The 8 Tips for Watering Plants During the Hot Weather

In the middle of summer when it's hot enough outside to fry eggs on your garden path, can you imagine what the sun is doing to the roots of your plants? It's time to ramp up the watering. Because it's not surprising, but watering has its own rules! bubgo will discuss in this article how to watering plants properly in the summer.

There are no easy answers: how much to water your plants and how to water them, especially in the heat. Hot weather water needs vary from plant to plant, and even from place to place, depending on the temperature and soil type in your garden. If your plants are growing in pots and containers, this is another issue. Fortunately, plants let us know what they need to drink right now.

There are not so many rules for summer watering of adult plants, only 8, but they must be strictly followed and you and your garden will be happy.

1. Avoid frequent shallow watering

They result in the formation of a superficial root system of the plant, which is unable to extract water from the depths. As a result, planting requires more watering, so the soil is compacted (it must be loosened more often), nutrients are washed away (more follow-up fertilizers are needed), and weed growth increases. With proper watering, the water should soak the soil to the depth of the roots. For example, 6-10 inches (15-25 cm) for annuals and at least 23-27 inches (60-70 cm) for peonies.

Rare but thorough watering stimulates the formation of a deeper root system and increases the plant's resistance to drought.

An exception to this rule is tuberous crops (carrots, radishes, beets, etc.). They are watered frequently and do not let the soil dry out, otherwise, the tuberous crops will thicken and crack. There is no doubt that you need to water more frequently when growing plants in dry, hot weather, on light, sandy soil, or in containers. If the summer is cool, the soil is heavy and clay - less common.

2. Watering in several steps

Let the water soak in and return to the same place again - this way the water will penetrate deeply without overflowing. Try watering under the roots so that the water does not fall on the leaves. This is especially true for plants that are susceptible to fungal diseases. Watering in the evening with water on the leaves will inevitably lead to outbreaks of spot disease, downy mildew, and other fungal diseases.

3. Watering in the morning

Water in the morning (before 9 am) or in the evening (5-8 am), only rare plants will suffer from watering with cold water (cucumbers) or sunlight focused through water droplets on the leaves. Of course, evening or night watering is desirable when evaporation is low.

Avoid watering during the day, especially in hot weather - the huge difference between air and water temperatures can cause a physiological shock to the plant (if the water also gets on the leaves). A paradox emerges you water, and the plant wilts before your eyes.

4. Maintain soil moisture after watering

Loosening is called "dry irrigation": due to the destruction of capillaries, the water rises from the lower layers of the soil, thus reducing evaporation. You can loosen it the day after watering, to a depth of no more than 2 inches (5 cm).

It is also good to use mulch for this purpose. As mulch, harvested grass, wood chips, or bark. The thickness of the mulch should be at least 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm).

5. It is better to underfill slightly than to overfill

Too much water displaces oxygen in the soil and starts the production of anaerobic bacteria, which can lead to root rot. For example, when over-watering in raspberries, the berries become watery and tasteless. But you don't need to wait until the plant's leaves wilt - this has a bad effect on flowering and fruiting.

6. Use warm water whenever possible

This is especially important for heat-loving plants with shallow root systems (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants). If warm water is not available, cold water must be poured into a stream and only in the afternoon on the soil around the plant (but not on the leaves and not near the root neck). As the water passes through the warm soil, it warms up.

People think that rain is most useful for irrigation. However, this is not true, as modern ecology leaves much to be desired.

Rainwater cannot be used for irrigation if it has not rained for a long time or if a peat bog is burning: harmful impurities are washed away from the roof, and this water is saturated with heavy metals, and phenols, etc. In addition, even if it rains for too long, it is better not to accumulate water in the first half-hour - first wash off the dust or soot from the roof. But if a drought occurs, plants are more likely to die from lack of water than from cool water.

7. Don't rely on rain alone

To check if plants are getting enough water after a rain, you can use a rain gauge (sold at garden centers) or build one yourself. The most basic is an empty bottle with a funnel inserted in its neck. The structure is dug into the ground so that the edge of the funnel is at ground level. We calculate the area of the funnel in square meters (the radius of the funnel, expressed in meters, multiplied by the number "π"), we measure the amount of water in the bottle after the rain and the result is as follows: 1 liter per 1 square meter. Good rain is like good watering - at least 1.3 gals (5 liters) per 1 square meter. 8.

8. Don't base your decision about watering on the condition of the topsoil

It is necessary to dig the earth to a depth of at least 4 inches (10 cm) and to water only when the soil there is dry.

Conclusion

Of course, watering isn't the only way to keep your plants cool when it's hot outside. Try mulching your plants. Sure, mulch is great for keeping out the winter cold, but it's also great for keeping out the summer heat. Mulch is good for almost everything. Apply 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) of mulch around your perennials, making sure the mulch doesn't touch the plants themselves.

Find all the watering can products mentioned in the "Watering Can" section of the Bubgo catalog. Choose from offers in your area or order! Check out the sales and special offers section of this group!
www.bubgo.com Free shipping on orders over $50! New registrants also get 15% off.