Water deeply, less often

A long soak every few days sends roots down deep, where the soil stays moist in a heat wave. Light daily sprinkles keep roots shallow. Aim for about an inch of water a week, rain included.

When: Growing season

An inch of water is about 20 gallons per bed

An inch of water over a square foot is about two-thirds of a gallon, so a 4 by 8 foot bed needs about 20 gallons to get its weekly inch. That's a lot more than a quick pass with the hose.

When: Growing season

Water in the morning

Plants drink before the heat of the day, and wet leaves dry off fast in the sun. Leaves that stay wet overnight invite mildew and blight.

When: Growing season

Check the soil with your finger

Push a finger 2 inches into the soil beside a plant. If it's dry at your fingertip, water. If it's damp, wait. It's more reliable than the look of the surface.

Water the soil, not the leaves

Aim the water at the base of the plant. Splashing soil onto leaves spreads diseases like early blight, and water on leaves does the plant no good.

Sandy soil needs water more often, clay less often

Sandy soil drains fast, so give it smaller drinks more often. Clay holds water for days but soaks it up slowly: water it slowly, or in two rounds an hour apart, so the water sinks in instead of running off.

Time your sprinkler with a few empty cans

Set three or four straight-sided cans around the garden, run the sprinkler, and time how long it takes to collect an inch of water. Now you know how long to run it, and whether some spots get less.

When: Growing season

Keep a new seedbed evenly damp

Sprinkle newly sown rows gently every day or two until the seeds come up, with a fine spray so they don't wash away. Seeds that dry out after they've started to swell die.

When: Spring, Growing season

Water new transplants every day at first

Transplants have small roots that can only reach the soil right around them. Water every day or two for the first week or two, then switch to deep, less frequent watering.

When: Spring

Afternoon wilting isn't always thirst

Squash and cucumber leaves often droop in the afternoon heat and perk up by evening. If they're still wilted the next morning, check the soil, and look for vine borers or wilt.

When: Growing season · For: Squash family (cucurbits)

About squash vine borers →

Water tomatoes evenly

Dry spells followed by a soaking cause blossom end rot and split fruit. Steady moisture, held in with mulch, prevents both.

When: Growing season · For: Tomato, Cherry tomato

About blossom end rot →