Especially on hot summer days, flowers quickly make you hang your head. When watering, however, you should pay attention to a few important things.
We all know it ourselves: when the temperatures rise to 30 degrees, we often feel overwhelmed by the heat. If there is no breeze at all, most of us are struggling badly with the weather. You have to imagine that the plants in your garden feel the same way. However, while we can quickly flee into the shade when the sun is strong, these have to withstand the strong sunlight.
Unfortunately, most plants cannot do this on their own. They need some support from you. Otherwise it can have fatal consequences. For example, your flowers could dry up or even get a real sunburn. It is therefore absolutely necessary that you water the plants very carefully.
» Reading tip: Watering flowers on vacation - 4 tips
Important rules for watering in summer
Rule No. 1 - choose the perfect watering time:
It is generally best to water the plants in the early morning hours between 6 and 7 am. Then the temperatures are still pleasantly cool, which means that the irrigation water does not evaporate as quickly. In this way, the plants can continue to feed on the irrigation water for some time.
On the other hand, if you only water in the evening hours, it could be that some of the perennial thirsty plants will be hanging their heads by then.
Rule No. 2 - the perfect watering amount:
» Bedding plants:
An average of 20 to 30 liters per square meter of plant bed is completely sufficient. On extremely hot days, however, you can increase this amount by another 10 liters. However, the watering should be done very carefully. If necessary, several waterings in a row are recommended so that the water can be absorbed well by the soil and penetrate as deeply as possible into the root system.
» Container plants/flower pots:
Container plants and flowerpots should always be watered until the excess water flows out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.
» freshly planted flowers/plants:
Freshly planted in the gardenPlants should be watered far more frequently so they can root properly.
» Shallow or deep rooting:
In addition, you should clearly distinguish between shallow and deep-rooted plants when watering, since shallow-rooted plants logically need much more water and, as a result, more often than deep-rooted plants.
» Lawn:
Many people make the mistake of watering their lawns much too late in the summer, causing brown spots to form (dry fields). To prevent such dry areas from developing, you should try to water your lawn as late as possible in the evening, starting around the first week of the dry season (around 10 to 15 liters per square meter).
Rule 3 - Use rainwater for watering:
Rainwater is considered the perfect irrigation water! Therefore, it is best to set up a rain barrel in your garden to collect rainwater. This saves water costs and is very beneficial for the plants. Otherwise you can also use stale tap water for watering. If you have no other option, you can of course also water with normal tap water, but this must not be too cold.
Our tip: lay a drip hose or apply bark mulch
To save yourself the constant watering, you can also lay a drip hose in your beds, which ensures constant watering. However, you should know that purchasing such a system is a bit expensive and you still have to monitor it (in terms of watering time, water volume, defects, etc.).
But spreading bark mulch in the beds also ensures longer storage of the water in the soil. Read here how to do it correctly: Applying bark mulch - That's how it's done.