Summers might not be the same everywhere across the world, but most plants need a different sort of watering schedule for this season.
Want your plants to thrive and your landscape to remain green all through the year? Go through this definitive summer watering guide for happy and healthy plants.
How Much To Water Your Plants In Summer?
With soil drying out and scorching hot winds blowing, watering plants in summer might take some planning ahead.
The catchphrase here is ‘don’t water frequently, but water thoroughly’. This means you will have to water your plants a little slowly. If the water drains away without really wetting the soil, the roots might dry out without you realizing why.
Some plants need to be watered twice. Whereas some plants can withstand hot temperatures without being watered for a couple of days.
This is why you need to know your plants. And how much water they need generally, in order to know when to water plants in summers.
Watering Plants In Summers: Equipment To Use
Use the right watering equipment for different plants.
Some tips to remember.
- For plant beds that are home to perennials and annuals, use a sprinkler or a drip irrigation system.
- For larger plants and trees, extensively water at least once a month. (Extensive watering means the roots should have a deep soak.)
- For smaller plants in pots, watering thrice a week or more is recommended, with a watering can.
- For cactus and succulents, water sparingly with a spray bottle.
How To Tell When Your Plants Need Water (And If They Need More Water)
If you are unsure of how to tell when your plants need water, here are some handy tips:
- Dry and brown leaf tips are a dead giveaway that your plants lack moisture.
- Wilting leaves and stems might be caused due to underwatering
- Slow overall growth
- Dry soil (Put your finger through the top layer of the soil for about an inch. If it still feels dry, it is time to water your plants)
Which Type Of Plants Do You Need To Water More?
Some plants, such as succulents, Pothos, Yucca Palm, Philodendron, Snake Plant, and Lavender do not need a lot of watering.
However, plants such as ferns, mosses, rose mallow and plenty of other flowering annuals need a lot of watering. Especially in the summer months.
Water all plants well when newly planted. Especially flowering plants. Water them daily, twice a day in the summer months.
As they grow older and start flowering, you can taper off watering based on the finger soil test. Most likely, you will have to water them twice or thrice a week when it's not too hot outside
When To Water Plants During The Day?
The best time to water during the day is before the sun starts to heat up your surroundings.
Try to water your plants early in the morning or late afternoon. With the sun not around to raise the temperature, the water gets to reach the roots before it evaporates.
In the morning try to water before 10:00 AM. Watering after this time is inefficient since a lot of the water does not reach the plant roots. From 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM is the worst time to water plants.
In the evenings, try to water your plants after 5:30 PM. This will give the plants plenty of time to absorb the water. The leaves can also dry off before night falls.
Popular FAQs For Watering Summer Plants
- Is it OK to spray water on my plant leaves to cool them off?
You can use a spray bottle to squirt water on your plants. But that only washes off the leaves and stems from dust and insects. It does not help in plant hydration.
In fact, if you spray your plants too often, the leaves that stay wet for long will rot or pick up diseases that thrive in moist conditions.
So, spray your plants with a spray bottle or a misting bottle, but make sure not to overdo it. Plants with dense foliage can be misted once a day. Whereas, plants with sparse foliage should be misted once in three days.
2. Does my vegetable garden need the same amount of water as my indoor plants?
Vegetable plants need a lot more water than flowering plants and indoor plants. A general rule of thumb is that vegetables need at least an inch of water every week.
In a hot and arid climate, make sure to water them twice.
An easy hack for knowing when to water more is to check how much the temperature has risen above average. For every 10 degrees above average, add about ½ inch more water per week.
Vegetables such as peas, beets, squash, carrots, peppers, and cucumbers need a lot more water than the others. So make sure to check the soil to find out when and how much to water.
3. How can I tell if I am overwatering my plants or underwatering them?
In order to tell whether you are overwatering or underwatering your plants, take a look at the leaf tips.
If they are perfectly green and supple, you are doing the watering right. Keep doing what you are doing.
If they are brown, dry, and brittle, you are underwatering your plants. Do the soil test, and water your plants slowly.
If the leaf tips are brown and limp, you have watered your plants too much. Back off from watering till the topsoil becomes dry to the touch.
Last, but not least, make sure that the plants actually need water. Overwatering is just as lethal as underwatering is.
Now that you know all about watering plants in summers, you can grow and sustain healthy plants even in the most brutal of summers. Go ahead and tend to your garden like a pro.
