I walked up my front walkway after returning home from the hardware store one evening last week and I immediately noticed the difference in my grass. The grass looked drier and much to my dismay, a tint of light brown was mixing into the green grass 😬.
The stress of the heat was noticeable. The summer heat is gearing up. Sadly, with little rain in the future forecast, being proactive was a necessity. It was definitely time to take a moment to tend to a few plants that needed a bit of watering.
Rain water is ultimately ideal, for garden plants, and your blooming beauties. But, during the summer, the hot, dry days can make the lawn look like a brown crusty mess and those beautiful planters you worked so hard on… they can become a crockpot of dried plants if not adequately watered.
We are now in a long stretch without significant rainfall. The daily watering tasks can be done with a few simple steps to keep your plants or garden vegetables happy and healthy all summer long. I decided to share a few “tried and true” favorite watering tips that I have used over many years, now available on the blog today. I hope you can find something useful to help you keep your garden growing all summer long.
Summer Watering
1. Water in the Morning – The best time to water outdoor plants is in the morning when temperatures are less intense. This gives the plants time to absorb the water so they can get through a long, hot day. The second-best time is early in the evening.
2. Water daily if necessary-For your beautiful container plants, watering daily might be needed! In the intense summer heat, possibly even twice a day, for SMALL containers… these small containers act like a “crockpot” of sorts and it will cook the plants insides… if the plant dries out too quickly. So, my advice would be to use larger containers for outside. Go Big!!!
3. Keep a close eye on your newbie plants– Newly planted additions to your garden will need extra TLC. Be ready to monitor them closely and anticipate watering these new plants more frequently than an established plant in your garden. I often find myself watering twice a day with some plants if they need it!
4. If it’s Wilting… Water any plant thoroughly if signs of wilt begins. The plant is under great stress and needs an immediate boost. I also try to offer that plant a bit of shade as well so it can recover.
5. Where you water matters… Water plants and flowers from the base not from the top. Using a watering wand, watering can, or a sprayer that can help you achieve success.
6. Move your hose in place first before watering– If you are using a heavier water hose to water your summer blooms, move your hose in place before turning on the water flow to make it easier to maneuver. Enough said!
7. Soak it Up- Give plants a good soak… Hanging baskets often need a bit of TLC during the heat of summer. Consider using a 5 gallon bucket or old washtub to submerge the base into 5 gallon bucket or tub. The bucket allows for a good deep soaking to occur, leave in place until saturated. Another good watering option, consider adding soaker hoses into your garden.
8. During the Heat Stress, Find the Shade… If the stress of the heat is getting the best of your plants… Relocate your container/planter to a less sunnier location in your yard if possible. Obviously, if the plant is in the ground it will be much harder to do that and it is not ideal to move a plant in the midst of a hot summer. Moving an already established plant in the ground may not help your situation. But, a planter can be moved easily to shady spot in the yard to help it recover from the stress of intense summer heat.
9. Water your plants deeply– A brief shower around with the water hose will not be impactful. If your plants receive a good amount of water all around the base, it can soak into the roots, which the plant needs to keep growing deep roots. This will allow for less frequent watering to occur once the plant is fully established. I actually don’t water my established in the ground plants everyday unless they are dry or need attention and focus my attention on watering my container plants in the daily grind of the summer heat.
10. Perseverance- Gardeners are a hardy bunch of folks. They are very much like the gardens they grow, thriving in all types on conditions that Mother Nature gives. Regardless of the “drought like” conditions that the garden endures, it can still thrive with a bit of persistent attention in regard to the ongoing summer watering cycle. Just keep growing and watering!
The Hardware Life - A wife's journey into the hardware business 