Watering: how not to get it wrong
23.7.2018
Translation: machine translated
Watering cans, hosepipes or drip irrigation: they all provide water for plants, but what are the differences? And which solution is best suited to your garden? Here's some advice.
"It's raining, it's wet, it's frog day..." The famous nursery rhyme is not up to date. The sun is shining, not a cloud on the horizon. Your plants are suffering and need outside help. Because without water, your little flowers will shrink faster than your woollen jumper after being washed at 90°C. But there are plenty of options. There's no shortage of irrigation systems. Lawn sprinklers, systems for flower boxes, drip irrigation or automated systems. There's no shortage of choice, but do you really need all that clutter or can you get by with a good old-fashioned watering can?
How to water properly
First of all: even with the ultimate watering system, you can screw up. Because even with the best of these systems, it's you who has to determine the time and quantity of water. For the first criterion, it's best to water early in the morning or in the evening after sunset. This keeps evaporation to a minimum so that the plant's roots receive as much water as possible. In the morning is even better than in the evening, partly because it's cooler and partly because it avoids attracting snails during the night.
Each plant has different water requirements. This can often be seen in the freshness of the leaves. Large leaves offer a greater surface area for evaporation and therefore have greater needs. Hydrangeas, fuchsias and angel trumpets are all sensitive plants. On the other hand, small-leaved Mediterranean plants such as oleander, rosemary and thyme require little water. Plants with thick, fleshy leaves are also water-efficient. Sedums, geraniums and aloe vera can store water in their leaves. . Let's get down to the subject that interests us today. What is the best watering system? There's no general answer to this question. It all depends on the size of your garden, how much time you're willing to spend in it and how often you go on holiday.
The watering can
Still today, this is the most common way of watering. It comes in all shapes, colours and sizes. Admittedly, it requires a certain amount of involvement on the part of the gardener, but there's no simpler solution. Fill it with water, empty it at the foot of the plant and refill it. It's ideal for watering indoor plants and balconies. Any other solution would be too tedious and complex to set up, and even connecting it up won't be easy. And if you're going on holiday, all you have to do is ask your neighbours, who will be happy to oblige. You can even build your own sprinkler system. Simply fill a bottle with water, cut a hole in the cap and stick it upside down in the ground. This only works, however, if you're not away for too long.
The garden hose
Aaah, the garden hose. I can't count the times I've lost my temper with it, but I can't forget the good times either. The tangled hose and the corners of the house have seen me lose my temper more than once, but watering my sister was always great fun. These are found in many gardens, as they are used for automatic watering. What can be a problem with the traditional method of watering with a hose, by hand with a sprinkler, is the non-targeted watering. If you can't get the hose to the base of the shrub, chances are you're watering the leaves instead of the roots. Fortunately, there is a solution: the sprinkler head. In simple terms, it acts as an extension of your arm, allowing you to reach the ground without any great contortions. This keeps your plants' foliage dry and prevents fungal diseases. Gardena's premium watering head is weather-resistant, ergonomic, and received a good rating from meyerueli52 (review in German). Flexible garden hoses like the one from Kibernetik are a thing of the past. Gardena now offers a spiral hose ideal for small gardens and balconies.
Drip by drop
Drop by drop, your potted plants will stay alive. The roots will be constantly supplied with water through small holes - usually in a tube or hose - or through a tap. This system uses very little water and is often used for farming in warm regions. But even amateur gardeners can use this system. It is easy to install in a garden, on a balcony, in a flowerbed, in pots or even along a wall. The only thing it's not suitable for is lawns. There are far more effective systems for that.
Irrigation system
−13%
CHF11.90 was CHF13.70
Gardena Micro-Drip-System drip pipe above ground
Drip hose + drip tube
Lawn sprinklers
For a long time I equated sprinklers with oscillating sprinklers. I don't think there was much else available at the time (about 16 years ago). My sister and I spent hours jumping over them, getting watered or trying to contain the spray. It was great and the lawn was always green. But not all sprinklers are oscillating; there are also circular, nozzle, pop-up and multi-surface sprinklers. Oscillating sprinklers, such as Gardena's Aquazoom, are suitable for rectangular lawns, nozzle sprinklers are suitable for small lawns and circular sprinklers can be hidden in the ground and are therefore unobtrusive. Gardena's S80 pop-up sprinkler is efficient and very popular. Multi-surface sprinklers can be used individually and are therefore suitable for all surfaces, even sloping.
The same rules apply to all sprinklers. Water the lawn abundantly, but not too often. The top 15 cm should be moistened, then simply water once a week. To find out how long to leave the sprinkler on, leave it running for 30 minutes and then take a pyramid-shaped sample of soil. If less than 15 cm is wet, turn the sprinkler back on.
Lawn sprinklers
CHF93.90
Gardena Sprinkler system complete set 8221
Spray sprinklers, Pop-up sprinklers
Automatic watering
Once it's installed, there's nothing more you need to do. You may have to press a button once in a while, but it can be done. The little computers turn the watering on by themselves according to your settings. You can choose when, how often and for how long to water your sprinklers or drip system. This system is ideal for frequent travellers, workaholics and anyone with a hectic schedule. In terms of sales and audience, Gardena is way ahead of the game. The Smart Water Control Set comes with sensors to measure outside temperature, light and soil humidity. Two systems can be connected to the MultiControl duo. The Gardena C1030 plus is great according to mbilgerig (in German).
Petrus
The best watering is and will remain rain. Rainwater is softer and cheaper (not to say free) than tap water. Unfortunately, we can't yet control the weather, so we can hardly rely on rain alone. However, there are a few tricks we can use to keep artificial watering to a minimum. Soil preparation plays a major role in water absorption and retention. Clay soils retain water much better than sandy soils. Regular composting or mulching also improves the soil's ability to retain water. Cracks in dry soils allow a lot of water to escape from the lower layers of the soil. Hoeing the surface regularly prevents these cracks and reduces evaporation.
Winter plant protection + Garden fleece
Quantity discount
CHF8.15 per piece for 3 units
Windhager mulch film 10x1.2m
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
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