62 



Gardening for Amateurs 



How to Water Plants 



WATERING is at once the most 

 important and most difficult of 

 gardening tasks. It is impossible 

 to say exactly how much water should 

 be given to plants in pots ; all one can 

 do is to advise that the soil be kept 

 moist never saturated, never dry. Ex- 

 perience alone teaches the gardener when 



water is necessary, but if the amateur takes 

 care to water his plants only when the soil 

 begins to get dry, and before it has really 

 got dry, he cannot go far wrong. It is 

 obvious that plants need more water in 

 summer than in winter ; whereas during the 

 former season they might need moistening 

 twice a day, once a week in winter would 



Watering a plant a few 

 hours before repotting. 



Insufficient space was How not to water 

 left to hold water. plants in flower. 



The right way avoid 

 moistening the flowers. 



The result of giving 

 frequent driblets 

 of water. 



Roots are evenly 

 Soot water or liquid manure obtained by distributed when 

 soaking a bag filled with one of these the soil is moist- 

 substances in a tub of water. ened thoroughly. 



The proper way to water a plant 

 when the soil has become 

 very dry. 



