Brian Jarvis Master Gardener
A few weeks ago, we wrote about the copious rains we've been getting and the impact it has on our plants and gardens. The monsoon season seems to be over, but we now have another challenge: making sure our plants get the amount of water they need.
Water is absorbed into the plant through the roots. Plants lose water through their leaves by a process called transpiration. If a plant has the right amount of water available, the leaves will be the way they should be: they will stand up and branch out because water gives these plant parts mass, making them more full (so they can lift the plant and the leaves).
Large leafed plants, such as hydrangeas, are notorious for not being able to soak up water as quickly as they lose it from their large leaves. As they lose moisture, their leaves lose firmness and droop. Does it need more water? Yes, it does, but you may not need to add more water to hydrate and improve leaf firmness.
Anyone else reading this…
If your hydrangea (or other plant) looks droopy in the afternoon but perks up by morning, it probably doesn't need any more water. If it doesn't perk up by morning, it definitely does need water.
One of the problems with not knowing how much to water is that underwatered and overwatered plants can show the same symptom: drooping leaves. So if you're sure your plant isn't dry, make sure it's not overwatered. Potted plants are often a problem with overwatering because the drainage holes in the bottom can get clogged. If you think you might be overwatering your potted plant, lift it up. An overwatered potted plant will feel much heavier than it should. If that's the case, drain the water from the pot and let the plant dry for a few days. You may need to remove the plant to dry it out.
When it comes to the garden, this is a bit of a problem. Most of the time, people guess how long they should run their sprinklers for. Most of the time, we may be overwatering our garden. To know how much you should water your garden, you need to perform an irrigation audit.
To do this, start with one zone of your sprinklers. Grab about six containers, like yogurt tubs or cans of tuna. There are special devices made for this, but any container will work, just make sure they're all the same.
Scatter these containers around the yard around the zone you want to measure. Run your sprinkler for 10 minutes, then go to each container and see how much water each container holds. Let's say it holds an average of 1/4 inch of water. So, if you want to water your lawn with 1 inch of water, you know you need to run your sprinkler for about 40 minutes in that zone. Then repeat this process for each zone. Now you know how long you need to run each section without any guesswork.
At this time of year, bermudagrass needs about 1 inch of water per week and fescue needs about 2 inches of water per week. This can be split into several waterings, but remember that less frequent, deeper watering is better than more frequent, shallow watering. Good luck and keep them hydrated!
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To get answers to all your gardening questions, call the Tulsa Master Gardeners Helpline at 918-746-3701, visit the Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th St., or email us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org.
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