Irrigation

50% off all Vegetable Plants & 4-pack Annual Flowers PLUS 25% off Flowering Annual Hanging Baskets for Bates Rewards Members* — Open 8-Noon Memorial Day!

Hallelujah, it rained! After many hot and windy days, we were certainly in need of it. Now there is precipitation forecasted every day for the next ten. Folks from around here will know, we will be lucky to see it on half of those days. Yesterday we received a few hours of rainfall, and the question on everyone’s minds is, “Was it Enough?”

Watering can be a tricky thing. Experienced gardeners will tell you it’s just as easy to kill a plant by over watering it than under watering it. Our heavy clay soil has its own part to play in the equation. It drains slowly, so roots and water have a more challenging time making their way through. By digging your hole 2-3 times wider than the root ball of what you’re planting and amending your backfill with a product like EarthMix® Landscape™, you’re setting it up to be able to sustain itself with rainfall in the future. Without amending your soil, you may run the risk of clay soil getting waterlogged.

How does one water deeply without over watering? Think BBQ — slow and low. Deep watering refers to a lot of water over a long period of time, taking place once or twice a week. Over watering is a result of irrigating too frequently. There are countless irrigation methods, but the easiest one is setting your hose to a trickle and leaving it at the base of the plant for a few hours. Set a reminder on your phone to move it to the next plant, cut the spigot off, or use a hose timer. Items like soaker hoses and gator bags work similarly and provide flexibility. Harvesting rainwater is legal in Tennessee, and by using a rain barrel you can supplement using city water for your crops.

The time of day when you water also plays a key role in your success. Watering early in the morning or in the evening prevents evaporation. By watering at the hottest time of day, you run the risk of up to half of your water evaporating.

That’s all for this week, friends. Tune in to Gardening Inside Out every Saturday morning at 8 am. Queue up the podcast for your commute. Check out our Instagram for the Know Down and behind-the-scenes fun and education. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Happy Gardening,

Sara Bates

*Sale is limited to Bates Rewards Members only, herbs are excluded from this sale, in-store only, ends 5/27/26