Water Wise: Hydration Tips for Your Summer Garden

Nothing quenches your thirst better than a nice drink of water when temperatures heat up. Your outdoor plants feel the same way. Of course, you don't want to stand in the garden all day watering your plants. However, if you want a healthy garden that produces bountiful harvests, you must keep it well-hydrated. Here, you'll find helpful tips and tricks to keep your summer garden hydrated without investing much time or energy.

Water with intention

Do you spray the entire plant when you water it? Watering the entire plant can diminish your efforts because the water on the leaves easily evaporates in the midday sun. You can avoid unnecessary evaporation by always watering plants at their base. The water spreads downward, and stays in the soil longer, providing better hydration for longer.

The time of day you water your garden matters, too. Watering during the heat of the day is counterproductive because the heat absorbs the water. The best time to water your plants is in the morning or late afternoon, around four o'clock. But don't wait too long into the evening to water them. While many people have their sprinklers running in the evenings, this can give plants "wet feet" and lead to plant rot.

Use mulch

You might already use mulch in flower beds, but it's great for vegetable gardens and around trees. Mulch retains moisture better than topsoil. Therefore, when you water your garden or after a rainstorm, the plants' roots enjoy a longer drink. Any vegetation in your yard that needs a lot of water, especially newly planted trees, benefits from mulch.

Install an automatic system

A common reason summer gardens fail to flourish to their full potential is lack of care. People lead busy lives between work, family, and other obligations. Finding the time to water the garden isn't always easy. To stay consistent with watering, you might need to automate the task.

Some people find using automatic timers installed on sprinklers helpful. They leave the sprinkler set up near the garden, and once a day the timer turns on the system. But what if your garden needs consistent hydration throughout the day without creating a puddle? Consider a drip system.

A low-flow, micro-irrigation system is easy to set up. A quick trip to the hardware store for a garden hose with tiny holes in it is all it takes to get a drip system started. Put the hose in the garden and turn on the water. The water slowly drips from the hose throughout the day or predetermined time, providing constant hydration that doesn't flood the garden or wash away the roots.

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