Summer Gardening, Water-Conserving Tips

Keeping It All Healthy While Minding the Water Bill

Sunday, 5th February, 2012 @ 08:16am
by Deborah Rankin

Don't forget to water your lawns. Lawns need approximately 1 inch of water a week; a little less in the spring and fall, and a little more during the heat of summer. But when is "too much" water hindering rather than helping. Know when your garden needs water, and the best time to water them.

When grass needs water, it will appear darker in colour and begin to take on a blue-gray hue. The older leaf blades on the plant will begin to curl up or wilt. Footprints will remain on the grass for longer than usual because the grass won't "bounce back." When you see these symptoms, it's time to water.

Perennial plants and shrubs will need from 1 inch to 2 inches a week. You can reduce the amount of water you need by applying compost and mulch to the garden. Compost should be added every two or three years, depending on your soil type . sandy soils require more frequent top-ups. Mulch should be applied every year, in the spring, approximately two inches thick.

There's no neat rule for watering annuals, so your best guide is always the plant tag (the small spear-shaped plastic tag that came with the plant when you bought it). It will tell you the sun, soil, pH and water requirements.

When in doubt, keep the plant's soil lightly moist and see how it responds. If conditions are especially hot and windy where you are, keep a careful eye out for wilting. If you see the signs, add water to the soil, but don't overcompensate by drowning the plant. Over-watering is just as bad as under-watering; it leads to root rot and soil compaction that robs the roots of air.

Water deeply to encourage deep root growth. Frequent shallow waterings encourage weed germination, and they also cause the grass plants' roots to grow shallow, leaving the plant more susceptible to drought and to certain diseases. Watering only when your grass really needs it encourages the roots to grow deeper, but only if you apply enough water each time to penetrate the root zone.

Water early in the morning. When you use sprinklers, some water evaporates before it hits the ground. On a hot, windy day, the amount of water that never reaches your grass can be substantial. To reduce loss to evaporation, water sometime between 4 A.M. and 9 A.M., when the air is still cool and the wind is usually at its calmest.

With your lawn and perennials, it's better to give them larger amounts of water at longer intervals than it is to apply small amounts of water frequently. That's because shallow watering encourages shallow rooting. In very hot weather, a ballpark range for watering is every other day for perennials and every three to four days for shrubs. Again, make sure to monitor the soil moisture.

Water annuals and container plants as needed. Since container plants can't draw moisture from surrounding soil, it's crucial that their soil remain moist (but not wet).