Spring Flowers: The Best Time to Water Plants and Flower Garden

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Save time, money and resources by using the best time to water plants and flowers to irrigate your garden.

When to Water

The best time to water plants is in the morning. You should water before temperatures rise to give plants and flower gardens enough water to get through the day. Watering during the day causes loss through evaporation. Watering in the evening or at night can cause problems with fungus and mold growth. Plants usually don’t need daily watering.

Water flower gardens regularly

If you have at least 1 inch of rainfall in a week, you probably don’t need to supplement. Many plants, such as perennials, annuals, flowers and vegetables, have shallow roots and may need more frequent water—especially during drought. To encourage deep root growth — which allows plants to reach water deeper in the soil and grow stronger — watering should only be done about once a week all at once.

How Much Water

How much water to supply your plants depends on the type of plant and your soil. Established landscape plants, shrubs and trees usually need little supplemental watering because their roots reach deeper into the soil. Other plants and flowers with shallow roots need the soil soaked to a depth of approximately 12 inches. Soil type effects how deeply water penetrates.

If you have sandy loam, 1 inch of water penetrates from 6 to 12 inches. In clay soil, 1 inch of water only reaches about 4 inches deep. The soil also can only absorb so much water in a specific amount of time. For example, sandy loams can absorb up to 3 inches of water per hour and clay soil will not even absorb an inch during that time.

The Best Watering Methods

Drip irrigation is the best all-purpose watering method. It delivers the water slowly, so even heavy clay soil can accept it. The water goes straight into the ground, unlike sprinklers where you lose a percentage to evaporation. Drip irrigation also requires little time after the initial set-up.

Drip irrigation

All you have to do is turn it on or have it set on a timer for the best time to water plants. Drip irrigation is environmentally friendly, saving as much as 60 percent in water usage. You can use soaker hoses or specially designed kits for drip irrigation.

Checking Water Depth

To know if you applied enough water, use a small hand trowel to dig down into the soil. Some trowels have inches marked on them, but you can also use a ruler. If the soil is not wet at the depth you need, you will have to water longer. Keep track of how long it takes to soak the soil to about a foot. Then the next time you water, you have a baseline for how long it should take. Check again when you have drastic weather changes and adjust as needed.

Want to garden efficiently, saving water and time, and improving the strength of your plants? Know both how to water and when is the best time for flower gardens and deep-rooted plants.

References

ARBORICULTURE: WATERING PLANTS https://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/arboriculture/watering.html
Watering Home Gardens and Landscape Plants http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/EB1090/EB1090.pdf
Watering Correctly Saves Time, Money and Plants http://extension.illinois.edu/hortihints/0108a.html