Summer Watering Guide

Water your plants 2-3 times a week to keep them looking their best throughout hot weather

Appropriate watering is extremely important to the health and beauty of your plants, especially in the heat of summer. At Estabrook's, we recommend deep waterings 2-3 times a week even when it rains. Although it might appear that your plants are getting plenty of water even in heavy rain storms, most plants will shed rainfall like an umbrella, leaving the root system dry.

When to Water

The best time of day to water is in the early morning before the temperatures begin to rise. This gives the plants a good supply of water to face the heat of the day. Early morning also tends to be a time of lower winds and thus reduced evaporation.

If watering cannot be done in the early morning, very late afternoon is also satisfactory. It is important to water early enough so that the leaves have time to dry before nightfall to avoid development of fungal diseases. If possible, choose watering methods that will not wet the leaves (such as soaker hoses) and thus allow for late evening watering.

What to Use

There may be need to evaluate the device used for watering. While a lawn sprinkler may be a good method for the lawn, it may not be the best way to water a vegetable garden. Pick a watering device that matches the needs of your garden and the time you have available to water. Once a device is selected, know the correct way to use that device, in order to water efficiently.

Soaker hoses have become a very popular method of watering since they allow the water to weep out gently over the entire length of the hose. This assures that the leaves are never wet, thus reducing the possibility of diseases and providing water right to the root system where it is needed. Just remember that soaker hoses must be left on for a length of time to water deeply. To make sure you're getting the saturation necessary, let your hose run for a while, then dig down with a trowel to see how deep the water went. If it is less than six inches, the hose needs to run longer.

Spruce Up Your Home with Fall Magic Annuals

Refresh your tired annuals with resilient Fall Magic selections

Has the recent deluge of rain battered down your once colorful annuals? Refresh your plantings with Fall Magic annuals from Proven Winners and enjoy beautiful blooms through autumn! These colorful, hardy selections will provide you with immediate color and texture that will last all season.

Fall Magic plants offer striking flowers and foliage while also being quite cold tolerant; in fact, all of the varieties will take light frost and many of the plants are capable of withstanding short periods of temperatures down into the teens.

Combine Fall Magic annuals with traditional fall favorites like pansies, garden mums, asters or ornamental cabbage and kale for a spectacular late summer display.

Here are a few of our favorite varieties to keep an eye out for:

Yellow

Flower colors available in Fall Magic range from yellow to red and purple. One of the best colors for late summer and fall is yellow. You may already know Argyranthemum 'Butterfly' or 'Lemon Symphony' Osteospermum from the spring but they also make great plants for right now, flowering well past the first frost.

Orange

Orange is another color often found when the leaves turn in the fall. To mimic that leaf color in flowers try 'Orange Symphony' Osteospermum or 'Dolce Creme Brulee' Heuchera. 'Orange Symphony' will cascade over the edge of a pot or basket while 'Dolce Creme Brulee' will provide excellent foliage that is perfect in combinations.

Pink and Red

Another favorite spring flower falls into the pink to red category. 'Superbells Cherry' Calibrachoa is available in Fall Magic and will surprise you with its toughness.

Grasses

Finally, don't forget graceful grasses when designing your late summer plantings and containers. Carex 'Toffee Twist' and Pennisetum 'Red Bunny Tails' will both add unique texture and contrast to combinations while thriving in the cooler temperatures of fall.