Watering

When to water...

The best way to tell if the soil needs to be watered is by looking at the soil which has been exposed with a spade at a depth of roughly 30cm (1 foot). The soil will either be damp which means the soil should not really need watering, or dry then you can turn on the tap. Clay soil can feel wet, even when the moisture has been extracted, just as sandy soil can be damp one minute and dry the next. Only over time and with experience you will get to know your own garden's drainage and then make your own irrigation choices.  

As general rule:

Water when the soil seems dry when...

• You have a perfect lawn
• The plants are newly planted
• The plants are newly transplanted seedlings
• The plants are in containers or hanging baskets
• The plants are at the foot of high walls
• The crops are leafy salads, peas and beans in flower

Water between 10 days and 2 weeks in dry spells...

• Bedding plants
• Most fruit and vegetables
• Plants which enjoy moisture level conditions
• Plants in drought prone sandy soil or clay
  

Never water...

• Drought resisitant plants (Succulents)
• Ornamental grasses
• Flower meadows, pasture and long grass
• 'Normal' lawns
• Most perennial borders and established plants
• Large fruit trees and currant bushes
• Carrots, parsnips  

The last three (if on poor soil) can be watered between 10 days and 2 weeks in dry spells).

Watering a garden doesn't sound too difficult. After all, what do you do other than plug the hose in, turn on the tap and away you go? Well, it's not quite as simple as that if you want to get the right amount of water to plants in the right places at the right time. the aim is to get enough water to the soil without drenching it at a steady rate.

• Apply water at an even rate
• Aim to water the soil around the base of the plant (not  the surrounding soil as this will encourage weeds)
• Try to apply water to the soil, avoiding the covering the plant it'self.

There are many ways to water a garden, and with an incresing array of gadgets to 'help' you available from the garden centres, it's important to choose the correct system which is right for you.

Sprinklers are great for lawns and raising the water level of larger unplanted areas, but that's about it. Ponding is a process of using earth banks around a plant and fillled with water. This gets water exactly where it is needed. Leaving the end of a hose pipe dripping as it just wets the place it comes out. Buckets are quick to fill, but cause alsorts of damage to plants and wash soil away.

Hose pipes can cause damage to plants as water pressure and the size of water droplets do cause damage to plants. Using a lance with a flow control trigger is perhaps the best way to get the correct amount of water to the right places. watering cans can be used in the same way, but in the midst of summer, are hard work!

Irregation systems are perhaps the best form of watering, especially if the water is controlled on a timer and you can zone the system to add more or less to any part of your garden.