Two Watering Tips That'll Help Your Garden Thrive In A Heatwave

When summer is in full swring,  it brings the blistering heat that makes you think twice about how you should be watering your garden. With the temperatures creeping dangerously close to, or passing, triple digits, your first instinct may be to keep the hose on constantly in your garden, drenching your precious plants as the day goes on. However, watering your plants during the peak of the day's heat can actually be counterproductive, as the heat leading to higher rates of evaporation. Instead, there are two watering tips you should keep in mind to avoid some common garden mistakes beginners make way too often that can cause even seasoned pros to stumble.

When the temperatures start rising, it's important to take a few extra steps to protect your garden from any negative consequences. After all, nobody wants to see all their hard work and effort go down the drain because of a temporary heat wave. Thankfully, by switching up how you water your plants, you can help your garden thrive even during the midst of extreme heat. The important factors here are what time of day you water, and for how long. Depending on whether it's a "dry heat," or you're somewhere like Florida, where the humidity is through the roof also impacts these decisions.

While you don't want to soak your plants during high temperatures, the last thing you want to do is deprive them of water altogether. In fact, a lack of water can be detrimental to your plants during the summer months, when the hot sun bears down, drying out the soil. Overwatering and underwatering are both common gardening errors, and you want to find the balance in order to help your garden survive a hot spell.

One of the best ways to do this is by watering less often but deeply, a secret that professional landscapers use. Instead of spraying your plants down with a hose and walking away — leaving much of the water to evaporate before it sinks into the plant's roots — take time to water your plants slowly and ensure that the water saturates the soil. How you water your plants isn't the only thing you want to keep in mind when trying to beat the heat — you should also consider the time of day.

If you're trying to work around evaporation, then it may seem smart to water at night. However, just like soaking your garden during a hot spell, watering at night can also be counterproductive to a healthy, thriving garden. When you water your garden during the night (particularly in humid regions), evaporation doesn't occur fast enough, leaving the soil soggy. This forms the perfect environment for fungus to grow — a major watering mistake that's easy to make and should be avoided. Instead, water your plants in the morning before the heat of the day to prevent the water from sitting for too long or evaporating too quickly.