It must be summer because I’m writing about watering, yet again. We’ve had some nice rain showers the past week or so and the lawns and gardens are loving it. But, have you ever looked under a dense shrub to see dry mulch after a summer shower? Happens more often than we would like.

If you had plant materiel installed late fall or this spring, the roots, quite possibly, do not extend beyond the plant’s drip line. Established plants have roots that have grown far and wide, and hopefully deep, and they can catch more of our summer rains. A plant with roots confined under its crown needs supplemental watering.

When in doubt, dig a little hole in the garden to see how far the water has penetrated the soil.When watering, water long and deep. We want to encourage deep root growth.

One Final Tip: Are you still running on last fall’s mulch application? If this is the case, fluff  your mulch. Tight, compact mulch restricts air and water circulation within the underlying soil.