I, for one, get into the "Zen" of watering. I cherish the hours I spend, garden wand in hand, listening to the gentle shower of water falling and smelling the rich scent of moist loam. It is, therefore, very tempting to water my garden daily, but doing so would doom my plants.
Since plant roots naturally seek out water, short and superficial watering will encourage shallow root development. Tall flowering plants with shallow root developments will simply topple and pull out their own roots, while winds will rip their shorter counterparts out of the ground. Larger plants, trees and shrubs are significantly weakened if their roots remain shallow, and in areas that experience ground freezing in winter, will most likely be heaved right out of their homes. The superficially watered garden also requires more frequent watering, since surface soil can dry out in a matter of hours on a hot summer day.
Watering to the point of thorough saturation will ensure that deeper soil remains moist longer. Water should enter the soil slowly and steadily, without splashing mud onto foliage and without causing runoff that erodes surface soil. Known as "deep watering," this practice encourages plant roots to grow outward and down, seeking out water when the surface soil dries. Deep watering can be accomplished by using a soaker hose laid at the base of your plants, or a garden wand like JoJo's invention.
Even with deep watering, you may find watering frequency varies in different spots in your garden. High sunny spots will dry out more quickly, while low-lying areas collect and retain water - particularly those with clay soil - and will become boggy if watered too frequently. Weather factors will also affect the amount of water your plants require. The higher the temperature, the more water they'll need and the same can be said for windy areas since breezes can dry out a plant. Humidity, on the other hand, results in lower water requirements.
Do not rely solely on your eyes to tell you if your garden needs water. While wilting, droopy plants surely need a good drink, in many instances the surface soil and foliage can appear wet but the plant has still not received enough moisture. Instead, since adequate watering is so essential to a garden's good growth, you should regularly track the amount of water your garden receives. To do this, set out a few empty tuna cans at different spots. Each can holds approximately one inch of water. Once a week, water the garden until the cans are all full and then empty the cans so your next week's reading will be accurate.
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