The Ultimate Guide To Watering Your Plants
It’s easy to say watering can be done by, “This much and this often.” - but that can’t be done.
There’s a lot of things to consider in determining the right way to water your plant. The type of plant, location of your plant, even the weather in your area determines whether it’s time to water or not.
How do you determine how much water you should give to your plant baby?
There’s no one-size-fit all answer to this however we can somehow break it down based on the type of plant you have.
- Vegetables and herbs like basil, mint, parsley don't want their soil to get too dried out before you water them; however, at the same time, they don’t want to be over watered.
- For herbs with Mediterranean origin like Rosemary, basil and fruit bearing plants like tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and Malunggay plants prefer to have their soil dried out before you water them. The technique with these types of plants is you place your finger in the soil at least 2” deep, if the soil is dry, that’s the time you water them.
Some extra Watering Tips:
- Focus on the root zone. Remember that it's the roots that need access to water, this drip the line area of the root zone is the most efficient area to water the plant in a drought. Remember to water slowly to assure that the roots would be able to get the water to the root balls and not just run down your container.
- Water in the morning.It supplies them with a stash of water to get through the day’s heat. The most efficient time to water outdoor vegetables is before the heat of the day when the soil is cool and the water has the best chance of seeping down to the roots of the plants.
In Philippine settings, especially during summertime, it is best to check your plant baby in the afternoon to see if the soil is too dry.
- DON’T over-water. Over-watering increases the risk of root rot and fungal disease. Typically, plants need enough water to keep the soil moist for about 3 or 4 inches deep around the plant stem.
