A GARDENING guru has revealed the right time to water plants – and it's not in the morning.
When it comes to gardening, most will assume that watering is probably the easiest aspect of it all – but turns out, you're most likely doing that wrong too.
According to the experts at Phostrogen®, who spoke to The Express, there are a few things to keep in mind when fuelling your plants with hydration.
“An error often made by gardeners is watering too frequently, as this means the plant isn’t encouraged to develop its own root system and search for water at a deep level, becoming dependent on the surface water provided instead,'' the gurus explained.
Adding that proper watering is ''essential'', they also revealed that frequency of watering depends on several different factors.
These, they pointed out, include soil type, weather and season.
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The type of soil is an important factor to keep in mind when it comes to watering your plants.
“Depending on the texture of your soil and whether it is compacted or not, it will have a greater or lesser ability to hold water, which seeps down to the roots.
“There are four main types of soil to consider, so begin by identifying which type of soil you have.
''If your soil is sandy, water is often and a little at a time, as it can’t hold a lot of water.
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“Generally speaking, if it is more clay-like, you can freely water with large quantities of water, but less often.”
According to the pros, the ideal soil for watering is silty-clay soil, with a lumpy texture, one that's similar to coffee grounds.
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“If your garden doesn’t naturally have this type of soil, you can encourage this texture by regularly adding in some compost and turning it over at the surface with a garden fork from time to time,'' they added.
''It is said that turning over is the equivalent to two watering sessions, but it’s a lot simpler and requires much less effort.
''Of course, different plants prefer different types of soil and different levels of watering, so it’s all about finding the right plant for the right place in your garden.”
Another aspect that plays a huge role in watering is the weather – but here, it can be tricky to keep track of how much rain has fallen throughout the day.
To prevent overwatering, the experts recommended installing a rain gauge in a clear area of the garden.
They went on to explain: ''This simple tool is cheap but very useful.
“Generally speaking, one millimetre of rain represents one litre of water per square metre, so you can measure how much water your plants have already received each day.
“You may often be surprised when taking water readings from your gauge, heavy rainfall lasting a few minutes often brings less saturation than a fine drizzle that lasts for several hours.
“Of course, water more regularly during summer months and hot spells.''
Revealing the gardening Dos and Don'ts, the gurus also explained what time of the day is the most optimal for watering your plants.
“In spring and autumn, water early in the morning, but in the summer, it can be best to wait until the evening as watering during full sun can burn the plants.”
Where possible, try to use rainwater instead of tap water, which you can collect by installing a water butt in the garden.
As it isn’t cold or chlorinated, and it is also much better for the environment, plants much prefer rain water.
It is also essential to remember that water isn’t the only essential element for plants – just like us, they also love to be fed too, and this is where different fertilisers, such as Phostrogen® All Purpose Plant Food, come into play.
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