How to water your garden during drought

In addition to sunlight and soil, water is of the greatest importance for the development of garden plants and in terms of its growth. Unfortunately, this summer there is a significant shortage of precipitation in the current drought.

For the healthy development of the garden, it is necessary to ensure adequate water supply to the plants without overwatering them and flooding the soil with water and wasting this vital resource. To make things even more complicated, different plants, different climates, and different weather conditions require different amounts of water.

When planning your house’s surroundings, garden and lawn, choose plants with similar water needs and plant them together. Therefore, do not plant drought-tolerant plants next to aquatic plants in an attempt to satisfy their needs at the same time. Water-demanding plants should be in a wetter area of ​​the garden or near the irrigation pipe.

You can plant drought-tolerant plants in areas further from water sources. Humid-loving plants: Louisiana and Japanese marigolds, marsh primroses, orsetails, marsh hibiscus, cardinal flower, mosses and ferns.

 

The group of water-demanding plants provides a natural, eye-catching sight and makes watering fun.

The group of water-demanding plants provides a natural, eye-catching sight and makes watering fun.

 

When watering the garden, some basic rules must be taken into account. Later, we will also discuss the best way to use the irrigation hose in order to provide our plants with the necessary amount of water. First, let’s take a look at some useful techniques and basic knowledge of watering plants. 

Garden watering techniques

When watering your garden and lawn, remember that most garden plants and lawns require about an inch of water per week. It is good if the soil is slightly moist and should not be allowed to dry out completely, as this is dangerous for most plants. But since plants do not always adapt to these rules, we mention some exceptions:

  • Hot weather, dry, sandy soil, or crowded, intensive beds or flower boxes may require more than an inch of water per week.
  • In cool weather, or if the plants are sparsely planted, or the soil is firm and has a good water retention capacity, less water may be sufficient.
  • Young or new beds require more moisture on the soil surface, which is necessary for root growth. Water these with less water but more often to meet their needs.
  • Mature beds with extensive root systems should be watered abundantly and less frequently than young plants. Moisture soaks deep into the soil and promotes the development of the root system 
Use a rain sensor to ensure your irrigation system supplies water evenly.

Use a rain sensor to ensure your irrigation system supplies water evenly.

 

Do not water disease-susceptible plants at night. If water covers the leaves of plants for several hours, it can cause fungal diseases on their leaves, buds, flowers and fruits. Plants prone to leaf spot, fruit rot, and anthracnose are best watered in the morning, when the sun dries the leaves quickly and prevents the development of fungal diseases.

Test your irrigation system

Some sprinklers dispense water unevenly, so set up rain sensors in your garden and compare the amount of water they collect. If the values differ greatly, move the nozzle more often or get a more efficient model. 

 

Before starting to water the plants, check that the sprinkler works properly (evenly).

Before starting to water the plants, check that the sprinkler works properly (evenly).
Also check that the nozzle is properly connected to the pipe.

 

Using garden hoses

  And now let’s move on to the irrigation pipe! Using drip pipes is a good way to water your garden. The pipes are made of water-permeable material, perforated recycled rubber or other porous material. Once the pipe is connected to the water source, the water slowly seeps out through drippers located along the length of the pipe. 

 

Use garden drip pipes to water your garden efficiently.

Use garden drip pipes to water your garden efficiently.

 

Drip pipes are more efficient than above-ground sprinklers because they deliver water directly to the plants’ roots. Very little water evaporates from them and they do not wet the leaves of the plants, which helps to keep diseases away. Thorough watering of the garden part within the scope of the pipe takes at least one hour.

In order for drip pipes to function properly, the following aspects must be taken care of:

  • Lay the drip pipes straight in the garden. If they are turned too sharply or twisted, they will break and not fill with water.
  • In this case, more water flows out in the part closer to the water source and less in the part further away.
  • If the tube only waters one side of the plant’s root system, move the tube to the dry, unwatered side after a while.
  • To determine if the soil has been sufficiently watered, dig a little into the soil next to the pipe. If the water has penetrated to 12 centimeters, you can disconnect the pipe. Note how long it took to water so you know next time.
  • For faster results, use straight tubes perforated with large diameter holes. Of course, the compromise comes at a price: these pipes provide faster irrigation, but are not so kind to the soil.

If you like the results you get with drip pipes, you can upgrade them to an automatic or semi-automatic drip irrigation system. Although these systems are more expensive, they are developed for different soil types and plants with different water needs. Their advantage is that they do not need to be moved around the garden.

 

Water your plants regularly and according to their needs, because this is the only way they will thank you for their development and beauty.

Water your plants regularly and according to their needs, because this is the only way they will thank you for their development and beauty.

 

The "wisdom of water"

Water in the morning (or evening) when there is no strong wind, the sun is not yet hot, and water loss due to evaporation is minimal.

 

 The source of the original article: howstuffworks.com