Watering too much or too little is the cause of many common plant problems, says the EPA. You can have healthier plants and save money on water bills by learning to give your lawn and garden what they need, and no more.
According to the EPA, most plants do best if the soil is allowed to partially dry out between waterings. If the grass loses its shine, or if your footprints don’t show up on the lawn, it’s time to water.
Vegetables and other annuals should be watered at the first sign of wilting, but perennials need water only if they stay droopy after it cools off in the evening. Trees and shrubs usually don’t need watering once their roots are fully established (two to five years), except in dry years.
Some tips on saving water from the EPA and DES:
• Build your soil with compost and mulch to hold water and reduce evaporation.
• Choose low-water-use plants. Once established, they can often thrive just on rainfall.
• Use soaker hoses or drip irrigation on beds – they can save 50 percent more water than sprinklers.
• Use an outdoor water timer (available at garden stores) to water just the right amount, frequency and time of day.
• Use a rain gauge and water your lawn more deeply and less frequently to encourage deep root growth.
• Water lawns separately from other plantings. Make sure sprinklers aren’t watering the pavement.
• Use rain sensors on automatic sprinkler systems.
• When soil is dry or compacted, it won’t absorb water quickly. If water puddles, stop watering a while and then restart so the water has time to soak in.
• Water in the early morning. If you water at mid-day, much of the water just evaporates. Evening watering should be avoided because it can encourage the growth of mold or plant diseases.
• In a dry spell, you can allow an established lawn to go dormant. Water just once a month and brown areas will bounce back in the fall.
• Collect rainwater for watering plants using a barrel covered with a screen.
How long should you run the sprinkler? Here’s a tip from the EPA: Scatter clean, empty tuna cans or other straight-sided containers on your lawn. Turn on the sprinklers and check the time. When most cans have one inch of water in them, turn off the sprinkler and check how long it ran. That’s how long you need to run your sprinkler each week in summer in order to keep your lawn green.