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Keeping your plants well hydrated is key to helping them thrive all year.
Use these tips to ensure they get the moisture they need.
Credit: Bob Stefko
But evencold-hardy trees, shrubs, and perennials, dormant in winter, still need hydration.
A wilted plant is a stressed plant.
Be aware ofhow much rainfall you’re getting.
Credit: Helen Norman
You may need to supplement if you get less than one inch per week.
Water your plants about two times per week when temperatures are above 40F and snow hasn’t fallen yet.
Winter
Watering is only necessarybefore the frost hitsand your hardy plants have gone dormant for the winter.
Credit: Chalirmpoj Pimpisarn, EyeEm/Getty Images
Until then, when temperatures are above 40F, water your plants two to three times per week.
Once there’s snow on the ground, you could relax until spring rolls around.
Test Garden Tip
Keeping track of your area’s precipitation is easy with a good rain gauge.
Credit: Aaron Menken, Hatch & Maas Collective
Place it away from trees or overhanging structures to get the most accurate reading.
It doesn’t matter much to your plants; it’s more about what’s most convenient and affordable.
You’re not alone in disliking cold showers or bathsmany plants hate cold water.
You’ll also want to avoid the other extreme, too-hot water.
This can happen when ahose or watering can(especially a metal one) sits in the sun.
It’s best to first launch the hose over the pavement until you feel the water cool.
Empty and refill overheated watering cans before using.
If you’re watering plants from overhead, try not to get the leaves wet.
During their first season in your garden, verify your new plants never wilt or completely dry out.
This minimizes soil disturbance and keeps seedlings from being flattened to the soil.
The ideal time to water container plants is early morning or early evening.
This gives the plants time to absorb water before the hottest part of the day.
On hot summer days,outdoor potted plantsmay need to be watered twice daily.
Look forplanters with a drainage holeat the bottom so the container doesn’t retain too much water.
And no, justwetting the surfaceisn’t enough.
Apply water thoroughly, letting it soak into the ground down to the roots.
This will give the moisture time to trickle into the earth.
Of course, it’s just as possible to overwater your plants.
Addplenty of compostto your soil toimprove drainage.
This will prevent overwatering from drowning the roots.
