Watering wisdoms

With pot-grown plants often falling foul of inadequate watering, Bob explains how to think smart with hydration

- Bob Flowerdew

THERE is no real right or wrong way to water plants. However, small changes in technique could dramatically improve your results, it has to be said.

Perhaps the commonest error starts when watering pots and trays that have just been sown. If, as is often seen, watering is done with a rose on the end of the spout of a watering can, then which way up is best? Too often, even in diagrams, it is positioned to act as a shower head, with the jets raining straight down. These torrents easily disturb the compost, so your carefully covered seeds are likely to be buried or exposed. Worse, the top layer of compost may turn to mud or even a crust as it dries, which will then hinder seedlings emerging. The best way is with the holes uppermost. Then, when tilted, the can sends forth curving arcs of water that fall more like light rain with much less risk of causing damage.