The Importance of Water in Gardening
The Importance of Water in Gardening
Water is the key element to gardening success and crucial to any plant’s critical functions. It seems simple at first, but any gardener will know that water can be a make-or-break situation for their landscaping designs. In this blog, we shall discuss water’s role in the critical functions of a plant, rainwater’s benefits and a watering system gardeners can implement for guaranteed success.
The role of water in plants’ critical functions
Water is the key ingredient when it comes to photosynthesis. This is the process whereby plants convert water and sunlight to nourishment required for healthy growth. Water is also key in transpiration – the plant’s answer to perspiration! Plants lose water to the atmosphere through their leaves in order to create a cooling effect around the plant. This keeps the temperature optimum for the plant and protects its cells. Water is also required for a plant’s nutrient distribution. Water is a critical part of the transportation of nutrients from the soil, through the roots and into the plant’s cell structure.
Rainwater
The planet conscious gardener understands that water, as a limited resource, is best collected and saved wherever possible but there is also another reason to use rainwater over tap water. Plants do not need perfectly clean water and tap water often contains minerals which, especially in hard water areas such as London, can affect the nutrient availability and the pH of the roots. Rainwater is actually healthier for plants as it has a lower pH. Many choose to use water butts in their gardens to catch and store rainwater, which they can then use to fill their watering cans to water their gardens.
General Watering Tips
Not all plants are created equal when it comes to their thirst for water. Because of this, seasoned gardeners know to organise their plants into sections with similar watering needs and therefore not water all sections every day but only when it’s needed. It’s also important, except in the occasion of newly planted plants, to let the soil dry out before watering again to avoid root rot. Plants require air as well as water, so keeping soil saturated with continued waterings can do more harm than good.
Plant Watering System
Plant watering systems are the surest way to ensure plants have enough water and not too much water! They are easy to use, environmentally friendly and can be used on indoor or outdoor plants. Our plant watering system uses a capillary action process to water the plants all the way down to the roots. Simply install at the bottom of a planter and it will act as a reservoir, only releasing as much water as plants need. The only maintenance required is checking that it’s refilled every six weeks, and more often during summer when there is little rainfall.