Watering Planters Correctly To Get The Best Veggie Harvests
Watering plants growing in containers is a key task to take care of in summer. This guide to watering planters will cover watering tips for outdoor potted plants such as veggies, fruit, herbs and flowers.
So how do you ensure that containers get enough water during the hot, dry summer months? By picking the right containers, the right soil, checking daily if you need to water and watering consistently, even when you’re busy or away on vacation.
Why Do Plants In Containers Need To Be Watered?
Growing veggies in containers or planters is a great way for many food growers who might not have the space or ability to have large raised or in-ground veggie garden beds.
However these container plants need consistent watering, because with less soil that a garden bed, they will dry out quickly in hot, dry summer weather.
This is especially true for hanging baskets which are more exposed to drying wind.
Plants that don’t get enough water will be stressed, meaning they won’t grow much, set fruit and will be more susceptible to disease and pest damage.
Picking The Right Containers For Dry, Hot Summer Weather
One key step to keeping your planters or containers well hydrated in summer is to pick the right containers in the first place.
Unglazed terracotta can dry out quickly as it’s porous, so it may not be the best choice if you have consistent hot, dry summers. Especially smaller terracotta pots will dry out in a matter of hours in the hot sun, which means you’d need to water multiple times a day.
Metal containers can also not only dry out quickly but can get so hot they can damage plant roots and bake the soil.
The best materials for growing veggies in containers are plastic, resin and wood. These have some insulating capabilities to keep the hot sun from baking the soil and your plants.
Another tip when shopping for new containers: consider getting self-watering containers that have a special water reservoir that helps keep soil moist even in very dry conditions. They are more expensive but will save you time and effort and your plants!
For a selection of self-watering containers that will do well in hot, dry summers, check out these two products on Amazon:
