Getting the Most from Your Garden Watering System

Having just passed the longest day of the year, the summer solstice, we are now into the "real" part of the summer. It is at this time of the year that your garden really needs you to be vigilant. All the hard work you put in during the winter and the money you may have invested in plants will be wasted if you are not on top of your game during the height of the summer.

Clearly, water is the key to a happy, successful garden at this time of the year. You need to make sure you are watering correctly; applying the correct amount of water, where and when it is required. Insufficient watering is clearly undesirable because your plants simply will not survive but equally undesirable is over-watering because it leaches nutrients out of the soil and creates anaerobic conditions in which plants cannot grow.

The first issue you need to come to terms with is that garden watering is not an exact science; like all matters horticultural, it is a compromise between requirements, conditions and cost, the first two of which are constantly changing. So how do you get it right? Well, the key to successful watering is good observation; what are the weather conditions, what has the weather done over the last week or so, what type of soil do you have, what aspect does the garden face, is the garden sheltered or windy, what are the general requirements of the plants you have, how much competition is there for the water from other plants and trees? These are all factors and considerations that affect the watering requirements for your garden.

The next issue is how the water is applied.

Hand watering with a watering can is time consuming and exhausting anywhere but in the smallest courtyard garden or terrace. It is also not as efficient as you might imagine; the water is generally applied too quickly leading to run off and is applied at the wrong time of day resulting in increased evaporation.

Using a hosepipe a spray nozzle is not as exhausting as using a watering can but has the same downsides of application rates and evaporation. A hosepipe used in conjunction with a lawn sprinkler is probably the most inefficient method of watering especially if done during the day when up to 75% of the water will be wasted through evaporation.

A modern irrigation system is the most efficient method for applying water to your garden. It will be computer controlled so that it runs for exact amounts of time thereby avoiding over-watering, one can apply more or less water to individual plants to ensure they each receive what they really need, the systems run during the night when evaporation is at its lowest, a rain sensor can interrupt the system until it is needed again, a irrigation system can be used in conjunction with a rainwater harvesting system and the system can be seasonally adjusted to moderate the quantities of water that are applied during the growing season. Most importantly of all though, a garden irrigation system will minimise the loss of new planting thereby acting as an insurance policy for your expensive new plants or lawn.

But whether or not you have a garden watering system, you need to take a little time each day to see if your garden is thriving or merely surviving and then adjust your watering regime accordingly. Get it right and you will have lush, healthy plants and a garden that you can be proud of.

About the author:

Simon Sales is the co-owner of two businesses; Waterwell Limited designs, installs and maintains garden irrigation & garden lighting systems in residential properties throughout London and the South East.