It’s hot outside and your little plants are sagging from thirst.  What to do?  What to do?  You have several alternatives to deliver water to their root systems.  Here are some suggestions from the least to the most expensive.

Remember, watering deeply and less often is better than watering frequently for short periods because it helps the roots to reach more deeply into the soil where they are better protected from the heat as well as the cold.

Look at what you’re watering.  Observe the development of each plant from the last time you gave it a drink.  You may need to change your watering cycle to keep your plants happy and healthy.  

HAND WATERING  The old fashioned way always works.  Fill a watering can or hold the hose.  The only trouble with this method is it takes time.  If you’ve got that time, great!

Don’t forget the "rain barrel" method of capturing water if this will work with your climate conditions.  Just be sure to empty your container frequently to discourage mosquitoes.

WAND SPRINKLERS  Handheld, the wand sprinkler connects to the hose and is good for watering plants in pots or watering one plant at a time.  This method usually breaks the water steam into a soft flow and reduces the chance of washing soil out of the pot or away from the roots.

OSCILLATING SPRINKLERS  Adjustable oscillating sprinklers connect to the hose and can be positioned to cover a full 180º arc or partial arcs for specific areas.  These work well for lawn or garden.

STATIONARY SPRINKLERS  Like the oscillating sprinkler, this type throws an adjustable spray as a spurting narrow stream or a wider band of water in a rotating motion.  Also for the yard, it can work for your garden when positioned properly so the spray doesn’t knock off the vegetables or flower heads.  Just lay the hose where you need it and turn on the faucet when things are looking wilted.

DRIP IRRIGATION  This system is easy to install and relatively inexpensive.  You lay plastic tubing and emitters around the bases of your plants and have at it. 

Drip irrigation can use 30% to 50% less water compared to other sprinkling systems that waste water by evaporation when they spray water into the air.  Drip irrigation is also good because it doesn’t spray water onto fungus sensitive leaves such as roses. 

There are misters and even miniature sprinkler heads available if you choose to expand your system.  This type of irrigation works well with large plants, but not in annual flowerbeds because drip spacing could be inadequate for the smaller root system of annuals.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEMS  If you’re going to expense of installing an automatic sprinkler system, you will have an electrically wired timer that will allow you to preset the desired days for watering as well as the length of time the water will flow.  A manual control is a wonderful addition.  On the days it threatens to rain, just flip the switch to off and wait for nature to water your garden and yard.

This system can be set to sprinkle in yard zones or separate sections of your property at different times, thereby giving you sufficient water pressure in each area.  Were all the sprinklers to run at the same time, the water pressure might not be enough to activate the pop-up sprinkler heads that are normally flush with the ground when the system is turned off.

Rotor heads can be set to spray areas from 15 to 30 feet wide with the twist of a small screwdriver.  Different heads can be purchased to spray from 15º to a complete 360º circle depending on what you need watered.

The best sprinkler, of course, is Mother Nature.  Sometimes, however, she needs a little assistance. (Who doesn’t?)  Choose the best and most efficient way of watering your plants and go for the green!