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Index : Watering
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- 12. Record Temps Require Rapid Response to Watering - Top
- Record high temps this past week have made it necessary to pay close attention to watering plants. Temperatures in the 100's combined with low humidity and intense sunlight can literally suck the moisture and the life out of all but the true native desert plants.
Pay closest attention to small, soft-stemmed herbaceous plants. Flowers, vegetables, ground covers and small shrubs will need frequent watering. Most garden plants will require daily watering. But if you notice small plants wilting in the mid-day heat, water them twice daily.
For plants growing in pots on patios or other outdoor locations, watering twice daily is a must when temperatures are above 100 degrees. Apply enough water to soak the soil in the pot from top to bottom. You’ll know you’ve done the job when water begins seeping out the drainage holes in the bottom of your pots.
To test the moisture level in garden beds, raised beds and pots, use a moisture meter. Push the probe down into the soil and read the meter. If the needle moves into the moist range, then sufficient water is available for the plants. If the needle stays in the dry range, it’s time to water. Over time, by using the moisture meter, you’ll get a feel as to how often to water.
The best time to water plants is in the evening and overnight. Watering should be complete by early morning. However, if plants are showing signs of heat stress with a dull, droopy appearance, you can water during the day. Just make sure you let the hose run until cool water comes out. Never water plants with hot water!
Another trick for reviving heat-stressed plants is to give them a shower with cool water. Contrary to what you may have heard, hosing off plants with cool water during the heat of the day will not harm them, even the most delicate ones. The cool water rapidly drop the plants internal temperature; enabling it to re-hydrate. You can shower plants several times a day if needed. Test the water before applying it to make sure all the hot water has passed out of the hose. Use a watering wand or the shower setting on a hose end sprayer to apply a gentle shower of cool water to plant leaves.
Increase the frequency of irrigation on landscape plants as well. Extremely hot temperatures will require increasing the frequency of watering on all non-desert plants. For instance, if you’ve been watering your established citrus tree once weekly, then increase watering to twice weekly. Also make sure that your watering long enough to get the water ti soak down deeply into the soil. Let your drip irrigation system run an hour or two, maybe even longer if your watering trees.
Even true desert plants need watering during periods of record heat! Small growing desert ground covers and shrubs require watering every 7 days. Large shrubs and small trees should be watered every 10 to 14 days. Large trees, those over 30 feet tall should be irrigated every 14 to 21 days. Always deep water trees. The soil should be soaked to a depth of 3 feet.
If you have some desert plants not on drip irrigation, or you have just a small number of drip emitters around large shrubs or trees, then use a soaker hose to irrigate.
Coil the soaker hose around the tree or shrub, beginning a couple of feet out from the trunk. Spiral the hose out from the trunk, maintaining a two foot spacing between the circling hose as you go. If you can’t cover the entire area to be watered at one time, then water the tree roots in sections. Water should be applied until the top two to three feet of soil is moistened. Turn the hose on in the evening and let it slowly drip water overnight
Use a metal rod to see how deep the water has penetrated. The rod will push easily into wet soil, but will stop when dry soil is encountered. Use a long piece of metal re-bar, available on hardware and home supply stores. Our you can purchase a specially designed soil probe at the University of Arizona / Pima County Extension Center at 4210 N. Campbell Avenue.
Continue closely monitoring your plants water needs as long as hot, dry weather persists. Let’s just hope for an early start to our summer monsoon season!
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,
520-626-5161.
- Updated: Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,
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