Monday, February 13, 2012

Gardening question?

We have had extremely hot and dry weather lately. Is it better to soak my shrubs/flowers once a week or give them a little drink everynight? I paid a lot of money for all my landscaping last spring and do not want anything to die! I would appreciate any help!

Gardening question?
If you water a little bit each night it won't encourage the roots to go deep. Shallow rooted plants aren't as strong as deep rooted plants.



I'd soak about every 4 days or so.
Reply:If your flowers and shrubs have been growing since last spring, they probably have pretty well-established root systems. In that case, deep watering once or twice a week would be better than giving frequent shallow waterings. The idea is to encourage the plant roots to grow deeply into the soil, where it stays moist for much longer than it does in the top several inches. Shallow watering isn't very effective, and it doesn't stimulate the roots to go deeply. Keep an eye on the plants; if they start to look a little droopy, they need to be watered. If possible, water in the evening or in the early morning, when it's cooler and the water won't evaporate right away. Keep the water on the soil, not the leaves and flowers. And after you have watered deeply, put an organic mulch (compost or CocoaMulch - it's made from the hulls of pods that chocolate is made from, and it smells like chocolate in the sun!) around the plants. That will help keep the water in the soil from evaporating and keep the roots cooler, and you won't have to water as frequently.
Reply:no it is not good to soak your shrubs that is bad for them
Reply:I water mine every night unless it rains, but only after the temperature drops and the sun has gone down.
Reply:A little drink every night and soak when you can. Do both-try to saturate the roots.
Reply:Feel the ground to tell. You don't want to overwater, because over watering can cause root rot which decreases the amount of roots. The ground should be slightly moist to the touch but not wet. Whenever it starts to feel dry, then water them. You can also kind of tell by the color of the ground.
Reply:The best indicator of watering is the surface soil dried out?.If it is and especially in hot dry weather with new plants in the ground soak the ground until water reaches the roots twice weekly. Watering plants daily does very little for the roots as it so often does not reach them.


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