A Quick Course in Proper Watering - The Invisible Gardener

I have been in business since the sixth grade. I can say that over 90% of the time, the problem is related to the soil. I can also say that over 90% of the soil problems are related to overwatering. I was at a house the other day. Very lovely old oak trees at least 100 years old. If it weren't for us humans, these trees would love another 200 years easily but thanks to humans, they probably won't last another 10 years. One died already. It had sudden death disease which oaks get. The professionals will say they have no idea what happens. They do know it is a disease that spreads in the soil. My take on this has been that the soil is damaged by either through over-watering by humans. Also through toxic applications by humans. Water will damage the soil’s microbial life. I tell folks that microbes cannot swim. Least, not the ones I found in the soil. Waterlogged soil means that microbial life has drowned.

Roots need air believe it or not. The soil breathes in the air. It takes out CO2 and converts the carbon into carbonic acid. They use this acid to convert minerals into a soluble form plants that can assimilate and use. If this is not functioning, the plants, trees, whatever, will not be getting their supply of the basics they need to be healthy and ward off pests and diseases.

City water has chemicals in it to kill bacteria. Soil is full of living bacteria. They are harmed by many things: city water, chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides, basically anything toxic that is made by man. We have been taught that if a little is good, a lot is better. This is not always the case. It is hardly ever the case except for money I guess. You can never have too much money. Almost all of the gardeners I know, are over watering. When it gets hot, they water more. Many homes are watered every day!

All of the tree problems that I have seen are all because the trees were over-watered and the soil ignored. Maybe they would add chemical fertilizers, very rarely do they add compost. If they do add compost, the compost is dead. Store-bought compost is usually dead. An interesting exception is compost made correctly. I especially like Dr. Earth Compost and their complete line of organic fertilizers. They appear to have been made with the health of the soil in mind since they carry a full line of Mycelium and many other necessary microbial life. Compost if properly (with animal manure added) made would have the many forms of microbe life needed by the soil to properly function. So you can see how water plays an important role in plant life. Plants need a certain amount of water to be able to transfer the minerals up to all parts of the plant or tree. But too much water disrupts this natural cycle.

So how much is too much?

I tell folks that one should allow the soil to dry in between waterings. That is why in most cases, watering only on m-w-f is a good setup. The best is to only water twice per week. I know from experience that this works., including a lawn. One of my books is How to Water Train Your Lawn. I wrote it many years before the movie of a similar name. Well, it was a dragon, but you get the idea.

The key here is to keep the water below ground since you lose 75% from evaporation. There are many subsurface drip systems now that are meant to be buried and will last for many years barring a gardener cutting it. The system should be buried around two feet below the soil level. The goal is to water once a week for trees and twice a week for the entire property. Trees can survive all year with very little rain. This is primarily because it taps into underground water sources. Usually, this source is there for it to use, but we have depleted this source. Now they don't have as much water to go around. If you were to water every day, as many do, then the tree would not have any need for deep roots, and those roots would slowly die. That's why you see trees falling over in the recent rains. Usually, this would not be a problem if they had deep roots, but these trees all have shallow roots instead. Many folks think that watering the lawn is enough to water the trees. Lawns have shallow roots, and that's one reason you have to water so often unless you water-train your lawn. Trees should have their water line separate from the lawn. Also if you are not organically fertilizing your lawn, then the high nitrogen fertilizer will damage the soil and also eventually damage the tree. Remember all tree and plant diseases start in the soil. The soil has all of the diseases already present, it just needs the right conditions to wake up and cause diseases.

Even trees that you have never thought of watering need some help now. It is usual for them to die if the climate changes against them so if you want them to live, then you need to water them and organically fertilize them. By keeping the water below grown, you will not attract insects, and other pests as well as not promote diseases. You will also be helping the soil to provide the tree with all the nutrients needed for a healthy tree or plant growth. Yes, water is, but too much of a good thing is not. Control your water, and you help to heal the soil.

Thank you for reading.

Any questions or help? Email me at andylopez@invisiblegardener.com

Andy Lopez
Invisible Gardener

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