Spend less time watering your garden

Watering is one of the most time-consuming tasks for gardeners, particularly during the summer months. Many garden enthusiasts find themselves repeatedly watering the same plants, especially those positioned along walls or in borders that quickly wilt in dry conditions. If you’re tired of spending so much time with the hose, there are tips and tricks to help you put the hose down and spend more time enjoying your garden 

Plant choice is crucial

I am sure every gardener experiences this, the one plant in the garden that constantly seems to be drooping in the summer and despite watering it daily, it still looks like it feels rather sorry for itself. Hydrangea macrophylla seems to be that plant over the last couple of years that seems to be constantly asking for water.

The key to reducing watering time lies in understanding your garden's unique soil and climatic conditions and selecting plants that thrive in them. When you choose specimens suited to your soil, aspect, and microclimate, watering needs can decrease dramatically.

A quick online search can be incredibly helpful. Simply search for ‘[plant name] habitat or origin,’ and you’ll usually find details about where the plant naturally thrives. For example, a client recently offered me some Origanum laevigatum ‘Herrenhausen.’ Before accepting, I did a quick google search to check on its suitability for my garden. The soil in my home garden is relatively heavy, consisting of improved clay that generally retains moisture well and is nutrient rich. The search revealed that this plant is native to the “rocky regions of Cyprus and Turkey”. While further research into those habitats might be useful, I immediately realized the preferred growing conditions of this plant are not compatible with those in my garden. 

Designing with natural plant communities gives us an indication to plants that naturally thrive or are native to the environments they grow in. For instance, if a garden area is partly shaded with rich, damp soil, it would be similar to a woodland edge community—an ecosystem that flourishes in moisture-rich, fertile soils. Plants suited to vastly different conditions, such as drought-tolerant rosemary or steppe grasses, would struggle and feel out of place in such an environment. By matching plants to their preferred habitats, you can create a garden that’s both resilient and easier to maintain.

Wait-and-See Approach

This long-term approach can help in determining which plants are best suited to your garden. In natural plant communities growing in the wild, weaker and unsuitable plants are naturally eliminated over time, leaving only those that thrive in the given conditions. We only see the end product, not the process of elimination. In contrast, garden environments require us to make educated guesses about which plants might work well and then make decisions on which plants are to stay and which might want replacing.

Most plants need watering during their establishment phase, but after that, you can adopt a “wait-and-see” approach. Observe how each plant responds to the conditions in your garden. Plants that are poorly suited often reveal their struggles through slow establishment, stunted growth, or increased susceptibility to pests and disease. Rather than investing significant effort in nurturing plants that clearly aren’t thriving, consider replacing them with species better adapted to your garden’s conditions. This approach ensures a more sustainable and low-maintenance garden in the long term.

Watering Technique

In my experience, many home gardeners water too frequently but not sufficient in the amount of water they are providing. When the soil surface dries out, it often resists immediate absorption. On watering, this leaves the top layer wet while the deeper layers remain dry, preventing water to be drawn down to where it’s needed most—to the roots.

Hand watering, while common, has two significant drawbacks. First, water is often applied too quickly, causing it to run off rather than soak into the soil. This not only wastes water but also fails to hydrate the plant effectively. By adjusting watering habits to focus on deeper, slower irrigation, you can ensure water reaches the root zone, encouraging healthier, more resilient plants.

The second downside of hand watering—and I’ve been guilty of this myself—is the tendency to water for just a few minutes before running out of patience or time. When this happens, the water doesn’t penetrate deeply into the soil, leaving it concentrated in the upper layers. As a result, plants develop shallow root systems that remain close to the surface where moisture evaporates quickly during dry weather.

This creates a cycle where the plants become dependent on frequent watering because their roots haven’t developed the depth and resilience needed to access moisture from deeper layers of soil. To encourage healthier, drought-resistant plants, it’s crucial to water deeply and thoroughly, allowing moisture to reach the root zone and promoting stronger, more extensive root systems.

More efficient watering

I’ve found two techniques to be far more efficient and less time-consuming than hand watering. The first is using an oscillating or multi-pattern sprinkler (avoid heavy-duty lawn sprinklers that can damage delicate plants). These sprinklers allow for precise coverage of your desired area, and their small droplets provide time for water to soak into the soil gradually.

To make the most of this method, start by assessing how dry your soil is. Set up the sprinkler to run for about 20 minutes, then check the soil again. Scrape away the top layer to see if the water has penetrated deeply into the root zone. Adjust the watering time if necessary to ensure thorough hydration.

The second method is using drip irrigation or leaving a hose on a slow drip. This approach delivers water directly to the base of plants at a controlled pace, minimizing runoff and evaporation while targeting the root zone effectively. I often use this technique in gardens with small planting areas along house walls. Both techniques save time and water while promoting healthier, deeper root systems.

There are other techniques, such as pieces of pipe that are placed in the root zone of trees at the time of planting, allowing you to deliver water right to the root zone of the tree.

Conclusion

By changing how we plant our borders and selecting plants carefully we can drastically reduce the need for weed control and watering. If watering is required in your garden, using the right technique can reduce the hours spent watering and will also reward you with happier, healthier plants that might not need watering in the future.

If you’d like help implementing any of these ideas or need help with plant selection get in touch here to book a free site visit.