| All plants need water and the various watering requirements of different plants need to be considered when planning a garden. For example, if you live in an area of low rainfall or are gardening on a roof terrace exposed to drying wind, it is wise to consider planting to suit these conditions. Some plants cope well with dry conditions, for example, succulents, which store water in their tissues, and silver-leaved plants, which are covered with fine hairs to help reduce evaporation. |
| Existing Conditions |
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Planting sympathetically to dry conditions significantly improves your chances of growing healthy plants, without necessitating an undue investment of time and effort in watering systems. |
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Although it is possible to develop irrigation systems to deal with whatever conditions you face, it is more sensible to work on conserving the moisture available - for example, surface mulching, adding moisture-conserving organic matter to your soil, and planting according to the level of moisture prevalent in your garden. |
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| BELOW: A sprinkler is invaluable for watering wide areas such as lawns and herbaceous borders evenly and gently |
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| Effective watering |
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Watering is a critical gardening task, so an accessible water supply is vital. Although an accessible kitchen tap and watering can will answer the needs of a very small plot, a garden tap is invaluable, along with a hose of sufficient length to reach the furthest part of the garden. Make sure that the tap and any exposed pipework is protected from frost in winter. |
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Most novice gardeners water little and often, but this actually encourages shallow root growth and germination of weeds. Even a small garden will require a siginificant amount of watering in dry weather and a hose makes light work of this task. As a guide, an adequate level of watering in midsummer, on a fast-draining soil, would be approximately 10-20 litres per sq m (2-4 gallons per sq yrd) - roughly two watering cans full. This demonstrates that simply sprinkling over the border with a single watering can full is inadequate, and will lead to plant problems. Never water in full sun as you risk leaf scorch, and the water will evaporate very quickly from the soil's surface. |
| Watering container plants |
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Plants in containers lose water rapidly through evaporation. Group containers together to help conserve moisture. Make plans for watering if you are going away in summer or, at the very least, move containers to a shady place; otherwise you may arrive home to a collection of dead plants. |
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Incorporating water-retaining granules into the compost at planting time is useful. These granules swell to form a gel capable of holding large quantities of water. |
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| Watering continued >> |
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