Courtesy iStockphoto / Thinkstock
For more efficient lachrymation , put the watering can aside and expend a drip irrigation system to hydrate your garden crop . To make the job even easier , hook the sytem up to an automatic timekeeper .
When the summertime sunshine is sizzle , do n’t palpate like you have to make the decision of run up a eminent water bill or letting your plants fry . Use these five confidential information to maximize your lachrymation potential and keep your crops hydrated .

1. Mulch, mulch, and mulch some more!
continue your stain with a mantle of organic material such as straw , leaf , tear up newspaper publisher or cardboard , coco palm - fibre stalk , or coco - attic mulch . This will tone down soil temperature , prevent runoff and evaporation , and hold moisture in the soil for longer catamenia between waterings .
2. Water deeply.
Less frequent , deeper waterings are more in force for most plants than frequent , shallow waterings . Plant tooth root will grow stronger and salubrious , and you will not need to water as often .
To check whether it ’s time to H2O , push your fingerbreadth down into the land . If it is still moist a knuckle or two deep , then it does n’t need piss yet . If it ’s ironic , then give the soil a nice long , deep soak so that the pee reaches the tooth root zone .
3. Use drip irrigation and an automatic timer.
Large amount of water tend to run off the soil surface rather than being engulf into the lower layers . For this reason , it ’s best to irrigate easy , allowing the moisture to soak into the soil and permeate down to the root level of the plants .
Drip lines , which are usable at nurseries and home centers , furnish very slow and effective irrigation . If your plants meet from various leaf diseases , drip watering may help to keep these diseases by keeping the leaves dry .
An automatic timer can be used for watering your garden plants , as well . Whether you use a drip organisation or a sprinkler , both can be attached to timers , which you’re able to set for automatic , day-by-day or regular lachrymation oscillation .

4. Mix water-absorbing materials into your soil.
Organic material , such as coconut coir , peat moss , leafage mold or even plain old compost , will soak up a few times its own weight in urine , thus continue wet that plants can use during juiceless spells . Organic material also improves the structure , aeration and overall wellness of the grease , resulting in better long - full term success for your garden .
Alternatively , most nursery sell piddle - plunge polymer crystals under one or more firebrand names , such as Terra - Sorb , Hidrogel , Soil Moist , Aquasorb or Zeba . By mix even a fistful of these crystals into the soil , you could greatly increase its water supply - agree capability . Some of these , like Zeba and Soil Moist Natural , are made from plant life starches rather than synthetics .
5. Try a self-watering container.
Self - watering containers have a piddle reservoir at the bottom of the container , which will keep your plant life well water for a few days . The size of the pee source varies along with the sizing of the plantation owner , but it will provide the plant with anywhere from a few apothecaries' ounce to a few gallons of urine on requirement . This turn off down on the frequency of watering , allowing you to skip a sidereal day or two in between .
During cool atmospheric condition , the water in a reservoir may last more than a workweek , but in the heat of summertime , you ’ll desire to check it more often . Most vegetables thrive in self - watering container because they allow plants to grow their roots toward the weewee and drink as they call for it .
you may make your own self - watering container or purchase at a local nursery or online . Gardeners Supply Companysells many different size , andEarthboxis another safe bet .