BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Knowing when and how to water in Kern County's hot and dry summers can be a little bit tricky.
Suzy Williams of Bolles Nursery say people often overwater in the heat.
"Most people think it's ok to water three times a day, but it's really not. Nothing needs it!" says Williams, "water deeply, and less often, the roots will chase the water."
According to Williams, new plants should be watered with a hose every day or every other day until they're established.
Once their roots take hold, you can switch to sprinklers if you like, but still water deeply instead of frequently.
It's also best to water in the morning.
"Make sure you're watering's done by 9 o'clock. Between 4 and 9. Because in the afternoon you want the plant to go through the heat stress without being stressed further by not having enough water" says Williams.
Watering at night can lead to issues with disease, so avoid watering late in the day if possible.
If you're still not sure that you're watering correctly, you can look to your plants for signs of over or under watering.
"The first sign of overwatering is yellow leaves inside near the bottom of the plant, they start to turn yellow and it moves up" says Williams, "the first sign of not enough water is the top of the plant turns brown and crunchy."
