Watering Plants

Watering Plants—Maybe Not as Cut and Dry as It’s Made Out to Be 

🌿 Garden Talk| by Guy Saldiveri | April 3, 2026

Ever get in the middle of a gardening group and ask about watering? Be prepared for fifty different answers.

What seems like an easy question brings up a barrage of different answers. Water only in the morning, never let the leaves get wet, only water from the bottom, let the soil dry out, NEVER let the soil dry out…

This seems like it should be one of the most simple—if not the most simple things—we actually do in the garden. Even for me, the problem comes in when we overreact to something nature usually takes care of just fine. 

You go out and notice your tomato plant is wilting or turning yellow. You have it fertilized, well-watered, well-tended, but it's still struggling. Then you look at the volunteer that's coming up in the crack in the driveway. It's never been touched, you never even knew it was there—and it's doing great! 

You stand there scratching your head, wondering what the difference is. Unless that volunteer in the driveway had divine intervention, something is definitely up here. The only thing you can come up with is you, and to be honest, it's the most likely reason. 

Turns out plants are much more resilient and hardy than we give them credit for. I—like most gardeners—have killed more plants from over care than under care.

That volunteer in the driveway doesn't need its leaves held 24/7. It needs to be left alone to do what it evolved to do—grow and bear fruit. If my tomato plants could, they would pull out their roots and run across the yard half the time they see me coming.

So, what's the solution? Here's the not-so-cut-and-dry answer—it depends… I know, just what you expected to hear, right? In my defense, it really is a bit variable. 

It depends on:

• Growing media

• In ground or container gardening

• Overall quantity (and intensity) of direct sun

• Time of year

• Type of plant

That volunteer you have in the driveway isn't there by accident, it landed in the best spot imaginable. It found one of the few locations that just happened to have just the right amount of everything. The Goldilocks spot. Unfortunately, the rest of the garden has a mishmash of ingredients that need some attention to detail.

There really is no one set of rules to cover it all, but I'll give you my solution, one that seems to work for the most part, and while not perfect, works well enough to make it through the growing season with high yields.

• Find a cheap moisture meter, and check your plants at least every two days

• Get yourself a small but accurate rain gauge and keep track

• Water deeply, and if you can, water again 30 minutes later

• Keep in mind most plants only need about 2 to 3 inches of water per week in order to survive

You can water in the early morning or later in the evening without fear of getting leaves wet. Most of the time, these periods are cooler and there is already dew formed on the leaves. Adding a little more water will not hurt them. In fact, I like to water during this time to help wash off the dust and bugs. The plants always seem to glow afterwards—although that could be me, the sun angle, or the 2 beers I usually consume whilst I water… 

That being said, if you choose to water during the heat of the day, it would be a good idea to bottom water or at least use a wand extension to get the water directly to the soil without wetting the leaves. Strong morning or afternoon sun will heat that water fast and cause issues before it evaporates.

Bottom line here, don't overthink it and don't overreact. Use the tools you have. That cheap meter and rain gauge are actually very useful when used correctly. Knowing your plants will help quite a bit as well. They will definitely tell you when they are stressed, and some, like squash—diva's that they are—will go from happy to wilting as quickly as a cloud moving across the face of the sun.

Gardening is a fun and very rewarding hobby. I wish someone had told me up front just how challenging it can be as well. Hang in there though, you are not alone. This is definitely one hobby that usually gets much easier as time goes on.

Happy Gardening 🌱