Watering Your Property: How Much Do You Need?

It can be difficult to know how much you need to be watering your property and outdoor plants, and when to water. Too little water can damage your plants, trees, shrubs and grass. Too much can invite a whole host of problems, too, as well as cost you money. At a time when we’re all encouraged to conserve water, it’s good to know how much water to give to your yard.

Consider using one of Smart Rain’s smart watering systems. Our systems notify property owners of important irrigation management details such as water flow, moisture levels, and more, all through advanced sensors and innovative technologies. Coupled with the Smart Rain app, you can control your sprinklers, view rainfall levels and get detailed reports, all from the convenience of your smartphone. This is a crucial step you could take when watering your property.

More water is likely needed if you notice one or more of the following symptoms:

• Your property is yellowing
• Soil near the base of the plants is hard, dry and cracked.
• Plants have yellowing or dried leaves near the bottom of the stalk.
• Leaves show yellow or brown spots.
• Flowers fall off before they wilt.
• Roots show at the surface of the soil.
• The whole plant withers and dies.
• Plants in containers feel light when you lift them up.

Signs of over-watering your property include:

• More weeds, bugs, fungi and/or a patchy property.
• Wilting plants when the soil is wet — Roots need air as well as water, and constantly flooding the soil means there’s not enough air getting to the roots. That causes them to rot.
• Brown, wilting leaves. With too little water, wilting leaves are dry and brittle. With too much water, leaves feel soft and limp to the touch.
• Leaves falling off — When new leaves fall off the plant as much as older ones, it can be a sign of over-watering.
• Blisters on leaves — Over-watering your property causes leaf blisters or lesions, which burst and turn into brown or white growths. This happens when leaf cells absorb more water than they should.

Here's some more guidance for watering your property.

How do you tell if your watering your property too little or too much? Push your finger into the soil, or dig a small hole two to four inches deep. If it’s still moist that deep, you have enough water for your plants. If you find it’s moist, and your plants show any of the signs listed above, then reduce your watering. And remember, you can really make it easy on yourself by letting us help. Our smart systems eliminate the guesswork involved in watering your property. With us, you can save effort, time and money and have a yard with happy plants!