The root zone of every plant requires three things: air, earth and most of all, water. Water is essential for the plant’s uptake of soil nutrients. Moisture in the soil also governs how deeply a plant sends its roots into the earth, and this in turn is related to its ability to withstand drought. There is more to watering than simply turning on sprinklers. Dwindling resources demand you water efficiently, too.
It isn’t easy to know exactly how much to water. Over-do it and the plant will drown. If you don’t water enough, it will wilt. If you’re in doubt about whether you are watering adequately, don’t just look at the soil, dig a little hole and find out exactly what’s going on down under. If you find black soil and roots that smell badly, you have watered too much. This may also indicate you have poor drainage, and water is just not percolating down and out of the root zone. If it’s dry down there, then increase watering or change your strategy. Water more frequently, or water for a longer duration.
