Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Water Is Also Important
As with every other living creature on the planet, container plants not only need water, they
need a lot of it. Since they are confined to the smaller growing space of a container, it means
that there is a limited amount of soil from which they can draw their moisture. Being in a
container also means the soil dries out much easier and quicker.
If you are not experienced in plants and their growth, it might be surprising for you to know
that you can, in fact, water a plant too much. You might be thinking, “How can you water
a plant
too
much?” Well, look at it from the plant's point of view: if you are in a container
and water is being constantly poured onto you and you are only so thirsty, the excess water
is not being used. Allowing it to build up not only floods the plant, but encourages rotting.
This is why drainage holes are so essential.
You also have to keep in mind that being confined to a container means that even mild tem-
perature changes, especially heat, affects these plants much more than plants that grow in
the ground. Add in a lot of direct sunlight and this process speeds up even faster.
A common problem that beginner container gardeners make is trying to squeeze too many
plants into a container. This means that there are now more plants fighting for the same lim-
ited water supply.
Some people will overcompensate by giving the plants too much water at one time with the
belief that they will have it on hand when they need it. This is especially true if the gardener
is going to be away for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, plants can only store so
much moisture at a time.
The frequency with which you need to water a container garden depends on many factors.
The type of planter being used, the size of the planter, the size of the plants, how long they
have been planted, the time of year, etc. Getting into a habit of watering your plants on a reg-
ular basis is good, but it cannot be completely dependent upon as a reliable measure. Some
days may be hotter than others. One day might have considerably more wind. This is why
you are better off to have a system in place to do the deciding for you.
A common approach is to go by how the soil feels. If soil is dry on the top and down to a
certain level, such as up to an inch or so, then the plant needs water. But while this is fairly
reliable, it does have the drawback of requiring you to stick your finger down into the dirt
every time you need to know. Accurate, but not exactly convenient.
