Mulch reduces surface runoff and slows evaporation from the soil. It's much more difficult for plant diseases to get a foothold when the foliage is dry. If you do get moisture on the leaves, this gives them time to dry out. Use your finger or a shovel to check the progress. In heavy soil, it may take hours for water to percolate down 6-12". Lawns and annuals concentrate their roots in the top 6" of soil for perennials, shrubs and trees, it's the top 12". Too much moisture can be just as damaging to plants as too little. Automatic watering timers are especially useful just make sure to watch the weather, and reduce frequency when rainfall is abundant. Wetting the foliage is a waste of water and can promote the spread of disease. Remember that it's the roots that need access to water, not the leaves. If it's bone dry, water! Six Tips For Watering Your Garden If it feels moist to a depth of 6 to 12 inches, you're in good shape. For a thorough investigation, push a spade into the soil near your plant and pull it back to see how the soil looks. You can't use the "lift test" in your garden or landscape, but you can use a soil moisture sensor to see if it's time to water. The key is to ensure that water gets to the root zone - whether you are tending seedlings, watering houseplants, watering a row of tomatoes or soaking thirsty shrubs and trees. Slower watering is usually more effective. This can happen if you water too quickly or apply too much water at once. Watering is of no value if the water runs down the outside of the root ball, leaving the roots at the core of the plant dry. Related Article: How to Choose a Watering System The Best Way to Water Then you lift the pot again to check that it feels right. If it's not heavy enough, you water slowly until all the soil in the pot is moist and water runs out the bottom. Over time, you get to know how heavy a pot should feel if the soil inside the pot is thoroughly moistened. If you're working in a nursery, you lift each pot before you water. Fortunately, it's easy to figure out what to do - even for a teenager on a hot summer day. It's a judgment call that depends on the type of plant, the soil, the weather, the time of year and many other variables. When it comes to watering, there are no hard or fast rules. But he also used this initiation period to identify the best employees: people who paid attention. By teaching his staff how to water a plant properly, the owner ensured the health and vitality of his inventory. He told me that the nursery owner always had his new employees spend the first two weeks doing nothing but watering plants. A friend once had a summer job at one of New England's premier nurseries.
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