How often should you water your garden - and what time of day is best to do this (2024)

Flowers are a wonderful addition to your vegetable garden, but the heat of summer and the scorching sun can diminish yoursbeautiful flowersin sad, withered heaps. Fortunately, keeping your flowers well hydrated during the warm weather growing season can help prevent some of these problems.

Kip McConnell, the director ofSouthern living plant collection, and Terry Ettinger, cash manager forSUNY College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry (ESF), offers expert advice to streamline, plan and sort your garden's watering needs.

How to determine the water level of your garden

Newer gardeners may worry about creating a watering schedule, especially as the hot summer months approach, McConnell says. Unfortunately, there is no one watering routine that works for all gardens, but being aware of a few important factors can help you choose one that is right for your garden.

Think about your climate

Understanding your weather and climate will give you a baseline of how much water your plants receive and reserve from nature, how much to add and what new additions will thrive in your garden. "Does your region have regular rain in spring and summer, or is it dry and arid? Does your garden provide the flowers with sufficient shade, or are theyexposed to the sunall day?" says McConnell. The answers to these questions will help you determine how often to water your outdoor plants, but it's not an exact science. As conditions at your site change, so should your watering schedule.

Get to know your flowers

In addition to your local climate, also consider the amount of water your individual plants need. It's important to understand whether you're working with plants like drought-tolerant agapanthus or moist, soil-loving impatiens, because some flowers thrive with less water than others, says McConnell.

Also important: take any type of fluid andsoil preferencesConsider before adding them to your garden. “Most [hobbyists] who visit garden centers buy plants based on gut feeling rather than understanding the limitations of their property,” says Ettinger.

How often should you water your garden?

Not all areas of your garden are watered equally - and your climate may require you to water more or less than recommended below.

Water Garden Beds Weekly

Whether you're looking for a general rule of thumb (but unsure of your flower garden's exact watering needs) or just want to streamline your routine, try adding an inch of water to your garden beds once a week, says McConnell. . You can also achieve that number by watering about 1/2 inch twice a week if you prefer; Keep rainy days in mind when calculating your totals.

Water container plants once or twice a day

If you have plants in containers, hanging baskets or raised beds, expect to water them more often than plants in the ground, says Ettinger. “Containers and hanging baskets will require more frequent watering as the summer progresses, as the plants and their root systems grow larger,” he says. “Even watering twice a day may not be enough. That's why botanical gardens and greenhouses change their container plantings several times during the growing season.”

Water young plants and flowers daily until they are established

If you have very young plants orfreshly planted flowers, they will need a little more care as they establish their root systems, says McConnell. Although mature plants can survive for a long time without being watered, you should prevent the new ones from drying out. Most young varieties need daily water (skip rainy days) until roots develop, which happens around two weeks. At that point you can taper off and move to a weekly schedule if variation allows.

The best time to water your garden

Morning is the best time to hydrate your garden because the water has time to absorb before the sun rises (allowing the plants to retain more moisture). “It also gives the leaves time to dry. If morning isn't possible, evening watering is fine,” says McConnell, noting that morning is still the best option. Performing this task at night will leave water in the soil around the roots and on the leaves, which can lead to rot or mold growth.

As for whendoesn'tadd water? Avoid mealtime. “Afternoon sun gets hot (especially in summer!) and can evaporate the plant's water instead of allowing it to be absorbed into the soil and roots,” says McConnell.

This makes watering your garden easier

Now that you have a better understanding of how often to water certain types of plants, you can find ways to make this task even easier outdoors.

Place plants in the right place

Plants in the sun, shade and soil conditions they prefer need water less often than plants planted in extremely dry areas, Ettinger says. “For example, plants that have evolved over millions of years to thrive in partially shaded locations with consistently moist, well-drained soil will need water more often in full sun than plants that have evolved in dry, sunny locations.” he says.

Group similar plants

By placing plants with similar hydration needs together, you can find a watering frequency that works for all your flowers. "Lots of gardens offerdrought tolerant plants“Place them right next to plants that need a lot of water,” says Ettinger. If you plant spring-flowering flower bulbs next to summer perennials, watering your flowers weekly in warm weather may become too much moisture for your tulips or daffodils.' Spring flowering plants require soil that is quite dry during the summer months and may not survive if an inch of water is provided each week to support the summer flowers,” Ettinger.

Signs You're Watering Your Garden Too Often

It's possible that your garden (or at least certain types of plants) is getting too much water. Look for obvious signs of overwatering, such as brown leaves, drooping or mushy stems, moldy soil, stunted growth and root rot. Take them as a signal to water less often.

“Plants that are overwatered will often wilt even if they are watered frequently,” says Ettinger. "This is because the roots are 'killed with kindness' and can no longer absorb water."