Watering Your Garden

1. Water the Soil, Not the Leaves

Avoid overhead sprinklers whenever possible. Leaves don't need to be wet, and wet foliage encourages disease. The goal is to soak the root zone, where plants absorb the water and nutrients they need.

2. Water Deeply and Less Often

A long, slow soaking encourages roots to grow deep into the soil, making plants stronger, more drought-tolerant, and better able to survive winter.

Frequent, shallow watering keeps roots near the surface, where they dry out quickly. Plants may wilt more often, becoming stressed and increasingly susceptible to disease and winter damage.

3. Don't Water by the Clock—Check the Soil

Before watering again, dig down a few inches to see if the soil is still moist. Most established gardens benefit from deep, infrequent watering, unlike lawns, which have shallow roots and require shorter, more frequent watering.

4. Use Soaker Hoses or Drip Irrigation

Soaker hoses or drip lines on a timer deliver water directly to the roots, reduce water waste, minimize disease, and allow you to water automatically day or night.