What is Deep Root Watering For The Garden?

Deep root watering is an irrigation technique that employs watering devices to deliver water directly to the root systems of plants. The plants are able to experience better absorption and less compact soil, which promotes improved growth, better oxygen flow, and protection from drought. Deep root watering is commonly associated with larger landscaping plants like trees and shrubs but it can also be an incredible method for ensuring high productivity in your garden, whether containing vegetables, fruits, flowers, or all of the above. 

In many cases, soaker hoses or drip irrigation are used for deep watering gardens and these methods can work really well but the methods aren’t perfect for every garden situation. Furthermore, there will be water loss due to runoff and evaporation. Another method includes subsurface watering devices, which can be used in conjunction with other methods to tend to the individual needs of each plant. 

As with anything, it’s important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of every option before choosing what’s right for you, so we’ve put together some information to help you understand more about subsurface watering devices and deep root watering in general. We’ll explore the ins and outs of deep root watering, including how it works, its benefits, and methods of implementation. We will also focus on garden plants that can benefit from deep root watering, including cut flowers, ground fruits, and vegetables. 

Deep Root Garden Watering

Deep root watering can help improve your garden’s yield and the quality of its output when compared to traditional garden watering methods. Sprinklers, spray hoses, and drip hoses might not be enough to provide the necessary amount of water to every plants’ roots, especially during dry spells, and even if they are capable, they often lack in consistency, which can also be a problem for plants.. Deep root watering, on the other hand, is an efficient way for ensuring the individual watering needs of every plant are met.

Soaker hoses and drip irrigation techniques are capable of watering deeply but an issue lies in the fact that they are delivering the same amount of water to each plant, meaning water is wasted in some places and other plants aren’t being adequately hydrated. For this reason, many gardeners are incorporating subsurface deep root watering devices into their irrigation routine, delivering different amounts of water to different plant varieties. 

We’ve just released a subsurface watering device that enables direct, underground watering, with individual flow adjustment for each plant! 

Do Gardens Need Deep Root Watering? 

While gardens can survive with traditional watering methods, deep root watering is a more efficient way of providing a consistent water supply to plants. Deep root watering helps to ensure the roots are adequately hydrated, leading to stronger root systems, better plant growth, and higher productivity, but it is important to note that it might not be necessary for all plants. That said, using a subsurface watering device with flow control can not only help to conserve water and reduce costs in the long run, but it also gives you more control over how much water each plant is receiving. Therefore, while gardens may not necessarily need deep root watering to survive, it is a beneficial practice for gardeners looking to promote plant health and sustainability.

Can Deep Root Watering Reduce Weeds and Unwanted Fungus? 

Deep root watering not only improves the health of your garden plants, it can also reduce the amount of time you spend weeding and removing fungus! Because many weeds and fungi are surface dwellers and/or seeds of weeds are scattered on top of the soil, surface watering is actually helping them grow. When you are deep watering the roots of a specific plant, this is less likely to be the case, so your plants will not be fighting for nutrients and you won't have to spend your day pulling pesky weeds.

What Garden Plants Can Benefit From Deep Root Watering?

When considering adding deep root watering as an irrigation technique for your garden, it’s important to think about the types of plants that it will be incredibly beneficial for. 

Inconspicuous Fruits:

There are several garden fruits that are often misrepresented as vegetables (that’s why we are calling them inconspicuous). Some of them, like tomatoes, are less commonly misrepresented but there are others that might surprise you, such as squash and cucumbers. All of these fruits have a few things in common, strong, fiberous tap-roots, extreme thirst, and a tendency for developing root rot, a fungus caused by poor drainage and overwatering.

I used to think of these inconspicuous fruits as plants that love to be neglected before being deeply watered. This only works, though, if you are consistent. Now, I don’t think of it as neglect at all because I know that if I use the right device and provide an even, yet deep watering, the roots will reach deeper and root rot will be less likely to occur—because you will have more control on the amount of water they receive. 

Other fruits like watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and other bush berries are susceptible to drying out quickly, so they too can benefit from being properly hydrated using a deep watering system. The plants will be healthier and will be likely to produce more fruit. 

Cut Flowers:

Cut flowers are so beneficial to a garden. Not only do they provide aesthetic appeal, but they bring in a wide variety of pollinators to increase the production of your fruits and vegetables. Roses, dahlias, lilies, hyacinths, and phlox are just a few examples of flowers that could benefit from deep watering. 

Vegetables:

Most vegetables require consistent watering to produce a bountiful harvest. Deep root watering will ensure plants are adequately hydrated so they can thrive—producing higher yields, with better tasting vegetables. 

Peppers and eggplant are two examples of plants that like deep root watering, especially during times when they are flowering and fruiting. Root vegetables like potatoes, turnips, carrots, beets, and many varieties of brassicas and leafy greens also thrive using consistent deep watering methods.

Another benefit of deep root watering most vegetable varieties is that it trains the roots to grow deeper and reach more nutrients in the soil, rather than sitting near the soil's surface. This also sets them up to be more tolerant of drought conditions and helps them resist the threat of disease.  

Conservation Water Through Using Deep Root Watering In Your Garden

There are many benefits of employing deep root watering in your garden, from preventing root rot to nurturing your plants into being more drought tolerant and generating higher yields, but there is another important factor to take into consideration when determining if this method is right for you and your garden—that is the reduction of water that you will use. 

When plants are watered at the roots, there will be no standing water, no evaporation, and no run-off. Because the water is reaching the roots from under the surface, all the water that you use will be delivered to the plant without waste. Not only is this good for the plants, it’s good for the environment and it can reduce your water bill significantly. 

What Do You Need to Start Deep Watering Your Garden? 

As we mentioned earlier in this post, there are several methods of deep watering your garden. Among them are soaker hoses, drip lines, and even DIY tubing that can be utilized with a garden hose. These methods aren’t wrong but they can be pretty inconsistent in water delivery and many of them still have the problem of evaporation and runoff. 

That’s one of the reasons we developed Root Quencher Spike. We wanted something that could do more without the waste. The spike can work in conjunction with drip hoses to deeply and evenly water plants. Unlike other methods, Spike offers the benefit of adjusting water flow levels for each plant or plant grouping, which means you can tend to the individual watering needs of each plant without over or under-watering any of them. Another benefit of spike is that it provides the opportunity to fertilize deeply as well (your plants will love this). 

Find Root Quencher Spike here. 

Whatever deep root watering method you choose, you should feel good knowing that you are making a positive change for the health and vitality of your garden and the planet!