Gardening can be a challenge to some. Is there something wrong with the soil or are you still figuring it all out? Water pressure is a tricky subject. Too low is a nuisance but too much may just ruin your garden. Really? Let’s learn the truth.
Water Pressure
To know if too much pressure is bad for your plants, you need to understand what counts as too much pressure.
The water coming out of your household spigot is usually around 30psi up to 60psi.
The average being 45psi up to 55psi.
Anything above 70psi actually damages your appliances.
The water pressure that hits your plants is affected by other factors. These factors are:
- Hose diameter: A larger hose diameter will result in a lower water pressure
- Hose length: A longer hose will result in a lower water pressure
- Hose water pressure: This is the pressure from your spigot
- Nozzle: A nozzle can help regulate the pressure and condition of water
A pressure hose can tolerate around 200psi up to 500psi of water, of course this is not the ideal water pressure you should be watering your plants with.
Other than the garden hose, there are also other watering tools you can use in the garden which releases varying water pressure:
- Drip system: 30psi
- Soaker hose: 10psi
- Sprinkles: adjustable
Plant health is not all about water pressure, it would be safe to water your plants with your default spigot pressure. The water pressure will lower at the end of your garden hose, and you can also regulate water output with your garden nozzle. Other than the pressure there are more ways that water can damage plants.
Watering Plants
There are different types of plants which will react differently to water pressure and quantity:
- Young Plants & Flowers
- Large Trees & Mature Plants
- Potted Plants
Each of them would require a different water approach.
When taking care of a potted plant you need to look at the gallon intake, which can be calculated and is measured in GPM (Gallon Per Minute), and proper drainage. Different plants and different sized pots need different amounts of water.
When watering in the garden it’s important that you water the soil to get to the roots instead of the leaves of the plants. Weather is another factor you need to consider when deciding the amount and frequency of watering.
Leaves
Watering the leaves will only remove dust and dirt. When hit with too much water, a moist condition is actually bad for the leaves (makes them prone to diseases). A high water pressure can also easily damage plant leaves, you can overcome this by changing the settings in your nozzle. Same goes for young plants and flowers.
Soil & Roots
You want to water the roots enough that the water is easily soaked up by all parts of the root (outer root and root ball). Water pressure will not be the main damaging culprit here, it’s all about the total water quantity. If you water too quickly and too much, the soil may get waterlogged which makes it difficult for the root to absorb oxygen. In addition, the root ball may still be dry and that’s also bad for the plants. This problem may also arise because you water too often.
The soil type is a big factor to this.
You can take an extra step in getting a soil moisture sensor to make sure that you are doing the right thing.
All Things Grow With Love
Too much of a good thing is still a bad thing. That being said, you don’t need to worry about the water pressure too much. Instead, you can always learn more about plant health and care. You can then build a garden with trial and error.
Learn more about watering.