Should you water your garden every day?

With the arrival of the good weather, the questions inevitably return: "How often should I water my garden?" and then "Should I water it every day?"

We are passionate about the subject and will guide you step by step!

There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to how often you should water your garden, as several factors come into play. You need to consider the composition of your soil, your weather, and the types of plants you grow.

Our article will teach you:

• Water less often, but better!
• To adapt your irrigation to your environment.
• Choosing the best time to refresh your garden.

This article will teach you the right actions and help you understand the ecosystem of your green space.

Let's take action now! Here are 6 questions to ask yourself to find out if your garden needs water.

1. Prefer abundant and occasional watering

Abundant and occasional irrigation is always preferable to regular, but superficial, watering. When you saturate your soil with water, you allow the entire root system to hydrate. Surface wetting, on the other hand, only affects the shallowest roots .

By watering a little every day, you're keeping your plant in the easy position. It doesn't need to spread its roots to feed itself, and will grow less. Remember that a shallow root system makes plants more vulnerable to adverse weather conditions like wind and storms.

2. Understand the characteristics of your soil

Analyzing your soil's composition helps you better understand its water retention . Sandy soil retains less water and dries out more quickly than heavier clay soil. The latter retains moisture much longer. Soil with high water retention is more susceptible to overwatering and takes longer to drain .

To improve the quality of your soil, we recommend amending it with compost . Healthy soil will drain better while allowing for healthy water retention. Applying a protective mulch is therefore a good idea, as it will reduce water evaporation.

Before watering, you need to make sure the soil has had time to dry completely. Constantly moist soil will encourage the growth of germs , fungi , and bacteria . To be sure, take a handful of soil in your hand. If you can ball it up, it's moist enough. But if it barely fits in the palm of your hand, or if the surface is dry and cracked, it's time to water. Keep in mind, however, that the top surfaces of the soil are always the first to dry out, as moisture evaporates .

3. Adapt your watering to the weather conditions

Weather conditions also determine when to water garden plants. Logically, water more often during hot and dry weather, and reduce watering during cold and rainy periods.

Paradoxically, the best time to water during a hot summer is during or immediately after a light downpour . The reason is that you want to get as much water in at the same time as possible to ensure the soil is fully hydrated. If you wait a day or two longer to water, you'll only be adding surface water, which will quickly evaporate. This counterintuitive tip is also excellent for reducing water consumption in the garden and moving towards eco-friendly watering .

4. Pay attention to your plant's needs

They determine when and how often to water. Each plant has its own watering needs. Larger plants and newly planted plants require more water. Vegetables in your garden , flower beds , and perennials require more frequent watering because of their shorter roots. Potted plants have a limited root system due to the size of the container. Water them daily during very hot weather.

Climbing plants and shrubs benefit from deeper roots and suffer less from drought .

When observing your garden, you should not overinterpret outward signs of dehydration . Temporary wilting during extreme heat does not mean it is time to water. Some plants experience temporary wilting, which can be a sign of adaptation or lack of moisture in the leaves. It does not necessarily mean that the soil is dry. Wilting branches can also be due to damage to the stems or roots , by insects or disease .

Visit your garden again in the early evening to see if the wilted plants have regained their vitality. If they appear more vigorous, do not water.

5. Water at the best times of the day

Whether or not you water your garden also depends on the time of day. Morning is the best time to reduce evaporation .

Those who work early, however, will have other things to do when they wake up, and can irrigate in the late afternoon. They will then have to be careful not to wet the foliage. If it hasn't dried before nightfall, small fungi and fungal diseases may appear.

We want to reassure you about watering during the day. The magnifying effect of the sun's rays on flowers is especially noticeable during periods of intense heatwaves . The disadvantage of watering during the day is more the risk of water evaporation. Leaving wet leaves in the sun seems less problematic to us than leaving your leaf soaked at sunset.

6. Prefer manual watering to automatic watering

Automatic sprinklers are very effective for lawns , as they allow for the watering of large areas effortlessly. Their gentle watering, imitating raindrops, is generally very effective for parks and large gardens .

On the other hand, they lose a lot of water through evaporation and provide superficial watering to individual plants.

Manual watering , whether with a hose or drip irrigation, is always more effective for your shrubs and flowerbeds. They allow direct irrigation of the roots while keeping the foliage dry. Manual watering takes a little more time, but remains the preferred solution for watering flowerbeds and shrubs in small gardens.

Grab your watering can and take action!

As you can see, it's by properly hydrating your garden that you achieve the most beautiful flowerbeds and flowers. This actually requires a good understanding of your environment.

With all this information, you can now know when your garden really needs water . You also know which gardening tools to use to best water your garden.

If watering is a pleasant experience for you, one that allows you to take your mind off things, choose an efficient watering system that you will enjoy using.

Discover our garden watering cans now by clicking on this image.