In order for the plants in the garden to grow and thrive, they need water. Some more, others less, but most plants cannot survive on rainwater alone, especially on hot summer days. A meaningful garden irrigation is therefore necessary. The following article reveals which systems are available and what else you should pay attention to when watering.

Hose watering is fun, but takes some time

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Garden irrigation options
  3. Automatic garden watering
  4. Other irrigation options
  5. Water correctly and efficiently
  6. frequently asked Questions
  7. How does the garden watering work when I'm not there?
  8. What is the best way to water the lawn?
  9. Are there also irrigation systems for potted plants?

    10. the essentials in brief

    • There are various options for watering the garden: watering cans, garden hoses, sprinklers and sprinklers.
    • Sprinklers and sprinklers can be fitted with a timer so that the garden is automatically watered at the desired time.
    • Drip irrigation is ideal for selectively watering ornamental plants or vegetables and fruit.
    • The best times to water the garden are in the morning or late afternoon when the sun is low in the sky.

    "Spring rain is more precious than oil." (Chinese proverb)

    Garden irrigation options

    No question: Watering and watering are among the most important tasks in the garden. Various irrigation techniques are available to you, which makes lugging around heavy watering cans superfluous. Tailor-made supply and irrigation systems for your own garden can be put together according to your needs, which are quite uncomplicated in terms of installation and operation.

    tips

    If possible, buy all components from the same manufacturer, since connections, couplings, etc. are often precisely matched to one another.

    watering cans

    Watering cans are ideal for watering potted plants in the home and garden

    Despite all the technical possibilities, watering cans for manual watering should not be missing in any garden. Although they are unsuitable for watering large areas, they are indispensable for reasons of individual, precise watering - for example, if certain plants in a bed have to be watered more frequently than others. Larger watering cans with a capacity of ten or twelve liters are generally more practical, but also difficult to carry and handle due to the weight when full. The weight is also relevant when it comes to the question of what material the cans should be made of: galvanized metal is heavier than plastic.

    When buying a watering can, pay particular attention to the watering head: Uniform, fine bores on its surface are important, as this is the only way to ensure gentle and soft - ergo plant-friendly - watering. Good watering cans have a watering head made of thin sheet brass. In addition to the mostly removable spray attachment, there are also so-called wide watering attachments on the market, with which you can water bed strips up to 50 centimeters wide in one fell swoop. You can use special shapes with an extra long neck and a strongly slanted watering head for sowing areas and in greenhouses.

    garden hoses

    Garden hoses make watering in the garden or partial areas much easier. However, these garden tools have to withstand a lot, which is why you should buy quality goods if possible - cheap hoses often break after a short time and have to be replaced. In any case, the material must be UV and weather-resistant, as garden hoses quickly become porous and parts of the jacket burst open if they are left in the sun for a long time. Hoses made of PVC plastic or high-quality rubber should therefore have a fine-meshed inner fabric, which also ensures high kink resistance. You can recognize these by designations such as “cross-woven insert” or “tricot fabric” in the product description. In addition, brand manufacturers grant guarantees of between eight and sometimes even 20 years on their garden hoses.

    The usual hose diameter is either 1/2 inch (13 millimeters) or 3/4 inch (19 millimeters). Which one is used depends on the hose length required on the one hand, but also on the connection capacity. You have to consider the following when planning: The longer and thinner a garden hose is, the greater the friction loss and the smaller the amount of water that still arrives at the other end. Therefore, the following rules of thumb apply to hose selection:

    • 3/4 inch hose for hose lengths of more than 30 meters
    • at this length there is five times the pressure loss for 1/2-inch hose
    • i.e. H. the water would only trickle out at the other end
    • for short lengths, however, a 1/2 inch hose is sufficient

    shower attachments and watering devices

    Pressure and water volume can be adjusted with high-quality showers

    There are suitable watering devices (e.g. watering wands) and shower attachments for garden hoses, which can be connected to the hose with the right connectors and thus directly to the water connection. With convenient shower attachments, for example, you can easily control the water volume and pressure. With many models you have the choice between drizzle, showers and cone or aerator jets. Attachable watering wands, on the other hand, help you to water even hard-to-reach plants in a targeted manner. You can also use such a garden hose with a special attachment for cleaning work, for example to rinse off the paved garden paths.

    sprinkler

    Irrigation with so-called sprinklers is suitable for both smaller and larger areas such as lawns. They are connected to a suitable garden hose and distribute the water with nozzles or spray arms. Various types of sprinklers are available in specialist shops, which differ greatly both in their structure and in their intended use.

    • sprinkler: mostly small sprinklers for watering smaller areas and front gardens, circular spray pattern with a fine water outlet for a sprinkling area from approx. six meters in diameter, sprinklers are equipped with a ground spike and are simply stuck into the ground
    • circular sprinkler: have a distributor that rotates due to the water pressure, which distributes the water over a large circular area with a diameter of up to eight meters, particularly suitable for watering smaller lawns
    • dial controller: individually adjustable for different area shapes and sizes from ten to 100 square meters, both for round and semi-round, square and rectangular garden areas
    • impulse sprinkler: also individually adjustable to a full, half or quarter circle sprinkler with an area of up to 25 meters in diameter, water movement is triggered by an oscillating mechanism
    • square sprinkler: available in different sizes, consist of arched brackets of different widths (specifies the spray width) with numerous nozzles, the spray direction and the spray angle can be set using adjusting knobs, the spray intensity can often also be adjusted with larger devices, are suitable for larger garden areas between 150 and 150 m 350 square meters

    You can find tips for garden irrigation with rainwater in this article:

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    sprinkler

    In contrast to the sprinklers located on the ground surface, sprinklers are stationary pop-up sprinklers that are embedded in the ground. Therefore, these are easier to install before creating a lawn. However, if the sprinkler is installed on an existing lawn, it is best to proceed as follows:

    1. Cut off the turf in narrow strips.
    2. Carefully lift out the pieces of grass without damaging them.
    3. Route plumbing and install sprinklers.
    4. Put the sods back in place.

    digression

    Do not set the water pressure too high

    Gently flowing water penetrates the soil better than a hard jet. If the water pressure is too high or the water is applied using unsuitable equipment, the garden soil is more likely to be washed away than soaked. This, in turn, causes the root neck of the plants to be exposed and the topsoil to harden over time.

    Automatic garden watering

    The water supply via garden and drip hoses, sprinklers and sprinklers can be controlled automatically using various tools. The simplest solution is simply to install a timer. If you want to save as much work as possible, invest in an irrigation computer with which you can automate the entire irrigation process as far as possible. Such a computer is connected to the soil via moisture sensors, for example, has rain detectors and therefore waters the garden almost automatically. In this case, they only have a monitoring function, because despite everything, a technical system can sometimes fail unnoticed. In addition, such a device will never be able to check the actual water requirements of the plants. Plants as living beings are simply too individual for that.

    There is a wide range of automatic watering systems for the garden

    What water requirements do plants have?

    Garden plants have very different water requirements: while some prefer to stand in the dry rock garden, others swallow cans of water. As a rule, the water requirement of garden plants can be recognized quite well by their leaves: Thin and soft leaves are an indication of a high moisture requirement, even large-leaved species are often very thirsty due to the higher level of evaporation. Plants with thick, small, hard or hairy leaves, on the other hand, usually require less water. In addition, the amount of water actually required for garden irrigation depends on these factors:

    • bud and fruit formation: During the period of bud and fruit development, fruit trees and fruiting vegetables in particular have a very high water requirement. At these times, the soil should be evenly moistened to allow flowers and fruit to form and develop. A lack of water, on the other hand, often results in crop failures or small, cracked fruits. Cucumbers and zucchini, for example, become bitter when they are dry.
    • lawn: Even a healthy, green lawn needs a lot of water and must therefore be watered regularly. Yellow grass is often a sign of drought and lack of water. Lawns growing on clay soil should be watered about once a week in summer, while lawns on sandy soil should be watered every three to four days.
    • pot plants: Basically, plants that grow in planters have a higher water requirement than specimens that are planted out. Mulch the top layer of soil to keep moisture in the pot longer.

    digression

    Keep potted plants moist

    Due to the small amount of soil in the planter, potted plants dry out much faster than their relatives in the bed. Therefore, these plants not only need more water, but also more frequently. However, you can reduce the evaporation rate if you take care of "cold feet", i.e. place the planter in the shade and not in direct sunlight. Only the plant itself needs moisture. Also note that clay pots are made of an air-permeable material and water therefore evaporates more from them. However, this can be an advantage for sensitive plants and on hot summer days, because the root ball does not overheat.

    Automatic watering with clay cones

    Many people immediately think of high-tech when they think of automatic garden irrigation, which requires complicated equipment and timers. Of course, such a system also works, but it costs a lot of money and needs regular maintenance. Such ambitious irrigation systems are often completely oversized for the home garden.

    But "automatic" does not have to mean "high-tech". For centuries, the so-called Olla has proven itself as a simple but useful irrigation system (€32.95) for raised beds and vegetable beds, for example. These are just two clay pots glued together and buried in the bed. You pour the water into the pots through a hole, from which the moisture is slowly released through the porous material into the soil.

    And this is how you make an Olla:

    1. Take two unglazed clay pots.
    2. Glue their top openings together.
    3. Use a waterproof glue for this.
    4. Seal one of the drain holes with a glued-on potsherd.
    5. Now bury the Olla in the bed in such a way that only the upper hole looks out.
    6. Fill through this water into it.

    As soon as the Olla is empty, you can refill it again and again and thus ensure continuous moistening of the bed.

    Other irrigation options

    Not every garden is so big that you have to water it with a system consisting of sprinklers and sprinklers. Such systems release significant amounts of water and are therefore simply too large for smaller borders, perennial beds or rose beds. This section explains how you can sensibly water certain beds and smaller gardens.

    Irrigate beds and borders

    Special small irrigation systems are suitable for this, which work with the help of mini sprinklers or nozzles laid above ground and used in a targeted manner. Your advantage is that the spray jet runs below the leaf line of the plant and therefore neither leaves nor flowers are wetted - this is an important point, as water should generally be poured directly onto the ground. With many garden plants, sprinkling has the undesirable effect that it promotes fungal diseases and, in addition, a lot of water does not even get where it is supposed to go.

    The mini sprinklers or spray nozzles are mounted directly on a connecting pipe, which in turn is attached to the ground surface with pipe holders. In general, a distinction is made between quite different nozzles that water between 90 °, 180 ° or 360 ° spray angles. These mini devices release between around three and ten liters of water per hour per square meter of bed area.

    drip irrigation

    Drip irrigation is a water-saving, simple irrigation system

    Drip irrigation is a very water-saving method with which you can supply garden plants with the precious water regularly and in a targeted manner. These systems can be used in row cultures as well as on surfaces, with potted plants as well as on the balcony, in flower and perennial beds, in the greenhouse and for planting hedges. There are various options here.

    Drip irrigation via hoses

    With the help of special irrigation hoses, you can install an irrigation system yourself, which you simply have to turn on when needed. For this purpose, you can, for example, lay porous bead hoses both below and above ground, with which narrow beds and hedges in particular can be watered very well. Drip hoses, on the other hand, are suitable for so-called drip irrigation, which is particularly practical for potted plants.

    Advantages and disadvantages of the different irrigation hoses at a glance:

    benefits disadvantage particularities
    pearl tube even watering, soil does not dry out, water-saving only small amounts of water are released at a time releases many drops of water at once
    drip hose even watering, soil does not dry out, water-saving only small amounts of water are released at a time only releases single drops of water at a time
    spray hose releases larger amounts of water, good for larger or hard-to-reach garden areas not suitable for all plants (due to irrigation), only above-ground installation possible also known as a lawn sprinkler (€27.99) or lawn sprinkler

    Permanently installed droplet system

    For this system of drip irrigation, you need a connecting pipe with a 1/2 inch diameter, which you connect to a base unit for pressure reduction. Connect several drippers to this - about 30 centimeters apart. You can choose between the following variants:

    • Spray cans / rotary sprinklers: well suited for watering small beds
    • surface spray can: very flexible, as the spray angle and range can be adjusted individually
    • in-line drippers: are particularly suitable for watering hedges and longer plant strips with uniform planting

    Drip irrigation can also be controlled via an electronic or mechanical timer and thus automated. The electronic models can also be programmed for a longer period of time, so that patio and balcony plants are cared for even on vacation or other longer absences.

    Water correctly and efficiently

    One of the main mistakes made when watering the garden is giving frequent small waterings instead, out of fear of overwatering the plants. However, this is fatal, because this watering behavior trains the plant roots to remain shallow below the surface and thus to be dependent on a permanent water supply. The frequent "little sips" do not penetrate deep enough into the soil so that its deeper layers remain dry.

    It should be watered vigorously and less often

    Instead, use the watering can less often, but don't skimp on water! Only when the moisture seeps deep into the soil will your garden plants form deeper roots - and can thus take better care of themselves in dry times. Especially since the precious moisture can be better stored in the deep layers of the soil, while it evaporates quickly on the surface. Calculate an average of 20 to 25 liters of water per square meter of irrigation area per week, whereby the rainfall is already included here. Depending on the season and the weather, this reference value can of course be corrected upwards or downwards.

    background

    Never water plants from above

    Another common garden watering mistake is watering the plants from above. Even if it's faster: Most plants, especially those with dense foliage and flowering plants, do not like such watering behavior at all and often react to it with fungal diseases such as black spot or rust. Young plants or seedlings are also endangered, because they are quickly pressed down to the ground by such a surge. So always water directly on the ground so that the leaves stay nice and dry. You can use a watering stick so that you don't have to bend down.

    When is the right time to water the garden?

    When casting, however, it is not just a question of “how” but also of “when”. Plants can also get sick if you water them at the wrong time. The early morning or early morning is ideal for watering the garden during the spring and summer months. At this time it is not yet so warm that the water evaporates immediately and the garden plants can absorb it during the day when they need it.

    Watering at midday, on the other hand, should only be done when the plants urgently need water. Otherwise, this point in time is counterproductive, as a large part of the precious water evaporates before it can even seep into the ground. So you need much more water, which can cost a lot of money under certain circumstances. When watering in the morning, on the other hand, the water penetrates into the deeper soil layers and is absorbed from there by the plants.

    We also advise against watering in the evening, as this promotes fungal diseases and also attracts hungry snails. Plants that are watered in the evening remain wet for a long time and only dry slowly, which promotes harmful fungi.

    frequently asked Questions

    How does the garden watering work when I'm not there?

    Watering the garden can become a problem during the summer vacation. While you can simply put potted plants in a bathtub with water or put upside down PET bottles filled with water in their substrate, the only thing left for the vegetable and ornamental plant beds is a willing neighbor or friend who waters regularly and checks whether everything is in is okay. An alternative would only be a fully automatic irrigation system, which can sometimes fail or not work as hoped. This can sometimes cause a lot of trouble when you come back from vacation.

    What is the best way to water the lawn?

    It is best to water large lawns with a lawn sprinkler or lawn sprinkler, which distributes around 15 to 20 liters of water per square meter during the summer months. These should ideally be switched on early in the morning, before it gets too hot.

    Are there also irrigation systems for potted plants?

    If you don't want to water your potted plants as often, you can keep them in hydroponics. Soilless culture also comes in handy when you go on vacation, as the plants will basically take care of themselves for a while.

    tips

    The so-called drip irrigation not only supplies your garden plants with water, but is also suitable for potted plants.

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