How often should you water flowers? Which plants do you water from above and which from below? We reveal what you should consider when watering plants in your home and garden.
Many myths and half-truths surround casting. Although proper watering is essential for a plant to thrive, the watering instructions that come with it are often very general and not very helpful. The reason for this is that there is unfortunately no blanket answer to watering. And that's exactly where the problem lies: In addition to the pot size, temperature, soil type and sunlight, there are many other factors that influence the amount of irrigation water required. Nevertheless, we will try to bring the topic a little closer to you. Because once you have de alt with the subject of casting more intensively, with a little experience you will quickly become a casting pro!
Watering plants in the garden correctly
Watering the plants is one of the main tasks in the garden. And with good reason: water is one of the essential basic needs of a plant, along with the sun's rays and nutrient-rich soil. Almost all plants absorb water through their roots - there are only a few exceptions, such as tillandsia, which absorb moisture through their leaves. In addition to the water, nutrients also get into the plant via the roots. Since these can only be absorbed through the moist soil, watering plants also ensures the supply of nutrients. It is therefore very important to always water the entire root ball when watering. In addition to nutrient absorption, air supply is also a crucial point. If the soil is watered deeply and not allowed to dry between waterings, there is a risk of oxygen starvation. Only aquatic plants can supply their roots with oxygen via special organs. Our typical garden plants cannot do this and will die in the soil without adequate access to air. Proper watering not only influences the water balance, but also the nutrient and oxygen uptake of the plant.
How often should flowers and co. be watered in the garden?
There is no general answer to the question of how often flowers and co. should be watered in the garden. In fact, the frequency of watering is heavily dependent on all sorts of factors. The biggest factor is the weather: If it's raining heavily anyway, additional watering in the garden is not necessary. In the case of prolonged dry periods, on the other hand, the watering can should be used. The time of year also plays a crucial role, because plants need more water and nutrients during their growth period than in winter. In winter, watering should therefore only be carried out during prolonged drought and only during frost-free periods, otherwise the plants can be damaged. The nature of the soil, the type of lighting and of course the type of plant can also lead to variations in watering. Deep-rooted trees often do not need any additional water supply even in midsummer, while some types of vegetables should be additionally watered in spring.
How often the plants have to be watered depends on many factors. But how do you find out how often you need to water your garden? Often, simply observing can give a gardener a good indication of the water supply in his garden: Crumbly and cracked soil that feels dry even under the surface is a first indication of a lack of moisture. If the plants also show hanging, limp flowers or leaves, they should definitely be watered again. The following applies: Many plants prefer complete watering of the entire root ball - so it is better to water a larger amount once a week than just a little every day. It is therefore optimal to observe your garden and always adapt the watering individually to your own garden and the current weather conditions.
Summary: How often do I have to water flowers and co. in the garden?
- No general statement possible
- Watering intervals depending on weather, soil conditions, plant species, etc.
- Signs of drought: crumbly, cracked soil and wilted plants
- It's better to completely moisten the root ball once instead of watering small amounts every day
- Watering intervals must always be individually adapted to the garden and weather conditions
Should you water when it is hot?
Especially in midsummer, plants need additional waterby watering: Long periods of drought mean there is a shortage of water in the soil, while at the same time the heat means that the remaining water slowly evaporates. It is therefore particularly important that the plants are also watered in summer. However, many gardeners dread watering flowers in the heat, as this can cause sunburn to the plants. In fact, plants should not be watered in the blazing midday sun: water droplets then have a magnifying effect on the leaves and can burn the leaves. It is therefore better to water in the early morning hours: Here the temperature is significantly cooler and evaporation is also lower.
Tip: You can find out how you can ensure that your plants don't die of thirst even during your summer vacation in our article on the topic "Plant watering on vacation".
Tips for watering bedding plants
Bedding plants can root through a large volume of soil and therefore need to be watered less than potted plants. Nevertheless, the garden plants need some water every now and then to stay vital and he althy. Bedding plants should be watered well, especially after they have been planted: This closes the cavities between the root ball and the garden soil and the plant grows faster. After planting, the watering intervals should become longer and longer. This is the only way for the plant to "search" for water with its roots and develop sufficient root volume. With well-developed roots, plants are more resilient to longer periods of heat and require less watering overall.
Whether and when the bedding plants have to be watered during dry periods depends heavily on the soil conditions in the bed: heavy, humus-rich and loamy soil can store an extremely large amount of water. In contrast, sandy soils need to be watered much more frequently. However, if the soil has dried out and the plants wilt, the bedding plants should definitely be watered. Many gardeners wonder if the plants need to be watered from below or from above. The answer is relatively simple: it is best to distribute the water evenly over the rootstock of the plant, so it should be poured from below. On the other hand, if flowers and the like are watered from above, the moisture on the leaves can encourage fungal diseases.
Tips for wateringContainer and potted plants on the balcony
Unlike bedding plants, potted plants have much less substrate available and can only root through a much smaller space. This limited space means that potted plants are watered much more often. Potted plants need additional water, especially in spring and autumn, because their bucket has only a limited volume. Potted plants also need more water in summer because their pot warms up faster and evaporation is higher. Similar to bedding plants, the condition of the soil is a good indicator of whether potted plants need to be watered. In addition, the weight of smaller plants can also serve as an indication of the water balance: If the plant feels unusually light, this may be due to the lack of water - so it's time to water the plant again.
Another difference when watering potted plants compared to plants in beds is their special substrate: Potted plants are usually potted in potting soil made from peat and not in topsoil. Peat can store a lot of water and thus helps to avoid frequent watering. But beware: You must never let peat dry out completely! Dry peat is water-repellent and has a much poorer ability to store water - as a result, peat can even mean that potted plants have to be watered even more frequently. For this reason, as well as from a sustainable point of view, peat is increasingly being dispensed with. Biological alternatives are, for example, soils made from wood fibers and coconut fibers. The water storage properties here are not quite as good as with peat. On the other hand, the alternative soils do not become water-repellent when they dry out and often have a better CO2 balance. This also applies to our Plantura organic soils: These are peat-reduced or peat-free and sustainably produced.
Does your potted plant use an unusual amount of water and does it need to be watered several times a day? This phenomenon can be caused by an unfavorable ratio of plant size to pot size. If a plant, due to its size, consumes more water than the limited substrate in the pot can provide, it will need more water. Repotting the plant into a larger container can quickly fix this problem and significantly increase watering intervals.
Water indoor plants properly: How and how often?
Indoor plants depend entirely on the water supply provided by humans and gotherefore particularly quickly in case of neglect. It is all the more important to ensure that houseplants are watered correctly. But how often do you have to water houseplants? This is particularly dependent on the respective plant species: cacti and succulents, for example, have a particularly low water requirement and are allowed to dry out briefly between watering, while exotic indoor plants from rainforests have a particularly high water requirement and prefer evenly moist soil. In addition, attention must be paid to the development phase of the houseplant. Plants need a lot of water when they are in bloom, but they rarely need to be watered when they are dormant. In addition, influences such as sunlight, room temperature and humidity can affect how often houseplants need to be watered.
To determine whether it is the right time to water a houseplant, you should take a close look at the plant's substrate: You can penetrate the substrate by a centimeter or two with your finger and feel whether it is completely dried up. If so, it's time to water most houseplants. In addition, a low weight, a hollow sound when tapping on the clay pot or the substrate detaching from the edge of the pot can also be an indication of dryness.
If the indoor plants are watered, it is important to find the right amount here as well. Although the root ball should be well moistened, there should be no waterlogging. After watering, you should therefore wait a quarter to half an hour and check the saucer. If excess water collects in this, it should be poured away - this way you avoid waterlogging.
Water plants with tap water
Everyone knows this myth. Plants should always be watered with rainwater or well water. Just no tap water! But why? Many hobby gardeners and unfortunately also experts claim that tap water is too hard for our plants. It is true that many plants prefer a pH value of 6 - 6.5 - but tap water can also have a pH value of 8 and higher. The pH value of tap water is therefore often too high for our plants. However, it is often forgotten that plants release organic acids into the soil to absorb nutrients and thereby lower the pH value themselves. This balances out the high pH value of the tap water. It is therefore not worse for our plants if yoube poured with tap water. It can only be used with plants that prefer very acidic soil and are sensitive to lime, such as azaleas (Rhododendron) or blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus). It makes sense to do without tap water that is particularly calcareous and to water it with rainwater instead.
As you can see, we cannot offer any generalized solutions for correct watering. However, if the above tips are followed and you know roughly what water requirements your plants have, nothing should go wrong. Most plants are sturdier than you might think and even if they are extremely limp, they usually recover quickly after watering.
It's not just the plants in your garden that need water - you should also water your lawn regularly. Check out our article on watering your lawn for what to look out for.