Before you drag out the hose, check the soil. If it’s cool and moist, wait another day before watering.
It’s one of the most common gardening worries as we get accustomed to the first boiling afternoons of the year: your spring-watered plants looking droopy and thirsty. But before you water, take a closer look.
Many plants naturally wilt during the hottest part of the day, even when there’s plenty of soil moisture. It’s a survival strategy. As temperatures climb, plants lose water through tiny pores in their leaves, and they lose it faster than their roots can replace it.
So, to slow down the water loss, many species fold, curl or droop their leaves, reducing the amount of leaf surface exposed to the sun. It’s not unlike closing the blinds on hot a summer day — by morning, healthy plants may perk right back up.
So how do you know when you need to step in with the hose? The best way is to check the soil, not the leaves. Dig two inches into the soil with your finger or a screwdriver. If the soil is still cool and moist (or if it sticks to the screwdriver), wait another day before watering. Overwatering can drown your plants, starve their roots of oxygen and increase the risk of disease.
Deep, infrequent watering encourages roots to grow deeper, making your plants more resilient in the long term. If needed, adding a layer of mulch can keep soil cooler and reduce evaporation, helping your plants handle the afternoon heat with less stress to you.
