Water Your Garden the Right Way (Stop Killing Your Plants!)

Watering should be the simplest thing in the worldbut watering effectively and efficiently requires a little know-how. How you water depends on the type of plantthe stage of its lifecycleand the conditions you’re growing inincluding temperaturehow sunny it isand your soil type.

I’ll share everything you need to know to keep plants quenched and your garden thriving. We’ll look at when and how to waterwhich plants to prioritiseand I’ll be revealing some clever water-saving ideas that’ll even save you timetoo!

When to Water Plants

How do you know when to water? Wellmost of us have the perfect portable tool for determining this: your index finger! Pop it into the soildown to where the roots areand have a feel. Does the soil feel cool and moist to the touchor is it dry and dusty down there? Water if dry.

It’s best to water in the morning if you can. The soil will be cool from the nightand plants can fill up on water ahead of the day’s heat. Plants grow more during the dayso loading up on moisture ahead of expected growth makes sense. Watering in the morning also means the soil surface has a chance to dry before nightfallmaking plants less susceptible to slugs and diseases.

That saidnot everyone has time in the morning – perhaps you have to rush out to work or go on the school runand don’t fancy getting up extra early to fit it in. No problem – watering in the evening comes a close secondand to be honestthis is typically when I water.

Whenever you waterjust try to avoid the hottest part of the day when water evaporates far quickerleaving less for your plants.

Which Crops Need Water When

As the saying goesdifferent strokes for different folks – and that’s certainly true for our crops.

Seeds and Seedlings: The highest priority is watering seedlings and young plants which won’t have expansive root systems yetand which are more vulnerable to dry conditions. Extra water at this early stage will help plants to establish successfully.

Leafy Crops: Leafy vegetables like lettucechard and cabbage are some of the thirstiest cropsrequiring consistent moisture. Heading types of lettuce and cabbage especially need this as they start to develop and firm up.

Root Crops : Potatoes need plenty of moisture as the tubers start to form. Other root crops like carrots are more self-reliantbut water before the soil totally dries out so growth isn’t checked.

Peas and Beans : Step up watering of peas and beans once flowering begins. These guys need plenty of moisture from this point on if they’re to successfully set and swell their podsthough French beans are more tolerant of drier conditions than runner beans. I find that climbing beans need a lot more water than dwarf beanssimply because there’s so much foliage to supportso keep them well quenched!

Alliums : Alliums like onions and shallots are more tolerant of dry weatherbut grow faster if water isn’t limited while they’re establishing.

Stem Veggies: Veggies like celery and fennel are much thirstier and will bolt (flower prematurely) if it’s too dryso water them consistently.

Fruiting Veggies : And then we have our fruiting vegetablessuch as tomatoes and eggplant. These need consistent moisture from the moment the first fruits form to encourage steady ongoing production. This will also help to avoid complications that arise from irregular wateringfor instance split fruitsor nutrient deficiencies like blossom end rot.

Symptoms of Water Stress in Plants

Plants often give visual cues that they’re water-stressed. Sparse foliage or a lack of pods or fruits can be a signs that they’re struggling. Leaves may lack the luster of a healthy plantor they might be drooping or wilting. Container plants might become very light or easily blow over. And water-stressed plants are far more likely to come under attack from diseases like powdery mildewa common disease of vegetables like peasbeans and squashes.

Get to know your plants and read the symptoms. Andas I saytest soil moisture with your finger regularly as some of these symptomswould you believe itcan also arise from overwatering – so you want rule that out before sploshing about more of the wet stuff!

How to Water Plants

Water nice and deeplyand as close to where the groundwhere the roots areas possible. Overhead sprinklers make me wincebecause so much of that water lands on the foliage and just evaporate or sit around increasing the humidity around plantswhich raises the risk of disease.

Get the hose or watering can’s spout close to the base of plants and aim the water at the soil to avoid wetting leaves as much as you can. This way every lastprecious drop is delivered right down at ground levelwhich you can then lock in with a mulch (more on that shortly…).

Water each area thoroughly before moving on to the nextthen return to the same area and water all over again. The first pass softens up the soil surfacemaking it more receptive to the second pass of water so that more penetrates second time round.

The mantra ‘little and often’ is great for so many things – but not watering! The water needs to really penetrate the soilideally down to a depth of at least 6in (15cm). It’s a case of ‘moreand less often’!

Dampening only the uppermost layer of soil encourages roots to form just below the surfacemaking plants a lot more dependent on regular watering. But by watering deeplyroots are forced to search out moist soil further down as the top layers of soil dry outresulting in resilientself-reliant plants.

Sandy soils drain through and dry out a lot quickerso are likely to need watering more often. Heavy clay soils dry out slowerbut may need a more sustained drenching to rewet if they dry out completely.

Watering Containers

Plants in containers are vulnerable souls because they can’t send roots deep down or far and wideso available moisture can quickly get depleted.

Drip irrigation can help particularly demanding plants like tomatoes to stay quenched. In hot weathergroup pots together to cast mutual shadeand so you can water them more quickly and easily.

Peat-based potting mixes dry out quicker than soil-based mixeswhich have more density to them andthereforea higher water-carrying capacity. Another option is to mix in water-retaining gel or crystalswhich take on lots of waterswelling to many times their original sizeto then release over time as things dry outthereby helping to smooth the peaks and troughs between waterings.

Conserving Water in the Vegetable Garden

Watering by hand takes timewhich is why conserving water – so it lasts longer – is a wise move.

The best way to improve any soil so it holds onto moisture for longer in dry weather – and drains better in wet weather for that matter – is to add a mulch of organic matter. Organic matter is anything derived from living materials – sofor examplegarden compostwell-rotted manure or leafmould – anything that was once alive will add valuable goodness to the soil.

Improving soil like this is a gradual processdone over many seasons. I like to add the bulk of my organic matter to the soil surface in the winter months so it has time for soil organisms to incorporate it ready for sowing and planting into in spring.

Then once the growing season’s here and plants are growingI mulch again to create a barrier between the soil and the air. This reduces evaporation by as much as 70% while also suppressing weedswhich will tire themselves out pushing through all that mulch to get out into the sunshine.

Lock in moisture by laying mulches at least an inch (3cm) thick after you’ve watered or following a sustained period of rain. Dry grass clippings also make great summertime mulchesbut spread them in thinner layers to prevent them matting into a soggy mesh – they can always be topped up as they disappear down into the soil.

You can also use water-permeable plastic mulches that sit on the soil as a barrier between it and the air. These can be great for chunkier vegetables like onions and potatoesor perhaps big old squashes. Woven mulches are popularbut you may want to avoid them because of the plastic. In which caseuse cardboard: it’s usually freeit can be laid in sheets to smother the ground and – would you believe it – it rots away by the end of the seasonhelping to improve the soil in the process. Lovely stuff!

You can even plant through cardboard. After laying itsimply cut an X-shape where you want to plantfold back the cardboardand plant into the soil underneath before returning the flaps. To finish things offadd bark chippings or other organic matter on top of your cardboard.

Save and Store Water

Rain is better for our plantsand collecting it both saves money on metered water and reduces watering problems caused by hosepipe banswhich always come at just the wrong time! Set up as many water barrelscoming off every roof surfaceas you can – the biggerthe better!

Save water from inside the home too. Catch any water you wash or cook vegetables in andonce cooledthrow this out onto parched ground. Bath and shower water can be used toobut only if you use ecologically sound productsand only around non-edibles like flower and shrub borders.

Don’t forget to keep yourself well hydrated – we don’t want you wilting either!