With gentle and repeated rains in the middle of June, gardeners could relax and turn off the auto sprinklers and timers for a few days. As the weather warms and possibly heats up extremely, we want to keep plants alive while not wasting water. The general message is to water plants deeply, so that roots go deep for protection and don’t remain shallow, where they dry out easily.
EWEB refers to OSU Extension guidelines that indicate the average lawn needs of 0.5-1.5 inches of water per week during summer (you can use a shallow can to measure). Water in the morning while it’s cool out. Ideally, set sprinklers on a time for 5 or 6 a.m. Plants watered late in the day create ideal conditions for fungal growth.
Sign up for EWEB’s Weekly Watering Recommendations to learn how much water is needed to keep plants healthy all season.
EWEB Weekly Watering Recommendation for the week of July 10-16: Water your lawn / flowers: 1.35 inches
- If your lawn has deep roots, split into two watering days: 0.67 inches/day.
- If your lawn has shallow roots, split into three watering days: 0.45 inches/day
Tip of the week: Weeds compete with vegetable plants for water, nutrients and sunlight. Hand pulling weeds or sheet mulching over weeds with newspaper or cardboard covered with bark mulch or garden compost will maximize water used by desired plants. Consider grouping plants in your yard according to their water needs and available sunlight when selecting a planting spot. Dig a small hole (2-4 inches deep) around the root system of plants to see how much water is in the soil before hand-watering. If the soil is still noticeably damp, wait to water for a day or two until the soil dries out completely.
By Brenda Kame’enui
