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Polk County Master Gardeners
News Articles
Water as needed
Near the middle of August we are still
mowing grass instead of walking around on the crunchy brown remnants of a
lawn! Plants, trees and lawns are amazingly green.
More frequent rains this year are doing wonders for our gardens
with a minimum of watering compared to the previous two years of
drought. Such variables in weather need to be anticipated
in any garden or landscaped area to protect valuable
plants from extremes. This certainly includes providing
ample water to maintain healthy plants.
Deprived of essential water, plants
wilt, show signs of distress and eventually die. At the onset of stress,
they are also more susceptible to a variety of pests and diseases.
This points to one of the major differences between plants and
animals. Plants have the ability to internally manufacture
their own food. In order to produce food for itself, each plant
requires energy from sunlight, carbon dioxide from the air, and
water from the soil. Water is especially crucial for
photosynthesis (food production) to occur. Furthermore,
water transports and distributes minerals from the soil to plant
cells and gives each plant its turgor (or firmness ).
With this in mind, you can appreciate
why watering is such an important gardening responsibility. It may seem
basic, but do you know how to water properly when rain is
sparse? A common error is to wait too long between watering
sessions. This may result in substantial damage to plants
not yet established and to certain types of plants that require
more water than others. Pests also recognize a sick plant
and move in quickly! This may require additional expense
and effort from you to correct. Pick the right time to
water. Early morning is the preferred time. Evening may be the
most convenient time for most working folks to water their
gardens but nighttime dampness in a garden attracts
unwanted pests and critters, not to mention, the onset of
certain types of plant diseases. Also avoid watering in the
hottest part of the day. This results in a high loss of
water through evaporation. Wet leaves may also "bake" in the hot sun.
New style soaker type hoses are an
inexpensive way to gently deliver water to the roots of your garden plants.
They may be easily curved throughout each flower bed with the hoses
placed closest to the most prized flowers and ornamentals. A thick
layer of mulch added on top conceals the soakers, holds them in
place, conserves water, and distributes water where it is most needed. To further
simplify your watering task, use garden hose timing devices that
shut the water off automatically. This is a great way to
avoid forgetting to turn off the water. It's always best to water
deeply and less frequently. Therefore, low volume soaker
hoses will require some pretty long watering sessions to get
the job done properly.
Another wonderful way to make
watering easier is to install one of the new types of home irrigation systems.
They can be designed to come on automatically the right time of day,
the right number of days per week and deliver the exact
amount of water to individual plants. These systems are
relatively easy for do-it-yourselfers or can be engineered and
installed by professionals. Depending upon your particular
circumstances, the cost of such a setup might be worth the
expense in terms of long-term dependability and time saved for
other activities.
For some, watering by hand with a hose
may have some therapeutic value; but may eventually become just another
tedious and time consuming task. If you are currently
using this method, as many excellent gardeners are, consider
buying a long-handled hose attachment with a water diffuser on
the end. This device will prevent strong water pressure
from damaging roots as you direct the spray toward the base of
each plant. Another alternative is to place the hose on the ground to let water seep throughout a wider area and soak in
deeply vs. directing the spray onto the foliage. An exception to
this rule might be to occasionally wash off plants that are
either dirty or infested with pests.
By: Gerald L. Wood
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