A heat dome is scorching over the Central and Midwest US which means backyards are demanding a lot more water. While automatic irrigation systems and oscillating sprinklers take care of large spaces, it's not always possible to incorporate such devices in a small garden.
But, don't fret. I've been searching for the best watering tools for small gardens during a heatwave and found some great gadgets to help you water your plants in hot weather with little effort and without taking up lots of room.
From vertical garden irrigation kits to self-watering planters (I love these terracotta ones from Amazon), there are solutions to make watering low-maintenance in every outdoor space, including balconies and patios. In fact, many of these products will even save how much water you use.
These self-watering planters have a reservoir at the bottom and an inner pot with drainage holes. The plant roots soak up water from the reservoir as needed, ensuring they don't dry out. It requires much less frequent topping up than regular watering.
Hanging baskets always dry out faster than plants in the ground due to elevation, even more so during hot spells. This watering wand makes it easy to reach hanging baskets and tall vertical gardens, extending 36" in length. It connects to your garden hose and has five spray settings.
These self-watering spikes insert into plant pots and hold an upside down bottle of water. Because terracotta is porous, it gradually releases moisture to the soil, stopping it drying out entirely. This is an ideal solution to watering plants while on vacation, too.
A soaker hose is a good alternative to a large drip irrigation system. You can lay it in your raised beds and borders and let the water seep out of the porous material, directly into soil to hydrate roots. It's one of the best tools for reducing water waste in the yard, thanks to its efficiency.
This vertical garden planter has built-in irrigation so your living wall never dries out. It has capacity for 36 plants, with an automatic drip irrigation system providing sufficient water. It even has a rain sensor to pause watering in response to rainfall.
Watering and protecting your lawn during a heatwave is one of the most time-consuming jobs, which is why it's preferable to use a sprinkler. For smaller lawns, these sprinkler spikes are ideal. They're compact and can be left in the ground without taking up too much room. They provide 360° coverage.
This seedling watering bottle is ideal if you have a small greenhouse. It gently waters seedlings and small pot plants through a micro spout. You just squeeze the bottle to water. It holds 0.45L of water and its compact size is easy to store.
This sprinkler timer can turn your sprinkler into an automated watering system, instead of having a large irrigation grid set up. It has a digital display and is easy to set the timer from 1-360 minutes. It makes watering in a heatwave less maintenance and saves water usage and waste.
Whether you have a mini portable greenhouse, a few pots, or you're growing plants on a windowsill, this capillary mat can keep plants hydrated. It acts as a sponge, absorbing water and gradually delivering it to plant roots from the bottom up.
Consistent watering is just one way to protect plants in a heatwave. You may also want to use a shade cloth (from Amazon), which is especially useful if your garden is limited in size and doesn't have a shade spot to move containers to.
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