Stop Believing These 4 Garden Watering Myths

If I had a dime whenever someone gave me watering advice, I’d be a millionaire! You may have similar experiences, as the gardening world is full of recommendations. These garden watering myths are false until proven true, which is why Epic Gardening founder Kevin Espiritu tried them himself. He found these results from growing food for over ten years!

You may arrive at these same conclusions after following myths in your garden. Maybe you thought the rain would water your vegetable beds, only to discover wilting corn after a storm. Or, you waited until morning to use the hose, only to find drooping, thirsty lilies. 

These are our results, and they’ll work for any garden throughout North America. You may have techniques you follow that work for you—those are fine, too! Listen to your plants, as they’ll tell you when they’re thirsty. 

Look for drooping leaves, crunchy stems, and wilting perennials. Dry soil is lighter than wet soil, so you can also use dirt color as an indicator. Constantly wet soils cause yellowing leaves and root rot. Aim for a happy in-between, only irrigating when the top two inches of your soil dry out. However, you should always tailor your schedule to each of your species’ needs.

Now that we’ve got the basics, we can dive into four common garden watering myths. We’ll tell you what these myths sound like, as well as our recommendations for growing success.

Do You Still Have to Water When It Rains?

You might still have to irrigate when it rains! It all depends on how much rainfall your garden normally gets. There might be enough moisture for soaking the ground and quenching your plants’ thirst after daylong storms. If it only rains for an hour or two, that light sprinkle doesn’t deliver enough moisture into the soil. 

A good way to know if your plants need irrigation after a storm is by checking your garden’s dirt. Stick a finger in your garden beds, use a stick, or buy a moisture meter. You don’t have to use the hose if you feel moisture deep beneath the top layer. If you break through topsoil and find dry dirt beneath, you’ll want to give your garden beds a good soaking.

I garden in the Pacific Northwest, with frequent fall through spring rainfall. I don’t irrigate during these seasons unless rainfall is lower than usual. During summer, I regularly irrigate for crops that need it, like vegetables and new perennials. 

Rainfall frequency is different throughout USDA garden zones. You may have a situation like mine, or you might get all summer rain and no winter moisture! Adapt your irrigation frequency to fill in when your local climate fails to drench your garden beds, no matter where you live.

Do I Need An Irrigation System?

Another gardening myth is that you need expensive irrigation systems to maintain a beautiful landscape. But is automated irrigation the best way to hydrate your beds? It helps maintain consistent moisture, but some systems have blind spots they don’t reach. Other times, you might have especially thirsty plants near drought-tolerant ones. In this case, it’s best to water a single plant without getting the whole bed wet. 

Spot watering and irrigation give us multiple options. We can choose which one that’s best for use. I have a sprinkler head attached to a hose, and a separate hose I use for spot watering. I’ll use the hose for soaking apple trees, while the sprinkler head ensures tomatoes, peppers, and onions get weekly hydration. 

Containers and raised beds dry quicker than in-ground beds. A long hose is especially helpful for containers, keeping them cool amidst heat and drought. Use your finger to test the soil, and see which ones need the most water—next year, you’ll instinctively know where to irrigate and how often!

Another simple way to minimize spot watering is by grouping plants with similar irrigation needs. Set up timers for your system that match different garden beds’ needs. Drought-tolerant species need much less moisture than bog-dwelling ones; group like species in garden beds. 

Is It True That You Shouldn’t Water in The Afternoon?

This gardening myth is easy to debunk; you should water if your plants need it. All other rules come second! You don’t want to wait until morning and discover dead plants. Drought-stressed plants are particularly susceptible to pests and diseases, and they fare worse under heat waves than properly watered ones. 

Gardeners sometimes say not to irrigate during afternoons because it causes powdery or downy mildew on warm, muggy nights. Irrigation doesn’t actually cause its spread, but ambient humidity from watering on hot days. Keep powdery mildew at bay by only watering near the soil base during hot days. This keeps humidity low near susceptible leaves.

The optimal time depends on your schedule, although some ground rules help you know when you get the most benefits. Early morning and afternoon irrigation are best, as those are the coolest parts of the day. Hot temperatures and direct sunlight evaporate moisture quickly, meaning you’ll have to use more water than normal for midday irrigation. 

Ultimately, you should turn on the hose for your crops when you notice they’re thirsty, and you’ve got time to give them a drink. Try following the guidelines, but know that your crops are tough and will be okay if you water at night, in the afternoon, or midday. 

Should You Water All Plants A Little Bit Each Day?

Plants drink water daily, but that doesn’t mean they need daily irrigation! This misleading gardening myth can lead to poor watering practices. Instead, aim to give them infrequent, deep waterings. There are two reasons why:

Firstly, long waterings encourage plant roots to grow deep into garden soil. With deep roots, your vegetables and perennials can suck up more nutrients and water than if they sprout shallow roots. If you water a little bit each day, your crops will only extend roots in the soil’s top layers. 

A second reason long, infrequent watering sessions reign supreme is that they keep soils wet for more days than watering a little bit does. Thick soakings make garden beds cool through evaporation. The more water in the soil, the more evaporation occurs, and the more moisture is available to roots. 

Use mulch or compost on top of your soil and conserve even more moisture than normal! This nutritious layer protects water from direct sunlight, keeping it locked underneath the dirt. It also adds beneficial nutrients and microorganisms that increase plant resilience. Mulch and deep, infrequent watering sessions keep your crops happy all summer.