By Brian Minter
With this amazing run of nice weather, along with significant heat, watering our outdoor plants has already become an issue.
Some early hanging baskets and patio planters are already out beautifying our decks and there are some challenges to get the watering just right. Many young transplants have also just been set out and we need to ensure they get enough water, while avoiding the worst case scenario of giving them too much.
New plantings, whether in containers or ground beds, need a while to settle in. The very best time to water is in the morning while the temperature is warming up. Use a good watering nozzle, like the round water breakers with 400 to 1,000 tiny holes, to distribute the water evenly while using minimal water pressure, so the water penetrates the soil as opposed to bouncing off. Spray nozzles do not give the soil a good soaking, and they also get the foliage much wetter, which can cause disease problems like mildew. We are already seeing plants being ruined by mildew and needing to be replaced. It’s important in all cases to water the soil, not the foliage.
For new plantings, it’s important to give plants just enough water to keep the roots moist, so you’ll perhaps have to water twice a day instead of soaking the soil too heavily and deeply, which then stays too wet for the young roots.
Hanging baskets also need special consideration to learn their water requirements — just a gentle lift on the bottom of the basket to feel the weight is the best way to see if they need watering. Light baskets need a good drink, but if they are already heavy, it’s best to leave them until they become light before watering thoroughly. Check twice: once in the morning and again later in the day because, depending upon their exposure to the sun and wind, they can dry out quickly. If the baskets are light and quite dry, perhaps give them two drinks: one to initially wet the soil, and a second drink to penetrate the soil more thoroughly. This will ensure they have adequate moisture to get them through a warm day without wilting. If no plants are wilting it is, of course, OK to keep them a little drier in the evening.
Because we water baskets and planters so frequently, we tend to leach a lot of nutrients out of the soil. To keep everything growing and healthy, it’s important to feed them all with a slow-release fertilizer like 14-14-14. Depending upon the size of the basket or planter, all you need is about one heaping tablespoon (30 grams) of fertilizer for a 12-inch container and proportionately more for larger baskets and pots. This will provide food daily over a three-to-four month period, keeping everything healthy and strong.
For annuals in ground beds, adding organic matter, like Sea Soil, will help significantly increase moisture retention. For top performance they will also need feeding in addition to the organic matter. Even though we have watering restrictions, it’s best not to use sprinkling for watering your beds, but rather a watering wand with a proper water breaker nozzle for best results. Again, try to keep water off the foliage, especially for plants like tuberous begonias, to help prevent mildew.
With these warmer temperatures all your plants should quickly become established and give you a great performance all summer long. Proper watering will play a huge part in their success.
Brian Minter is an award-winning horticulturist, author and syndicated columnist from Chilliwack, B.C. He and his wife, Faye, founded Minter Gardens, a 32-acre mixed-style show garden.
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