Do Watering Needs Change During the Fall?

Fall is here, and with it come several changes to your garden. 

Fall is the perfect time to grow hearty late-season vegetables and compost autumn leaves for the upcoming spring season. 

That said, if you’re going to continue working in your garden throughout fall, you’ll have to change your approach a bit. As the weather cools off, it’s important to adjust your watering habits accordingly. 

Your Garden Needs Less Water During Fall

During summer, plentiful watering is one of the most important parts of a gardening routine. The summer heat means a lot of water will evaporate from the soil in your garden. In addition, plants are getting lots of sunlight, and you want to give them enough water to take advantage of that sunlight and grow. 

If you don’t water regularly during the summer (maybe every day, depending on your climate), your plants will go thirsty and their growth will be stunted. 

During fall, however, your plants’ watering needs change. Cooler weather means less water evaporates during the day. Your plants are also getting less sunlight and growing more slowly, so their roots will take up less water. 

If you don’t adjust your watering schedule accordingly, you risk overwatering your plants, which can rot the roots and cause fungal diseases to take hold. Both can be devastating to your garden. 

How Often Should You Water During Fall?

If you’re in a rainy climate and you get at least an inch of rainfall per week, you won’t have to water at all during autumn. 

Otherwise, you’ll want to keep watering your garden until the ground freezes. If the weather is warm (60℉) and you aren’t getting rainfall, water 2-4 times a week. 

As the temperature drops toward 40℉, you can reduce watering to once a week. 

The first hard frost in late autumn will likely kill most of your summer plants, but hearty fall plants like root vegetables can survive frosts. As long as the temperature is still above 32℉, you can continue watering once a week. When freezing temperatures arrive, it’s time to stop watering and begin winterizing your garden. 

Simplify Watering Year Round

If you want to make watering as simple as possible, we suggest using a B-hyve Sprinkler Timer.

B-hyve is a smart watering system that uses WeatherSense™ technology to deliver the perfect amount of water to your garden, based on local temperature and weather data. You can even check your water use and program B-hyve from your smartphone or computer. 

To date, B-hyve has saved more than 30 billion gallons of water nationwide. It’s not just good for the environment; it saves you money on your water bill every month and ensures that you never have to think about watering again. If you want to simplify your watering routine, give B-hyve a try.