Watering is one of the most important tasks that every gardener must do. Without water, plants cannot live and therefore produce flowers or fruit. But sometimes it is not easy to control; and if we take into account that extremes are very detrimental to the health of our plant beings ... things can get much more complicated.
To make it easier for you, it's time to offer you some tips on how to water the plants correctly.
Check the humidity of the soil
To control more or less irrigation it is important to check the humidity of the soil or substrate. Each of the plants that we have in the patio or in the garden has its own water needs; for example, flowering plants or palms need slightly less water than grass.
In order to avoid problems, you must first make sure that the soil or substrate really needs water, but how? Very easy:
- Earth:
- Small plant (flowers, shrubs, cacti, etc.): if we want to know that a small plant that is planted in the garden has to be watered, what we will do is dig a little (no more than 10-15cm depending on its size the plant) not far from the main trunk or stem. If it is wet, at that depth we would see that the earth has a darker color.
- Large plant (tree, palm, bamboo, etc.): in these cases the ideal would be to go deeper, about 20cm.
- Substratum: there are different ways to know if the substrate is wet or dry:
- Weigh the pot once it has been watered and again after a few days: when it is wet it weighs slightly more than when it is dry, so this difference in weight can serve as a guide.
- Introduce a digital humidity meter: when introducing it, it will instantly indicate what degree of humidity there is. To make it more useful, it is advisable to introduce it in other areas of the pot (closer to the trunk or stem of the plant, further away ...).
- Dig a bit on the surface: you do not have to go too deep, especially if it is a plant that has been in the pot for a long time. It will suffice with about 5-15cm depending on the size of the pot (the deeper it is, the more it can be deepened).
Soak the soil or substrate well
Irrigation is not just pouring water. If we want the entire root system to be hydrated, it is necessary that, when we water, all the soil or the entire substrate is well soaked. For this reason, it is not advisable to pour only one glass of water every X days, because this glass can only be useful if a small pot is watered.
If we have potted plantsRegardless of the season of the year we are in, we have to water until the water comes out through the drainage holes and, above all, until we notice that its weight has increased. In the event that they are Garden plantsIt will depend on the type of soil that it is and the size of the plant itself, but to make sure it is always more advisable to add something more than what we would really add.
With the purpose of save water, it is highly recommended to install a drip irrigation system, which will moisten both the soil and the substrate slowly, allowing the roots to absorb it.
With these tips and tricks, you can have properly hydrated plants 🙂.
Good afternoon. I live in a tropical country, where the sun is strong most of the year, except in the last few days when it has rained a lot. My plants are on the terraces, one roofed and one unroofed. I have a variety of plants, how would irrigation be in these conditions. Thanks
Hello Alida Rosa.
It will depend on the plant itself and the rains in your case. In principle, it is recommended that the soil dry out a bit before watering again. And for that it would be necessary to check the humidity of said soil, for example with a wooden stick. If you see that when you take it out it is practically clean, then the earth is dry and you have to water.
If in doubt, write to us again.
Greetings.