Don’t Drown Your Plants

When caring for your plants, you may think that the more water the merrier, but overwatering can be just as problematic as underwatering.

Here are five common mistakes we see that can lead to overwatered plants in the landscape: 

1. Site Selection:  Be observant/thoughtful when you select a site for your plants. Pay attention to the variation in your own yard – downspout runoff, soggy corners, where the sump pump drains, where the runoff from the driveway flows. 

2. Failing to Check Before Watering: Unfortunately, we don’t have laser vision to see below the ground – so we need to check for moisture with our hands. Simply put your hand into the soil near where the roots are. If the soil is moist, skip watering that day and check again the following day. Don’t assume! 

3. Not Acknowledging the Individual: Each plant in a landscape is an individual, and plants dry out at different rates. Just because one is dry doesn’t mean its neighbor needs a big drink too. 

4. Tool Maintenance: Tools are great, but they need to be adjusted. Moisture meters are convenient tools to help detect the moisture content in the soil, but they should be re-calibrated before each use. Irrigation systems are excellent tools to aid with watering, but they aren’t static – your plants will have different water needs in April than in August.

5. Using Water as a Fix-All: As soon as something wilts or looks off-color, many gardeners reach for the watering can. Before you do, look more closely – and when in doubt, give us a call. We are here to help you care for your landscape and are happy to assist!