How to Water Properly: When, How Much & Why Feeding matters
Watering plants is a simple task, but to make the most out of your watering efforts, there are a few things to look out for. When to water, where to water, and how to water should all be considered to get the best blooms and bountiful harvests. Feeding your plants is also an important step to ensure plant health and growth, but a lot of people will skip this altogether.
We’ve put together these useful hints and tips to help you get the most out of growing your seeds this year.
When Is The Best Time To Water Plants?
The best time to water your plants is either in the morning or in the evening when the sun isn’t directly on your plants and the heat is lower. This is because the heat of the sun can evaporate any moisture from watering, whilst any water on the plant itself can cause scorching in the sun’s rays. Many people consider the morning to be best as watering in the evening can tempt slugs, and moisture left on the leaves can encourage mildew.
What is the Best Way to Water Plants?
You should always aim for the base of the plant underneath any foliage, and you’re looking to give your plant a good, deep water. Whilst a watering can will give you more control, a hose with a watering attachment will work just as well. Make sure you use a rose attachment or similar on a hose to soften the stream as the water can damage your plant and its root system if it comes out with too much force.
You can set up soaker hoses around the base of your plants to make it easier to water throughout the season, but we would advise against a sprinkler system as they are inefficient and unable to target the roots of your plants.
How Much Should You Water Plants?
The soil may look damp as you’re watering, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that your plant will be properly hydrated. You need to think about the depth of the roots when considering how much water to give your plants. Equally, just because the top of the soil is dry doesn’t mean that your plant is parched. The soil can be damp once you get a couple of centimetres below the surface. The best way to check how well you’ve watered or how much water your plants need is to make a small hole and feel for yourself.
Where you’ve sown your plants will also make a big difference when it comes to watering. Plants that are grown in containers will require more frequent watering than plants in beds as they have no way of gaining extra moisture from the ground. They dry out quicker in the heat and require more attention. Different types of plants will also require different amounts of water and will need watering at different intervals.
How to Avoid Overwatering Your Plants
In our enthusiasm to make sure our plants grow well, it can be easy to overwater them, and this can be just as bad as underwatering. Confusingly, some of the signs of overwatering are similar to underwatering so if you’re unsure, just check the soil moisture before getting carried away. Here are a few things to look out for if you think you might’ve overwatered your plants:
- Wilted leaves
- Brown leaves
- Dropping leaves
- Mouldy soil
- Mushy stems
- Blistered leaves
- Root rot
Fundamentally, you want to water your plants thoroughly but less often than you’d expect to ensure optimum moisture levels and depth. Adding a layer of mulch around the base of your plants can help form a barrier to keep moisture in without soaking the roots, helping your plants to grow stronger and healthier.
Why is Plant Feed Important For Healthy Growth?
Plants need a specific mix of nutrients to grow strong and healthy. While these are generally available in your soil, adding a good quality plant food will make a big difference to your yield.
Plants need:
Nitrogen – to help grow leaves and form chlorophyll, which makes the leaves green and helps with photosynthesis.
Phosphorous – for root development and to help convert sunlight into energy. It is particularly helpful in the early stages of a plant’s life as it aids the formation of stems, buds, and shoots as well.
Potassium – to regulate water balance, which helps with drought resistance and winter hardiness. It is particularly important for fruiting crops as it encourages the production of flowers and fruit.
At Premier Seeds Direct, we have two different all-natural plant feeds available for you to choose from to help make the most of your growing season. They can easily be incorporated into your watering routine as they are simply added to your watering can, and there are clear instructions on quantity and frequency of application.
Our All Purpose Plant Feed has an equal balance of Nitrogen, Phosphoros, and Potassium to encourage healthy growth across all stages of a plant’s life cycle.
Our new Tomato Feed has been specially formulated with higher potassium levels and lower nitrogen levels to encourage fruiting plants like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers to produce more flowers, leading to a much better yield come harvest time. Add these plant feeds to your routine today – your plants will thank you for it!
