Hot weather is here!
Flowers are blooming and vegetables are growing. With all this heat some vegetation is showing signs of stress. How can we help these plants we’ve nurtured to grow? They need to be watered properly.
Have you ever driven by someone’s house and you see the water from the lawn running off into the street? The cause of this is that the soil is either over saturated and can’t take in more water or the volume of the water is being applied is too much and the soil can’t absorb it.
This is the same problem for your flower and vegetable garden. So what is the best way to water your garden? My father used to get mad at me when I watered because I was watering the tops of the plants instead of the roots. I have since changed my ways.
The best way to water is to water at the base of the plant. One- the water gets where it is needed and two- the leaves are not where the plant absorbs water. Also if you water the top of the plant, about 1/3 of the water is wasted in evaporation. Obviously, it is a waste of your money too.
I like to use a watering wand that extends into the garden, instead of me having to bend and bother my back to reach the plants further back in the garden. The other trick is to slowly trickle the water instead of a full blast. This lets the water sink into the soil where the roots are.
I like to give each plant a drink of about 10 seconds then move on to the next plant. I then repeat the watering process again. Larger plants need more time to be watered due to their root systems being deeper in the soil. I also prefer a hose that is flexible so that I am not dealing with kinks. There is nothing more aggravating then getting a kink and having no water coming out of the spout and then getting a full blast of water coming out after the hose is unkinked. Unless you were pointing the hose at someone, who may or may not want to cool off that way. Usually children are willing to play along. Just a word of caution, a spouse may or may not be happy about this.
Most of the soil we have to work with is clay and rock and doesn’t absorb water very well. This is true especially in the Rocky Mountain region. I suggest that compost be used to break up the soil and add good nutrition for growth of your plants. It is never too late to start composting. By composting, you have amended the soil. This allows the water to soak in and not just sit on top of the clay and rock. And if you have already set up a raised bed with a drip system, all you need to do is seat back and enjoy the fruit of your labor.
You can find more information about composting and other great gardening tips by going to http://www.samsgardeningtips.com
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