Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | NXg | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

“Time of watering is the basic thing to keep in mind. Early mornings or late evenings are ideal for wetting the garden patch. If watered during the day, the droplets will heat up as the sun progresses and cause leaf burns,” says Sailaja, t he proprietrix of Green Earth Enterprises.

Garden plants need regular replenishment of the water lost due to deeper absorption by the soil, evaporation from the soil surface and transpiration.

However, it should be done sensibly lest excessive water should deprive the plants of the oxygen in the soil and suffocate them.

“It is enough if the plants are watered once in a day during summer and on alternate days in winter. The surface of the soil should be checked for dryness before watering the plant,” says Sailaja and warns that leaves turning yellow should be considered a sign of excessive watering.

A little moisture on the surface is the indication that the plant does not require watering.

Too little water on the other hand may make the roots dry up and lead to death of the plant.

The amount of water needed also depends on the type of soil. Clay soils need relatively lesser quantities of water when compared to the sandy soils due to their capacity to retain water.

A good thumb rule is to fill the root zone with water and allow the soil to dry out before next session of watering. Bigger trees and shrubs retain water more efficiently and surface dryness alone cannot be taken as the indication of water requirement whereas vegetable and flower plants with relatively shallow root system need frequent watering.

Digging out a bit of the area around the roots with a trowel is the best way to ensure the need of watering.

“Container plants need more water than the ground plants as the latter have the facility of sending their roots deeper into the soil,” says Sailaja.

She also says that the outward dryness in plants should not be addressed by overwatering them.

Instead, a spray on the leaves will do the needful.

“Such spraying is equivalent to we applying moisturiser when our skin goes dry,” she chuckles. As a word of caution, she says that chemical fertilizers should be avoided in summer as they will induce heat and dryness. A variety of water cans, nozzles and sprinklers are available in the market to suit the different modes of watering.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail