Soil and water · 2 min read
Water the soil, not the clock
Water the soil, not the clock. Start with the soil under a flowering plant. Look at the plant, the soil, and the light before you look for a tool.
Do it in order
Then push a finger into the soil and water only if it is dry below the surface. One change at a time. A garden records every extra change whether you meant to or not.
The usual miss
The common mix-up is a daily splash because the calendar said so. Undo that, or stop, before you add water, feed, or a second plant.
You can leave it when the top inch matches the moisture the plant has been living with. Tomorrow's look matters more than today's perfect photograph.
This is a "Soil and water" note. The soil under a flowering plant will tell you next week whether the note was right.
A garden note, not a promise that a plant will thrive. Look again in a week.