How to Water Your Garden

By: Angela Judd | September 14, 2024

Watering your garden correctly is crucial for the health and productivity of your plants. However, it can be discouraging because this part of gardening is challenging to get right. Many common gardening problems can be traced back to improper watering—whether it’s too little, too much, or too frequently. This guide covers fundamental watering principles to help your garden avoid common watering issues and thrive.

Article Index:

Spend Time in Your Garden Each Day While Watering
Pay Attention to the Weather
Understand Your Plants’ Water Needs
Water Less Frequently but More Deeply
Water in the Morning
Provide Consistent Water
The Importance of Mulching
Know Your Soil Type and Its Watering Needs
Watering New Seeds and Seedlings vs. Established Plants
Key Takeaways

1. Spend Time in Your Garden Each Day While Watering

Being present in your garden during watering is essential. Regardless of your watering method, paying attention to your system while it’s operating helps you spot potential problems early.

Check for Issues: Look out for dead batteries, broken timers, leaks in lines, over-watering, or under-watering.
Prevent Waste: Identifying problems early prevents water wastage from flooding and ensures your plants’ health isn’t compromised.

If you use an automatic watering system, program it to run when you’re usually in the garden. This way, you can monitor its performance and make adjustments as needed.

2. Pay Attention to the Weather

Weather conditions significantly affect your garden’s watering needs.

Dry, Windy, or Hot Conditions: Plants require more water during these times.
Seasonal Adjustments: In hot areas like Arizona, raised-bed gardens often need watering every day during summer. In cooler seasons, watering 1-2 times per week may suffice.

The transition times can be tricky. You may want to manually control how often your garden gets watered as temperatures heat up in late spring and as they cool down in the fall. Check your soil before watering and gradually increase or decrease the frequency depending on the temperature and soil.

3. Understand Your Plants’ Water Needs

Adequate moisture is essential for healthy crops. “A healthy plant is composed of 75%-90% water, which is used for the plants’ vital functions, including photosynthesis, support, and transportation of nutrients and sugars to various parts of the plant.” (Arizona Master Gardener Manual, p.180)

Signs of Under-Watering

Brown, dry leaf edges
Slow growth
Leaf curl
Wilted or dropped leaves
Branch dieback

Note: Plants that wilt in the afternoon but recover when the sun goes down suffer from heat stress, not water stress. They may not need additional water. Check the soil before adding more water.

Signs of Over-Watering

Soft, rotten roots, or a rotten smell
Constantly wet soil
Light green or yellow new growth
Leaf curl and drop

Avoid over-watering to help plants develop heat tolerance and prevent issues like root rot and leaf drop.

4. Water Less Frequently but More Deeply

It’s better to water your garden deeply and less often than to give it frequent shallow waterings. This encourages roots to grow deeper into the soil, making your plants stronger and more drought-resistant.

Aim to moisten the soil to at least 12 inches (30 cm) deep.
Figure out how long it takes to reach this depth—you might need to dig down and check.
Use the “cycle and soak” method: water for a bit, let it soak in, then water again. This helps prevent runoff and ensures the water penetrates deeply.

Let the Soil Dry Between Waterings

Allow the top 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of soil to dry out before watering again. Use a moisture meter or do the finger test: stick your finger into the soil up to the second knuckle. If the soil feels dry and doesn’t stick to your finger, it’s time to water.

Occasionally, water longer to flush out salts that can build up in the soil, especially in arid regions like Arizona.

5. Water in the Morning

Watering early in the day is beneficial because plants absorb moisture more effectively in the morning. Watering in the morning also prepares them for the heat of the day and reduces the risk of fungal diseases that can develop if plants stay wet overnight.

6. Provide Consistent Water

Consistency is key when watering raised beds. Inconsistent watering can stress plants, making them more susceptible to pests and diseases like blossom end rot. An automatic watering system can help ensure your garden is watered evenly and regularly.

Timers can be easily adjusted for seasonal changes.
Options include soaker hoses, sprinklers, and drip lines.
Even a simple setup with a soaker hose connected to a timer can be effective.

I’ve found that Garden Grids from Garden in Minutes offer excellent coverage for raised beds. They distribute water evenly and can be easily connected to a timer. You can learn more about them in this blog post.

Ollas for Containers

Ollas (pronounced “oy-yahs”) are a great option for container plants. These are unglazed clay pots buried in the soil that slowly release water directly to the roots. While not automatic, they provide consistent moisture and are easy to use. Learn more about using ollas in containers in this blog post. I use ollas from Growoya.

7. The Importance of Mulching

Mulching is a simple way to conserve soil moisture and reduce how often you need to water.

It reduces evaporation from the soil surface.
It helps suppress weeds that compete for water.
As organic mulch breaks down, it improves soil structure.

Materials like straw, wood chips, or shredded leaves work well in vegetable gardens. See my guide to using mulch here.

8. Know Your Soil Type and Its Watering Needs

Understanding your soil is crucial for effective watering.

Sandy Soils: These drain quickly and may need more frequent watering.
Clay Soils: They hold water longer but can become waterlogged if over-watered.
Loamy Soils: This is the ideal mix, balancing drainage and moisture retention.

How to Identify Your Soil Type

Try the squeeze test by squeezing a handful of moist soil in your hand. Once you know your soil type, you can adjust your watering schedule accordingly.

If it falls apart when you open your hand, it’s sandy soil.
If it holds its shape and feels sticky, it’s clay soil.
If it holds its shape but crumbles with slight pressure, it’s loamy soil.

9. Watering New Seeds and Seedlings vs. Established Plants

Different stages of plant growth require different watering approaches.

New Seeds and Seedlings

Shallow Roots: Need the soil to remain consistently moist.
Frequent, Light Watering: Prevents drying out, which can be fatal at this stage. Use a hose with a sprinkler attachment to water young seeds and seedlings more often if you have established plants and seedlings in the same bed.
Close Monitoring: Check soil moisture regularly to ensure optimal conditions.

Established Plants

Deeper Roots: Benefit from less frequent but deeper watering.
Encourages Strong Root Growth: Deep watering promotes a robust and healthy root system.