Watering is an important part of agricultural work. Without paying attention to the rules of watering, thinking that the main thing is to water, you may have a situation similar to this: “I don’t understand anything, I water and water, but there’s no point! Nothing grows in the garden." Through trial and error, you can come to an understanding of what needs to be done and how. We want to make this path easier for you, and we present the rules for watering plants.
It’s better to water the plants less often, but more!
Plants, like us, must “drink only proper and good water,” otherwise they will develop much worse than we would like.
The consequences of moisture deficiency sometimes do not appear immediately: in fruit trees, especially those that bore fruit abundantly in a dry year, the peripheral roots die off, after a year or two the bark peels off, and the tree may die unexpectedly for the gardener. Therefore, we are convinced that watering “just in case” is always better than not watering.
Therefore, based on the bitter experience of many gardeners, we want to give some advice on when and how to properly water the plants in the garden. So here are some very simple rules.
What do we water with?
Rainwater, of course, is ideal for irrigation (provided that the rains in your area are clean and do not take with them waste from a nearby industrial plant). It is useful to collect rainwater for future use; warm, it is even healthier. Besides rain, there are usually two options: water supply and a well. Tap water, as a rule, contains a lot of iron salts, but the statement about its hardness is not always true; it depends on where your water supply comes from. If noticeable scale does not form on the kettle within a month, you can safely water rhododendrons and hydrangeas with this water.
The water temperature for irrigation should be about 20°. To do this, you can simply keep the water in a barrel or bath.
Well water is usually hard. You can make it softer with baking soda (2-3 tablespoons per 10 liters of water), and only then use it for watering.
Plants should only be watered in the morning or evening, never in the heat or in the sun!
How many?
Anyone who ran around the site with a watering can will not find this question idle. A 10 liter watering can per square meter is usually recommended, but this is only sufficient if you water daily. Even a small rain that drops just a few drops will moisten the soil more, because it will happen over a large area at once, and neighboring dry areas will not dry out the watered areas. After proper watering, there should be no dry layer left in the soil; this can be easily checked with a scoop.
Vegetable crops need to be watered less often, but abundantly, since with daily, but more meager watering, the moisture will not reach the roots and such watering will be of little use. 
What and how?
Trees and large shrubs on loose, permeable soil can be watered by simply placing a hose under the roots for about 40 minutes. On heavy clay soils this will not work: if the soil is dry, the water will simply flow over the surface. You will have to dig a circular groove or at least a few holes in the tree trunk circle, into which you can pour water. But it is best, of course, to dig porous tubes 30-70 cm into the ground (the depth depends on the structure of the plant’s root system; you can dig several tubes to different depths).
The lawn is watered with a sprinkler - the more evenly the water is distributed, the smoother the greenery will be. You can also water flower beds with a sprinkler, if there are no plants there whose delicate petals suffer from water drops (petunias, morning glory, rudbeckia, lilies and light-colored roses, bearded irises, double peonies). These plants are watered at the root. It is better to water the garden with warm water, so a watering can is usually needed here.
But the most convenient (and economical) method is drip irrigation, when an individual hose is connected to each plant. Special porous hoses are sold, but you can also install just thin tubes, like those through which an aquarium compressor supplies air. Water can be pumped into the system or flow by gravity, for example, from a barrel located above the watering point. It is important to ensure that all watering points, if there are several of them, are at the same level, otherwise some plants will be watered better, others worse, and the water may not reach the topmost ones at all. You can adjust the intensity of watering by changing the lumen of the tubes using clamps or a propagator-distributor with taps (all this is sold in the same place as other irrigation equipment).
An option for drip irrigation is inverted water bottles (they are usually placed under newly transplanted plants). It is important that there should be no other holes in the bottle other than the neck stuck into the ground, otherwise the water will pour out too quickly.
When? Classic - watering in the morning and evening hours; it is believed that in this case all the moisture goes to the plants without evaporating in the hot midday sun. An alternative point of view is to water when moisture is most needed, that is, in the heat of the day. In fact, most often it turns out that we water when there is an opportunity. Those who come to the garden only for the weekend spend them in the heat with a hose in their hands. And, surprisingly, contrary to the gloomy forecasts of their neighbors, they do not develop spots on cucumbers or holes on hostas from water drops; the plants simply rejoice at the long-awaited watering.
Of course, not all plants need to be watered constantly. The very first watering, with warm, almost hot water, after the snow melts, if the ground is still frozen and the sun is already hot. So we water evergreen rhododendrons and conifers emerging from winter in early spring to allow the roots to take moisture from the soil and thus avoid scorching in the spring sun. If there is no rain in May, regular and abundant watering of all plants during the active growing season is required until the soil is completely saturated with water.
In June, we stop watering the spring-flowering bulbs that are going into retirement; excess moisture is now harmful to them. Flowers require good watering during the period from bud development to flowering - the flowers will be larger. After flowering, most plants need a short rest from watering; regular rain is sufficient. Fruit trees are watered during the period of active growth of the ovaries, otherwise most of them will be discarded; the exception is, which fills better and does not rot if the top layer of soil dries out periodically.
Dried flowers and plants from which you plan to collect seeds are not watered from the moment the fruits reach mature size.
Shrubs, especially those that cannot stop and start preparing for winter, are watered starting from mid-July only if it is completely dry.
In August, if it rains from time to time, we water only annuals that continue to bloom, and moisture-loving perennials, Siberian irises, and plants that have recently been transplanted (in the second half of August you can replant conifers and most perennials).
In September, evaporation is already so low that watering is not needed at all. But in early October, when the wintering buds have already formed and the shoots have stopped growing, the garden needs the last watering of the season, the so-called moisture-recharging watering. Of course, if it rains at this time and the soil is wet throughout its entire depth (it is advisable to check this, especially after a dry summer), there is no need to water.
And one last thing: if you need to feed the plants, then this must be done along with watering, otherwise they will not receive the required amount of nutrients.
So that it’s both tasty and beautiful
- It is better to pick raspberries, strawberries, and other berries in sunny weather, since most berries have the ability to absorb excess moisture. And having absorbed rain moisture, they will boil very quickly.
- If your plums, pears, and apples are not very juicy, then it is good to use currant and raspberry juice as fillings when preparing them.
- To ensure that the fruits in the jam and compote are cooked evenly, cut them into strictly identical slices. Then they will not only be tasty, but also remain beautiful.
There are several and each of them is good in its own way.
We will tell you how to make them yourself and what is better to choose.
Watering is of great importance for the harvest, beauty and decoration, so it is worth paying special attention to this.
Not every summer resident has the opportunity to water the garden at the period necessary for the plants, so doing it remotely is much more convenient and simpler.
After reading the article, you will not need to rush around with a watering can or stand and plug the hose with your finger. We will help you create an irrigation system that will make your work easier and become a real salvation.
Types of irrigation systems
There are several ways to water your garden:
- sprinkler;
- drip;
- intrasoil;
- moisture recharging.
Let's look at each of them in detail.
Sprinkler irrigation system
There can be two sprinkler methods:
- air;
- above ground, with pipe laying.
Air irrigation is convenient and easy to install. It has special nozzles for spraying, which are mounted in the pipe at equal distances.
Water from small cracks in the pipe forms small drops and provides micro-irrigation watering of the garden.
The disadvantages of aerial rainwater irrigation include the fact that the water must be purified and the pressure must be at least 2 atm.
Drip irrigation system
Such irrigation is carried out by supplying water to the roots of plants. You can arrange it so that water flows deep into the earth (using droppers) and onto the surface of the earth (using a drip tape or hose).
By type they distinguish:
- gravitational;
- forced.
Gravity watering of the garden is carried out by supplying water under the influence of gravity and pre-filling the container, while forced watering works from a water supply connected to a well.
To create pressure in the gravity irrigation system of the garden, the container is raised to a height of 2 meters.
During drip irrigation, water comes into the container from a water supply system and a main pipe with branches.
Branches can be made using fittings, and the main pipe must be laid along the garden or in a furrow or along the greenhouse.
Drip irrigation branches are connected to drip lines along the entire length of the bed. For drip lines, you can use drip tape with holes or a pipe with droppers.
Drip lines are closed with flush taps and plugs.
In order to avoid clogging, install a filter, valve tap and reducer at the junction with the water supply.
Subsoil irrigation system for garden
This type of irrigation is similar to sprinkler irrigation, because the pipes are also located underground, but it differs in that there are no nozzles on the surface of the earth.
Watering the garden occurs inside the soil, when water seeps through specialized pipes and hoses with pores.
These are not plastic pipes and cost a little more, but this has the advantage of saving water.
Subsurface irrigation does not irrigate a large area, but it all depends on the diameter of the pores in the hose and the characteristics of the soil (how well it absorbs moisture).
If you want to install subsurface irrigation in your garden over a large area, then lay pipes more often and make a pipeline with the greatest number of branches.
This irrigation system is perfect for greenhouses and vegetable gardens, and will also appeal to you.
Moisture-charging irrigation system
There is no point in relying on rain in this climate, so artificial irrigation will help you keep your garden and plants fruitful.
A lack of water in the autumn, when the soil and fruits are preparing for winter, can lead to poor yields, and this is deplorable for any gardener.
Moisture-recharging irrigation will be a real salvation in this case, it will help:
- will help the autumn growth of the root system;
- keep the soil warm;
- will help not dry out the soil in winter.
Water-recharging irrigation is not suitable for apricot, cherry plum, plum and other stone fruit trees. Rather, it will be harmful to them. Also, you should not use it on clay soils, low areas, or places with high groundwater. In this case it will be required.
It is better to install a moisture-recharging irrigation system in September, even if it rains at that time.
It is better to water the garden and vegetable garden using a hose. To find out the required watering time, place the hose in a bucket and note how long it takes to fill it.
Then estimate how long it will take for the required amount of water to be absorbed into the ground.
DIY watering systems
Watering the garden with a bottle
An easy and effective way to make your work easier. Take several plastic bottles and cut off the bottoms.
It is necessary to make several medium holes in the plug (up to 6), so that water does not flow out quickly.
Dig a hole 15 cm, making a distance of 20 cm from the plant. Insert the bottle into this hole with the lid facing down at a slope of 45 degrees.
Fill the bottles with water and it will provide moisture to the roots.
Another method of air drip watering from a bottle is that you hang a bottle with the bottom cut off with a stopper at the bottom left of the plant.
Fill in the water and adjust the plug to your liking.
This method of watering the garden is good because the bottled water heats up in the sun and makes your fruit happy.
To prevent drops from leaving deep holes in the soil, cover the watering areas with small pieces of film.
DIY hose watering system
Take a hose and make holes in it. Lay it out and dig it in with soil and connect it to the tap.
Water will slowly flow to the roots of the plants, and the weeds around them will remain dry.
Do-it-yourself watering system with fabric strands
Economical and simple option. Dig basins or bottles at soil level near the plants and fill them with water.
Then make bundles of fabric or gauze, which are buried near each plant at a depth of 10 cm.
The fabric will draw water from the container and water the plants evenly, and you can do something else.
DIY lawn or garden watering system
Screw a plastic liter bottle to the hose with wire and make many holes.
Make it big and your device will water for you.
You can also insert handles (tubes) into the holes of the bottle. So the irrigation area will be larger.
The handles may not last long, so it is better to glue them with glue.
To water the lawn, it is better to place the bottle vertically, so the water flow will be more even.
Rules for watering the garden and summer cottages
To prevent plants from getting sick, it is necessary to take into account that the water should be warm.
Do not water the beds during the day or in the sun, as you will burn them and the water will not get to the roots.
Tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers and peppers are watered only after 18 hours to avoid the appearance of powdery mildew.
Water in the morning or evening - this is very important!
It is worth watering the seedlings every day, and when they take root, change the watering to once every three to four days.
An excellent option would be to water the garden with the addition of ash (3 tablespoons per 3 liters of water) or onion peels (take the peels of 2 large onions and pour three liters of boiling water, leave for 3 days and strain).
Alternate healthy infusions with regular watering at a frequency of 1 to 2.
If you decide to water the garden with a watering can, hold it higher. So the area will be larger. A watering can will benefit young shoots.
Do not water the leaves, but direct the hose towards the root system.
Of all the forms of caring for vegetable plants, the most time-consuming, troublesome, and simply hard work is watering the garden. How to water the garden correctly so that this difficult work is at least effective? As in any business, there are rules, subtleties and secrets.
Watering rules
The main rule of watering is not to use cold water. By supplying water to the beds directly from a water supply or an artesian well, gardeners expose young plants to temperature stress, slowing down their development. The issue can be solved simply, just install a barrel on the site. If you fill it in the evening, then during the warm summer night the water will warm up to a temperature comfortable for the roots, so in the morning, before the sun begins to get hot, you can start watering.
The bulk of the roots of most vegetable plants are located at a depth of 15 cm to 30 cm from the soil surface. When watering a garden, water penetrates to such a depth only when its layer on the surface reaches 2.5-3 cm (about 400 buckets of water per 1 sq.m.).
Consequently, surface watering, when water does not reach the root system of plants, is completely ineffective. And frequent surface watering during dry times can even be harmful for many plants: the root stops growing deeper in search of water, and in the moistened upper layers of soil, intensive growth of lateral surface roots begins, which die at the slightest drought, plant development is inhibited, root crops become hairy, lose commercial quality.
Water from the city and country water supply must be settled for at least a day, trying not to use the water that has accumulated at the bottom of the container in order to prevent unwanted harmful elements, especially chlorine, from entering the plants.
Ways to water a garden
No matter how many different methods of watering people come up with, hardly anyone can do without the old reliable watering can and a small mug when it comes to delicate seedlings.
Irrigation by sprinkling
The most common method of watering in summer cottages is sprinkling, when water is cut into separate drops with special devices, which, falling in the form of rain, ensure uniform moistening of the soil and ground layer of air.
Despite many advantages, this method of watering also has a significant drawback: not all plants like it when water is poured directly on their heads - some only accept watering at the root. In addition, when they come to their dacha once a week, the owners, as a rule, try to quickly water their plants in any way they can (they have to leave!), and water at any time of the day, regardless of the midday heat.
Water rolls down the soil crust formed after the last watering - neither the soil nor the root system of plants is able to absorb it. This leads to wasted water and rapid growth of weeds. Drops of water under the bright sun cause burns to the leaves, destroy the soil structure, contribute to the formation of a soil crust and erosion of the top fertile layer. In addition, watering with cold water on a hot afternoon has an adverse effect on plants.
Watering with a hose
It would seem that it couldn’t be simpler: connect the hose to the water supply and water everything. However, watering with a hose also has its disadvantages. Water under strong pressure rapidly penetrates the soil, carrying mineral fertilizers deep, polluting groundwater with them, and sometimes, eroding the soil, leaving bare roots, especially on sandy soils.
Drip irrigation
A good method of watering is drip, close to natural, drizzling rain for a long time. Water, slowly penetrating into the soil, dissolves fertilizers and creates a good nutrient medium for plant roots.
DIY drip irrigation
For drip watering of plants planted in even rows, you can use a simple device that you can easily make yourself, saving significant money. To make it, you will need polyethylene tubes (or pieces of hose of the required length) with a diameter of 8-12 mm with 1 mm holes located 30 cm from each other.
The tubes are laid with the holes down so that there is no jet. One end should be plugged, and the other should be arranged so that a hose from a barrel raised to a height of 1-2 m can be easily connected to it.
You can pour clean water, filtered solutions of organic and mineral fertilizers into the barrel. Fertilizer or water is delivered by gravity to the roots of plants evenly, slowly, drop by drop, moistening the soil to a great depth, which is very beneficial for plants.
Spot watering(bottle irrigation)
Large or freestanding plants can be watered using the spot watering method: 1-2 inverted plastic bottles with the bottom cut off or a hole made on the side for a hose that is inserted to fill the bottles with water are buried near the plant. An uncut bottom will help protect water from excessive evaporation and the bottle from clogging the holes with debris.
The cork on the bottles is screwed on and a small hole is pierced with a hot awl or nail about 2-3 cm from the neck. For sand and sandy loam, a hole with a diameter of 1 mm is sufficient, for oily loamy soil - 1.4 mm, for heavy clay soil - 1.5 mm.
Turning the bottle upside down, it is buried near bushes of peppers, tomatoes, cabbage seedlings and others, so that the hole is turned towards the roots of the plant and is located at a depth of 3-5 cm at a distance of approximately 5-7 cm from the stem (it is important not to damage the roots) . Having poured water into such watering bottles, the gardener can go about his business.
The water leaves the funnel in about 3 hours. All this time, the roots receive life-giving moisture. In a greenhouse, with this method of watering, the condensation characteristic of country greenhouses disappears from the film.
A plastic bottle with holes can be filled halfway with compost and the water will gradually leach the nutrients from the compost, delivering the fertilizer directly to the root zone.
Beds located on sandy soils require frequent watering, but in small portions. And those that are on heavy clay soils need to be watered less frequently, but more abundantly.
Dry soil is watered in 2-3 doses - as the water is absorbed. With this type of watering, moisture displaces air and penetrates closer to the roots.
Plants grown without seedlings are much less dependent on precipitation.
Today you have expanded your knowledge of how to properly water a country garden, the specificity of which is the frequent absence of owners, and therefore, preserving moisture in the soil becomes a task no less important than watering.
Drought and heat sometimes take you by surprise, and the gardener needs to think about watering the vegetable crops in the garden.
All plants require a certain amount of water in compliance with the watering regime.
Let's consider when, how and what to water in the garden, which watering methods are better, whether vegetables need watering, how to properly water garden plants.
Each vegetable requires a certain amount of water and different frequency of watering the beds. You will learn a lot of interesting things about watering from the article.
How to water cucumbers
cucumbers moisture-loving plants, so they need frequent watering. The soil should be moist 20-30 cm deep.
Watering and sprinkling of cucumbers is carried out in the early morning before sunrise or in the evening after sunset, so as not to burn the leaves. In cloudy weather, water in the afternoon.
Be sure to water the cucumbers at the root using a watering can with a sprayer; using buckets or a hose is not recommended, as this can expose the root system, which will lead to a decrease in yield and fruiting.
Water the cucumbers as follows:
-- after sowing seeds in the ground. Water with warm, settled water (20 degrees) from a watering can, make sure that the soil does not dry out;
-- before flowering begins. Watering cucumbers during this period is carried out no more than once a week (if it rains, watering does not occur) - watering is necessary for the development of a strong root system of cucumbers, always at the root;
-- during the appearance of flowers and ovaries. Watering is carried out every 3-4 days (if it is hot, it is necessary to water every day). When the air temperature rises above 25 degrees, sprinkle the cucumbers. This procedure is carried out daily, due to which the temperature of the leaves and flowers decreases and the ovaries do not fade;
-- during the period of active fruiting. Water the cucumbers in the morning and evening. An adult plant will need about 20 liters of water per 1 m2 of area.
Video - How to water cucumbers correctly
How to water tomatoes
Signs that tomatoes need watering are that the leaves of the plants become smaller, curl, the ovaries may fall off, the fruits grow and ripen slowly. With frequent watering, the fruits become watery, and there is a risk of tomatoes being damaged by fungal diseases.
Watering tomatoes should not be frequent, but plentiful and carried out in the evening. It is advisable to use warm, settled, rainwater with a temperature of 24-26 degrees for irrigation; cold water and tap water can harm the root system.
Sprinkling of plants is carried out only in very hot weather. Water tomatoes at the root once a week - during the period of flowers and ovaries appearing. When ripening and fruiting begin, watering is carried out 2 times a week, 3-5 liters per plant.
Low growing tomato varieties During the ripening period, water less often or stop watering altogether, waiting for the fruits to ripen. This way you will achieve a high yield of tomatoes without cracks and damage from late blight and brown spot.
Tall varieties of tomatoes simultaneously have growing, ripe and formed fruits. Therefore, such tomatoes are watered in the usual way - once every 4 days, 10 liters of water per plant.
Video - How to water tomatoes
How to water cabbage
Improper watering of cabbage can cause a poor harvest. Cabbage loves moisture more than other vegetable crops. When watering, watch the weather; excess moisture can harm the plants.
When there is a lack of moisture, cabbage is attacked by cabbage fly and cruciferous flea beetle.
Watering cabbage depends on the weather: In dry and hot weather, sprinkling is carried out; on cool days, water is applied at the root. The soil should be moist to a depth of 40 cm.
It is necessary to water the cabbage with warm water (18-23 degrees) in the evening. Early cabbage is watered every 3-4 days with 7-10 liters of water for each plant. Late varieties are watered daily.
Before harvesting, watering must be limited, otherwise it will lead to cracking of the heads of cabbage. Some cabbage varieties require more frequent watering.
Video - Watering cabbage
How to water peppers and eggplants
When watering, the soil should be moist to a depth of at least 20 cm. Watering peppers and eggplants is carried out 1-2 times a week with warm water (25 degrees), 15 liters per 1 m 2 of area (it all depends on weather conditions).
To avoid excess moisture remaining, it is necessary to loosen the soil in the area with plants.
Water under the roots or furrows, along the rows. During the fruiting period, water 2 times a week, 20-30 liters per 1 m2. If it gets hot, use evening or morning irrigation. When the temperature drops below 15 degrees, watering is stopped.
Watering garlic and onions
When the feathers of garlic or onions begin to turn yellow, this is the first signal to water. In dry weather, onions and garlic are watered every 5 days until ripening begins (from May to the end of June).
Water with warm water 5-10 liters per 1 m2 of area with plants, in the furrows between the rows.
A month before full ripening (approximately ripening begins on July 15), stop watering completely - the crop is poorly stored in winter and may not ripen due to excess moisture.
How to water carrots and beets
After sowing, carrot seeds should be kept in moist soil until they emerge. To achieve these goals, gardeners often use film, the moisture does not evaporate, and watering is rare.
When shoots appear, remove the film and water the plants every 10 days using a watering can with a sprayer. Water consumption is 30 liters per 1 m 2 of area with plants. Stop watering completely 3 weeks before harvest.
Lack of water for carrots can cause the formation of rough, uneven roots. If carrot leaves curl, it is not getting enough moisture.
Beet less demanding on watering. Over the entire season, it is enough to carry out 4 waterings (depending on weather conditions) of 30 liters per 1 m2. Watering is carried out in the evening or early morning.
Lack of moisture for beets can affect the root vegetables; they will be tough and tasteless. If the foliage color turns brownish-purple, the beets require watering.
Watering pumpkins and zucchini
These cultivated plants do not need to be watered often.
For normal growth, zucchini is watered once a month, 20 liters per plant.
Until the moment of hilling, the pumpkin needs to be watered once, 8 liters per plant. After hilling, the pumpkin is not watered for 1 month. After that, watering is carried out every 10 days, 10 liters per plant. A month before harvest, watering is stopped.
Watering is carried out only at the root, in the evening or in the morning.
Watering potatoes
Potatoes do not particularly need watering, except in areas with arid climates and certain varieties that require abundant watering. There is usually enough rain to produce a potato harvest.
Video - Effective watering for the garden
Watering is necessary for plants, because often there is no rain during the necessary periods of growth and development. So you have found out how much moisture various vegetables need for normal growth and fruiting.
Follow the frequency of watering based on weather conditions; excess moisture also has a bad effect on plants.
By adhering to the correct watering regimes, you can get a high yield of vegetables.
Loading...