monitoring soil moisture. The Tensiometer reads soil water tension in the soil, which reflects the adhesion power of water to soil particles. The drier the soil, the higher is the measured tension and the plant needs more energy to uptake water. The obtained data helps the farmer to decide when and how much to irrigate.
No soil? No problem. For those who want to start a garden but don’t have a patch of dirt, the answer to their woes might be hydroponics. This technique swaps soil for nutrient rich water and it requires minimal space. It also uses 90 percent less water and grows faster than traditional methods. Despite these perks, ready-to-use hydroponic facilities are often sold at a steep price. That’s why we’re going to tell you how you can build your own system. There are a variety o
When it comes to vegetable gardening there are always speculations about watering frequency. Most gardeners ponder over the question How often to water vegetable garden in summer? In this article, we will take you through tips on how to water and manage your vegetable garden in summer. How often to water vegetable garden in summer? We should water our vegetable garden two to three times a week in the summers. And also, it is better to water vegetables in the early hours of the day or later in t
Being a new gardener is hard. There’s so much to learn — how to start seeds, how to care for your plants, how to prevent diseases…the list goes on. But would you believe me if I told you that one of the most common mistakes that new gardeners make is one of the simplest to fix? Understanding the best time to water your garden is crucial to growing healthy, luscious plants. This article will give you an overview of when to water a garden, but more importantly will explain the why. O