Watering & Irrigation

Deep, infrequent watering (once or twice a week) is better than daily light watering because it encourages deeper root growth. Most vegetables need 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week, delivered in the morning ideally. Our watering schedule calculator adjusts for temperature, wind, and plant type.

For any garden larger than a few containers, yes. Drip uses 30-50% less water than overhead watering, reduces leaf disease, and can run unattended on a timer. The drip flow rate calculator helps you pick emitters and plan line lengths without oversizing.

A 1,000 sq ft roof captures roughly 620 gallons per inch of rainfall. In most climates that's enough to supplement garden watering during dry weeks. Our rainwater collection calculator estimates annual capture based on your roof size and local rainfall averages.

Morning. Plants use the water during the day, and foliage dries before evening, which reduces fungal disease. Evening watering leaves wet leaves overnight, which causes problems for tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash especially.

Yellowing lower leaves, wilting even when soil is wet, and soggy soil more than a couple inches down. Stick a finger in the soil before watering; if it's moist below an inch, wait. Most container plants die from overwatering more often than from drought.