Watering cans are useful for watering specific plants, especially when you’re transplanting. You can also more easily avoid watering foliage with a watering can. Choose a can that is rustproof and not too heavy, and has an adequate opening for filling and a good rose. The rose is the part that fits over the spout and does the sprinkling; it should be oval, with many fine perforations to produce a gentle spray, and shouldn’t drip.
| Hoses, sprinklers, and nozzles |
Using a combination of these pieces of equipment is the most common method of watering, but unfortunately it is not the ost efficient, even when the system is connected to a timer. it annoys me when people do not set their sprinklers properly and end up watering sidewalks, driveways, and house walls. In time of drought, this is especially wasteful. When you water, you want to get the water into the soil, but with this method, the water falls on the leaves and some evaporates into the air before it reaches the soil. There are a few benefits, though. Because the water falls on the foliage, it cleans it and cools off the plant. This is one type of watering that really should be don in the morning or late afternoon to reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation. Instead of using the sprinkle, you could get a bubbler attachment and move the hose around in the garden after each area has been well soaked. A bubbler disperses the water gently.
Nozzles can produce fine mist to water small plants and gentle sprays to water seed beds. A hard jet of water from the nozzle will knock some insect off plants.
| Soaker hoses |
One of my gardens is long and narrow, and I find using a soaker hose the most efficient way to water this bed. Some soaker hoses are made of porous materials such as canvas or fibre; some release water through small perforations; othr types are made of porous foam or rubber. The water "leaks" gently and evenly out of the hose all along its length so that no water ends up on the foliage of the plant. Soaker hoses can be laid on top of the soil or buried; if buried, freezing should not affect them. Some soaker hoses are so flexible you can weave them amount the plants. Install a soaker system early in the season, when it’s easier t work around small plants.
