Proper watering at the outset is crucial to annuals. Because most have shallow root systems, many will fade quickly (either stop growing, quit blooming or even die) if they receive inadequate, inconsistent or excessive moisture. Careful observation and a few guidelines can help you determine a watering schedule that’s just right for your planting beds.
Apply water to annual roots beneath the flowers, using a gentle spray.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Tim Butler
Reach your hanging plants with a hose-extending water wand.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Overhead watering is sometimes necessary to remove dust or provide needed moisture to leaves, or when applying foliar fertilizers that are absorbed directly through the foliage. Just remember to water early in the day – evening watering can promote disease.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Tim Butler
Indoor plants have the benefit of limited temperature changes as compared with outdoor plantings, but household air may be less humid than desirable. A weekly misting can help prevent dried leaf tips.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Kyle Chesser
Watering your annuals properly from the moment you sow or plant them is the most important thing you can do to give them a good start in life. Newly planted annuals need more water than do well-established ones. Transplants may need to be watered daily (or even more frequently) if the weather is extremely hot or if a dry wind is blowing. Recently sown seeds may need to be watered twice a day until they germinate; you can cut back to twice a week when your plants have about five true leaves, then to once a week when the plants are 2-3 inches tall.
Well-established annuals need at least an inch of water per week during the growing season (about the amount that a good, soaking rain would provide). The best time to water is when the soil feels dry to the touch, at a depth of 2-3 inches beneath the surface (keeping in mind that the roots of some annuals, such as snapdragons, must be allowed to dry out between waterings or they may rot).
Deep, weekly waterings are far better than shallow, daily ones, which will prevent a root system from reaching deep enough into the soil, making a plant vulnerable to drought. Make sure that you supply a full inch of water with each application, or enough to penetrate into the soil at least 6 inches. Remember, garden soils vary in their ability to absorb water – depending on soil texture, penetration can take as little as 30 minutes or as long as 4 hours. Until you discover your garden’s rate of absorption, check the penetration of moisture by cultivating the soil a few hours after each watering.
A watering can or a hose with a misting attachment are the best tools for watering newly planted seeds or seedlings (if you use a watering can, twist the rose so that its holes point upward). For mature annuals, use a
Avoid using sprinklers to water your annual plantings, as much moisture is lost to evaporation before reaching your plants; overhead watering like that also tends to damage fragile blossoms and, when coupled with cool weather, creates a hospitable environment for plant diseases such as powdery mildew. Some annuals, like zinnias, calendulas and petunias, are particularly susceptible to fungal disease if their foliage remains wet. If you must water from overhead, always do so in the early morning to allow your plants time to dry before temperatures cool in the evening.
A drip irrigation system delivers water directly to the soil, reducing evaporation, runoff and problems with wet foliage. It’s effective and efficient when compared with hand watering, and though it requires time, money and labor to install, an irrigation system more than makes up for the investment later on. (You can also drip-irrigate a container garden.) An alternative method of slow irrigation is to use a rubber soaker hose laced throughout your planting beds. This system works by oozing water through the porous walls of the hose onto the soil at the base of each plant. Both drip systems and soaker hoses can be hidden beneath a layer of mulch.
No matter how you choose to water your garden, check your planting beds regularly for signs of dryness. Yellow or brown leaves, falling buds, buds that fail to bloom, and folding, drooping or turning foliage are all signs of inadequate moisture. Just be aware that these can also be signs of overwatering. If you see these symptoms combined with soggy soil and plants with darkened stems, pull away any mulch around the base of your flowers, let the garden dry out and cultivate the soil lightly.
