When to Water Established Plants in Dry Weather

Flowering

Eg pea, bean, potato, sweetcorn.

Fruiting

Eg pea, bean, sweetcorn, courgette, marrow, tomato.

Edible leaves

Eg lettuce, spinach, summer cabbage. Tip:plants can otherwise grow slowly or ‘bolt’ (flower prematurely)

Roots or bulbs

Eg carrot, beetroot, onion, radish.  Tip: every one to two weeks so roots don’t ‘split’ when it rains by taking up too much water and expanding too quickly.  Too much water produces excess leaves with no extra yield. 

Rarely necessary

Eg Brussels sprout, broccoli (sprouting), winter cauliflower, spring cabbage.

Useful watering techniques

• Water in the morning or early evening (less water is lost to evaporation).
• Conserve moisture by adding organic matter to soil, eg compost.
• Water beneath leaves to wet the soil. Wet leaves can be scorched in sunny weather.
• Water seedlings with watering cans or hoses with ‘rose’ ends.
• Collect and use rainwater, eg install water butts for sheds. This reduces the environmental impact and cost of using mains water.
• Remove weeds as these compete with plants for water. 
• Water more often in windy weather as plants will dry out in these conditions.
• Keep compost moist, never wet. Check after watering, eg compare the weight of pots or remove the odd pot to see if the root ball is moist throughout. 
• If compost in pots is very wet and smelling bad, carefully remove compost from around roots and re-pot.
• Check if outdoor containers need water even after rain. Dense foliage and ‘rain-shadows’ from buildings can stop water getting to the soil.
• Submerge dry wilted pot plants in a bucket of water for an hour.
• Plants also wilt when too wet or if attacked by root rots or soil pests.