7 Tips For Better Watering

Follow these tips to give your lawn and garden plants a good, quenching drink. You'll be rewarded with larger, healthier growth in no time!

1. Water less frequently, more deeply. Lawns, shrubs, flowers and vegetables will grow deeper, stronger roots when watered thoroughly. And stronger roots make better use of the water that's in the soil, so you can water less. On average, most plants can be watered once a week or less.
2. Water in the morning. The heat of the day will dry plant foliage, while watering at night makes plants susceptible to fungus and other diseases caused by excessive moisture. Also, the air is more likely to be still in the morning, so evaporation is minimal.
3. Improve your soil. Here's something you should do annually or even 2 or 3 times a year if you have "problem" soil: dig in large amounts of peat moss, manure, shredded bark or other organic materials to help your soil use moisture more efficiently. Organic matter lightens clay soil so there's better water penetration and less run off, while it gives sandy soil the ability to hold moisture and nutrients longer.
4. Vary your watering schedule with the weather. Watering on a strict schedule can cause plants to suffer either dried-out or water-logged roots. Instead, let the weather help determine when you water. Excessively hot and/or windy weather calls for more frequent watering. A good rainstorm will allow you to skip a session.
5. Mulch plants to help them retain moisture. A 2-4" layer of bark dust or other organic matter around your plants helps prevent evaporation so they can use more of the water you provide.
6. Install drip irrigation in your garden beds. A drip system delivers water at low pressure and volume to individual plants or specific areas. This allows soil to better absorb the water and your plants to better utilize it. You can install a system of plastic tubing with emitters or simply lay soaker hoses around plants. And don't forget to add a water timer to turn the system on and off for you automatically. You can practically set it and forget it -- a timer will turn your water on and off on just about any schedule you want.
7. Limit overhead water to no more than 20 minutes at a time. Overhead sprinklers may be a great convenience, but they sometimes deliver water faster than the ground can absorb it. For better water absorption, turn these types of sprinklers on for about 20 minutes, then shut them off to allow water to thoroughly soak into the soil. Check down several inches into the soil to see how far water has penetrated. If it hasn't reached down 7- 8", then turn your sprinklers back on for another 5-10 minutes. Repeat this process until moisture has soaked down far enough. Then, once you know your soil's absorption rate, you can set a timer to do this for you automatically.

Here's to smarter watering and better results!