When it comes to maintaining a flourishing garden, there are many garden watering mistakes we can make. Overwatering, underwatering, and improper plant placement can turn even the most successful garden into a desolate wasteland of failure.
While your garden isn’t likely to be that bad, proper watering is key. Here are eight mistakes you’re probably making.
Top Garden Watering Mistakes
Let’s break down the eight mistakes we bet you’re making:
1. Using Watering Cans
Using watering cans is a simple way to give potted plants a drink. However, watering cans are not helpful when it comes to watering large gardens. Maybe consider using a hose to water your plants in your garden.
The most efficient way to water most plants is by applying enough water to moisten the plants roots, and then letting the plant’s soil dry out a little bit before watering it again. A soaker hose will help with this because the soil will absorb the water, rather than the water running off to the side.
When using a watering can for your garden, you are not allowing your plants to receive enough hydration. In addition to not providing your plants with enough hydration, using a watering can could be very time consuming and wasteful if you do not use the water efficiently.Basically, watering cans are best for potted plants and not for gardens.
2. Overwatering
It is a common mistake for us to think that plants need daily hydration like humans. As exciting as it is to see our plants thriving in our gardens, overwatering is a common garden watering mistake. It will not only deplete your stockpile of water, but it will cost you valuable time.
It is not necessary to water your plants every day. The correct way to water your garden plants is to only water them if they start to show signs of drying up or wilting.
Simply put, overwatering can drown your plants. Healthy soil lets oxygen exist in between spaces of particles of soil. If the plant gets watered too frequently or the soil is constantly wet, there are not enough air pockets within the soil. This will result in a limited supply of oxygen, suffocating the plant.
3. Treating Each Plant Equally
Some plants require a lot of water in the garden, such as melons and corn. However, there are others that do much better when watered sporadically. Treating all plants as equal is another common garden watering mistake.
It is wise to read the back of the seed packets when deciding which plants you are going to grow and establish a watering schedule. For example, if you are growing rainforest plants that need lots of water, water them daily. It can damage plants to water them daily. If your plants acquire too much water, it is possible for them to develop a fungus.
4. Forgetting About The Roots
When plants flourish in our garden, a countless number of them turn into gorgeous bunches of beautiful green leaves and exuberant stems. Though it may be an easier task to spray the top of your plant, you need to keep in mind that the water might not make its way down to its root.
It is important to be careful when watering your plants and pay close attention so the water is making it down to the roots. It will benefit your plant if you water around it’s base to make certain that your plant gets enough water for a long lasting drink.
Various plants do not do well with additional water and might begin to deteriorate. When leaves are soaked in water, they can quickly become diseased, harming the plant.
5. Watering Plants in the Afternoon
Watering your plants at the warmest point of the afternoon is another common gardening mistake. Not only are we making it hard on ourselves, we are wasting water. When it is hot and muggy, the water soaks up much easier and will evaporate more quickly.
Take into consideration watering your plants either early in the morning or at dusk. However it is a possibility that when watering your plants at dusk, some damp plants could start to get moldy overnight.
6. Forgetting About the Forecasted Weather
It is recurrent garden watering error to not pay attention to the upcoming weather. It is unnecessary to water your garden on a day when it is going to rain. It is good to check the weather to avoid overwatering or underwatering your plants.
In addition to checking if it is going to rain, fluctuations in temperature can affect your garden as well. When temperatures rise, your plants will grow taller in order to keep themselves cool. Their stalks will become longer and their leaves will become thinner and grow apart. This can cause your plants to bend at the stem, and fall over in the rain. Be mindful of the types of plants you have and what temperatures are best suited for them in order for them to thrive.
7. Neglecting to Use Mulch
Using much in the garden is great to make certain that all the watering you are doing for your garden is actually working. Without the use of mulch, you will most likely flood the soil surrounding the plants, causing more weeds to grow.
Spreading mulch in your garden will definitely help with weed growth and will help keep the foundation of your plant cool. If you do not want to use much, there are a few other options that will be just as effective. You can lay straw, grass, or newspaper to scare off those troublesome weeds.
8. Lack of Drainage
Unfortunately, we usually do not get to select the type of soil in our yard. We can create drainage problems by putting plants in really wet parts of our yard or putting the plants in a part of our yard that is too low.
A great way to ensure that your garden gets drained well enough is to add compost or peat moss to the plant’s soil. If the drainage of the soil gets really bad, you can build a raised bed. If you have potted plants, check that the bottom of your plant’s pot has holes for drainage so that the extra water can escape. Without the drainage holes, the plant will be over-hydrated.
Wrapping Up
Keep every one of these tips in mind to avoid these common garden watering mistakes. Check for wilted leaves, check the weather, and make sure that you are watering the most vital part of your plant, the roots. It is not too late to learn from the past and do better to grow your best garden yet.
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