Using just the right amount of water is important no matter what the situation whether it’s watering a football field or providing for your patio planters and container gardens.  The keys to success are 2 fold:

1. Watering to the bottom of the roots
2. Keep the roots moist, not soggy or dry.

There are many other water efficiency guidelines such as watering when wind speeds are low, watering at the base of the plant, watering in the early morning to reduce evaporation and checking for loose hose connections.

Once a planter has been installed and watered initially, consider soaker hoses and drip irrigation systems.  These are fairly commonplace in tree and shrub watering, but not in container gardens.  The following photos are good examples of planters with drip tubing attached to a timer that water efficiently and conveniently.  Once installed, they do the watering for you.  They work great for gardeners who go on vacation in the summer!