Keep it Green, by Michael Womack
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Saturday, August 25, 2001

Set thirsty plants in small buckets

Keeping potted plants watered in the heat of summer is difficult to say the least. Home gardeners spend a lot of time trying to keep their plants adequately watered so that they remain healthy in heat and drought.
   With the new water restrictions, residents may water potted plants, shrubs, trees and annuals by hand prior to 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. The once-every-five-day rule for lawn watering doesn't apply to hand-watering these items.
   Cultivating potted plants is particularly difficult in summer months due to high temperatures and winds that dry out pots quickly. Plants lose water through their leaves as wind blows across the leaf surface; this process is called transpiration. As the water moves out the leaves, the plant draws more water out of the soil to keep its water levels in check.
   If a potted plant dries out, completely rehydrate the soil. This may take several waterings to get the soil wet thoroughly. Watering the plant, then go back after about five minutes and wateragain. Each time you water, the soil will hold more water.
   A better way to rehydrate potted plants is to place them in a saucer or shallow bucket, then water the plant as usual until the saucer is full. Let your plant set in this water for 30 to 45 minutes to allow the soil to take up extra water.
   A word of caution: Do not leave the plants in standing water for long periods. Roots need air as well as water. Leaving a plant in a saucer of water for too long will promote root rot diseases.
   Another way to encourage soil to absorb and hold water is to use a wetting agent or surfactant. Those products are typically a soap-like additive that allows water to be better dispersed in a solution or to be held by the soil or on a leaf surface.
   Wetting agents and other soil additives that help to keep water in the soil are now available to the general public; ask your local nursery professional for the products available for your home garden.
   If a potted plant is drying out very quickly, you might want to consider repotting the plant.
   Whenever you repot, make sure you use a well-drained potting mix. Most potting mixes have some peat moss to hold water and perlite to provide drainage.
   Remember that rootbound plants need to have their roots scored to stop the circular growth of roots. That can be done by cutting through the root ball in three or four places, one or two inches deep.
   In severe cases, the plant may need to be root pruned, removing no more than one-third of the root system, to encourage new, healthy root growth.
   Another way to reduce water use is to prune back overgrown potted plants. Removing top growth will reduce water use while allowing you to shape the plant into a more attractive form as new shoots replace lost leaves.
   Try these other tips to help potted plants stay cool and wet:
  

Keep them out of direct sun and don't place them on hot cement surfaces or next to stucco or brick walls that reflect the sun's heat.
  

Group potted plants together to increase humidity and reduce wind around individual plants.
   Michael Womack is a horticulturist with Texas Cooperative Extension. Contact him at 767-5217 or wm-womack@tamu.edu
  
  

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Michael Womack is a horticulturist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. Got a question? Michael Womack will answer landscape and gardening questions. Call 886-4648, category 3025 to record your question. Write Keep It Green, Corpus Christi Caller-Times, P.O. Box 9136, Corpus Christi, TX 78469 or email wm-womack@tamu.edu

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