If you’ve been growing tomatoes , cucumbers or squashes, you need to be extra careful how you are watering them to prevent diseases ruining your crops. Admittedly watering the garden and potted plants hasn’t been much of an issue this year thanks to the dreary, wet summer much of the UK has experienced. But during periods of warmer weather , the soil can dry out quickly and it’s important to make sure your shrubs are kept well hydrated.
However, simply reaching for the watering can or garden hose and dousing down your greenery isn’t the correct way to keep things alive. It could even be harming your crops and flowers. Gardening expert James Brooks says the best way to water plants is at the base and not all over, especially not on the leaves.
He explained why to Ideal Home : "When watering you want the water to get to the roots, not the leaves," he said. As well as making sure the roots get as much moisture as possible, he also revealed why excess droplets on the leaves can actually cause other problems for any crops you’ve been cultivating. "With certain plants that are prone to diseases like powdery mildew (things like tomatoes, cucumbers, and squashes), you really want to keep your foliage dry with a lot of air circulation to delay the onset of this as long as possible, extending the season where you can get your delicious produce!" It’s not just fungal infections that plants are in danger of from exuberant watering either.
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