{"id":117,"date":"2026-03-09T13:35:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/andyslandscape.ca\/blog\/?p=117"},"modified":"2026-03-09T13:35:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:35:27","slug":"garden-watering-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/andyslandscape.ca\/blog\/garden-watering-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Common Garden Watering Mistakes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of the biggest concerns for people who take care of a garden is watering<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When plants are not growing well, the first thought many people have is:
\u201cMaybe they need more water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in many cases, problems in the garden are not caused by too little water<\/strong>, but by watering the wrong way<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are five common watering mistakes<\/strong> often seen in gardens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

1. Watering a Little Bit Every Day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many people water their plants a little bit every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may look like you are taking good care of your plants, but it is actually not the best method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you water frequently but only a small amount, only the surface of the soil becomes wet<\/strong>.
As a result, plant roots stay close to the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plants that grow this way become weak during hot or dry weather<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A better method is to water less often but more deeply<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

2. Using Sprinklers That Only Wet the Surface<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many gardens use automatic sprinklers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem is that water often does not soak deep enough into the soil<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially when sprinklers run for a short time, they usually only wet the top layer of soil<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When this happens, plant roots cannot grow deeper into the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If possible, it is better to water slowly and deeply with a hose<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

3. Watering Without Checking the Soil<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another common mistake is watering without checking the soil condition<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people water on a fixed schedule or on certain days of the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But weather and soil conditions change all the time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are unsure whether your plants need water, there is a simple method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Put your finger into the soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the soil is dry about 3\u20135 cm (1\u20132 inches)<\/strong> below the surface, then it is time to water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional Tip: Check the Soil Under the Mulch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If your garden beds are covered with bark mulch<\/strong>, remember to check the soil underneath the mulch<\/strong>, not the mulch itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes the bark mulch on the surface may look dry, but the soil below can still be moist.
In that case, it is not time to water yet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when you do water, make sure to water deeply enough so the water passes through the mulch and reaches the soil<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most important thing to check is the soil moisture<\/strong>, not whether the mulch on the surface looks dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

4. Watering Too Often<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many people worry that their plants might dry out, so they water too frequently<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But plant roots need air as well as water<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the soil is always wet, the roots cannot breathe properly and may become weak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, overwatering is one of the most common reasons plants decline in gardens<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my clients planted a new cedar hedge and watered it every day because they were worried the trees might dry out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the trees started to decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we checked the soil, we found that the roots had not grown deep into the ground.
Instead, they were spreading near the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The soil had become almost like mud<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plants can appear to dry out not because they lack water, but because the roots have already died from overwatering<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

5. Watering All Garden Plants the Same Way<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Plants in a garden all have different characteristics<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Large trees need water differently than small shrubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flowering perennials need water differently than drought-tolerant ground covers like sedum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some plants tolerate wet soil well, while others prefer dry conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, plants in the garden are not all the same<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So it is better to adjust watering based on the plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can you learn this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, studying plants would help, but it is not always easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A simple way to start is this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most established large trees can survive without frequent watering<\/strong>.
The smaller the plant, the more often it usually needs water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then observe your garden carefully as you water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plants may not speak quickly, but they do communicate through their growth<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With observation and attention, you can learn a lot from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Written by Andy Lee
Owner of Andy\u2019s Landscape Inc. \u2013 Landscape Contractor in Maple Ridge, BC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the biggest concerns for people who take care of a garden is watering. When plants are not growing well, the first thought many people have is:\u201cMaybe they need more water.\u201d But in many cases, problems in the garden are not caused by too little water, but by watering the wrong way. Here are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-maintenance-tips"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Common Garden Watering Mistakes - Andy's Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Many garden problems are caused by incorrect watering, not lack of water. 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