Should You Water Your Garden More During Summer?

by David Samzun

Summer days are hot and humid – and that means less rain. If you have your own garden or you grow your own vegetables and herbs, this could be a concern. Your garden will need some extra attention in this case. But how often should you water your garden during hot summer days?

How often should you water your garden during hot weather?

Ideally, you should water your vegetable garden at least two to three times per week, especially when the weather is very hot in your area. Make sure that the soil is soaked so that the water reaches the deepest roots of the plant or crop,

If you are using a sprinkler, one trick to make sure that you have watered the soil deep enough is to place a small cup in the ground next to the crops. Wait till the cup has about an inch of water in it before you turn off the sprinklers.

What about potted plants?

For potted plants and herbs, it will take more effort from you. Ideally, you should water them every day. Since the containers are not on the ground themselves, they have the tendency to dry out since the evaporation will be faster during extreme heat.

Check if your garden hose has a shower setting or a setting that mimics a soft, rain shower and use it on potted plants. If water starts to puddle, move on to the next plant. Then, come back for another round of watering once the puddle is absorbed. It is important that the water will be fully absorbed and that the soil will be thoroughly moist.

Other watering tips you should know

Keep the moisture in

You must do what you can to keep the water in the soil. A trick to accomplish this is to place an organic mulch on the soil. Two to three inches of organic mulch is a great help when it comes to protecting the soil from hot weather. The mulch will act as a shade blanket that holds the moisture and cools down the roots of your plants. You can make organic mulch out of finely ground bark, pine needles, wheat straw, or chopped-up leaves.

The soil must be consistently moist. Otherwise, your crops will be affected. If you have cracks on the vegetables or fruits you are growing, this happens when you are not consistent in watering.

Avoid wetting the leaves

When you water your plants, you mustn’t wet the leaves. If the leaves get wet and the moisture stays long, it becomes a thriving community for diseases to grow.

This is why it is better to use a metal hose reel than a sprinkler in the summer. Sprinklers may be fun for your kids but they can do damage to your garden and crops.

If you insist on using the sprinkler, make sure that you do your watering at daybreak so that the leaves can dry up quickly. If you can not manage to wake up early, invest in a sprinkler timer. You can set it to turn on before daybreak and set it to turn off after a certain time.

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