Twenty five dollars will get you hours of fun, and tired-out children. In terms of watering your lawn and garden, an oscillating sprinkler is one of the least efficient methods available to you. The fine spray of water can be carried away by wind and can even evaporate if you’re using it in the heat of the day. If you pay for your water, that can add up over the course of the summer. The oscillating sprinkler is intended for lawns, which have shallow roots and is not appropriate for beds and borders. Sprinkler types that are lower to the ground and produce a stronger stream of water will be more effective.
Maybe you’re one of the ‘watering wand fairies’. You and your watering wand flit around the perennials and shrubs adding a little water here and there. The problem is you don’t stay in one place long enough. You’re only soaking the soil down an inch or two; your perennials and shrubs will root into those two inches and be more prone to winter freezing. Additionally, many times the foliage gets wet and can lead to fungal and bacterial leaf diseases. Experiencing black spot on roses or powdery mildew on Bee Balm or Phlox? Water the soil, not the leaves. In terms of watering well in a border or bed, you need to stand four to five minutes in each spot, maybe longer if you have a thick mulch, to really soak the soil deeply.
My favourite solution to watering well: soaker or drip hoses. You will use far less water and water your plants much better. Soaker hoses release water slowly, in targeted areas and soak down much further into the soil. The deeper the roots of your hardy plants the less prone they will be to winter root damage. Have you ever had an established shrub or tree leaf out in the spring and then die? Probably root damage: there was enough carbohydrates stored in the plant to leaf out but the roots were too damaged to pick up water and begin photosynthesis. The other thing that is fantastic about soaker hoses is that you turn them on and then walk away for half an hour or more, enjoying your family, a good book or a lovely beverage in the ensuing time!
Newly planted tree or shrub? Put your watering wand on soaker, place on the outside of the root ball you just dug, turn the water volume onto low and have a mini soaker. There’s also that old-time hack of a two litre pop bottle with some small holes punched in the bottom. Bury up to the neck beside new plantings and then top the water up as needed through the cap end. Specific, deep drip irrigation, especially beneficial if you’re trying to establish a plant among the roots of existing trees. I’ve been seeing on social media a hot trend of sinking natural terracotta pots into beds, covered with their saucers. You fill the pot and water should slowly leach through the terracotta. That’s one I’d like a bit more data on.
Are you growing fruit trees like apples, plums or pears? As the fruit is developing is when they need water, to produce the largest, most luscious fruit possible. On mature trees the most viable roots for picking up water are out past the end of the branches by at least two feet. This is so the trees can pick up rainwater well. This is where you should be watering them, not by the trunk.
Your style of watering can affect the health and longevity of your plants. Pick wisely and you’ll save time and money, and you’ll have healthier plants!
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