Watering vital during summer heat<br/><span class='hl2'>Moisture requirements different among plants</span>

Q:How much should I water my plants during hot weather?

A:Do the high temperatures of summer have you dreaming about shady spots, iced tea, and dips in the pool? Do you find yourself longing for buckets of cool, clear water?

Just like you, your plants need buckets of water, too. Don't be fooled by light rainfalls, it takes an inch or more of rain to turn around a dry spell. The best way to water established landscape plants is to use enough water to saturate the entire root area.

Plants differ in how deep their roots penetrate the soil. You need to supply enough water to wet the root area of each type of plant. For lawn grasses, you only need to wet the top 6 inches of soil. Water needs to penetrate 12 inches deep into the soil for flowers. For trees and shrubs, it is best to wet the soil 18-24 inches deep.

Here are some general watering recommendations. Adjust your watering schedule for your soil type and selected landscape plants. Bermuda grass should be watered one to two times a week. Tall fescue needs more water than Bermuda grass and should be watered every three to five days.

Outdoor plants in pots need to be checked daily, because they dry out more quickly than plants in the ground. Water potted plants when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil are dry to the touch.

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