Watering your containers frequently and correctly is crucial to keeping outdoor potted plants happy and healthy. Whether you are caring for fiberglass garden planters filled with geraniums or looking after hanging baskets planted up with trailing petunias, giving your containers the correct amount of water on a regular basis is one of the best ways to insure gardening success.

Container plants are much more exposed to wind and sun than plants grown in regular garden beds, and so must be watched much more carefully for signs of stress. How often you water your containers depends on what type of containers you have, how large they are, what kinds of plants you are growing, and what specific weather and growing conditions you have on a regular basis. Changes in the weather such as a string of very hot days or a period of heavy rain require adjustments both in your watering schedule and in the amount of water and frequency of the watering you do.

Unglazed terra cotta pots evaporate water more quickly than most other kinds of containers, with fiberglass and wood containers retaining moisture a bit longer than terra cotta, and metal planters holding on to water the longest of all.

Plants grouped together in a container tend to keep water from evaporating better than single potted plants, and smaller containers run out of water more quickly than larger ones.

Soil mix is another variable that directly impacts how often and how much you water. The kind of light soil mix with lots of sphagnum moss that is frequently used in hanging planters to keep down their weight requires daily watering, and in hot sunny conditions may demand even more frequent watering than that. Check the mix by poking a finger about an inch down into the soil. It should be damp but not waterlogged. If it is bone dry, the container needs to be watered.

The heavier the soil mix and the less sun the container gets, the less frequently you will need to water it, although do remember that a container garden placed in heavy shade may not get any water at all during a rain because of the tree leaves sheltering it. So check these kinds of containers regularly for dryness, even when the in-ground plants surrounding them look happy and green.

Plants that get full sun all afternoon need to be checked several times a day. Be careful not to over water your container plants, but watch for signs of stress like drooping leaves and stems, crunchy leaf edges, brown leaves, and dropped flowers. Some annual plants will literally deflate like popped balloons at the first sign of dryness, but will miraculously revive within minutes of being watered. If your container plants look dead from lack of water, but still have some green on them, pinch off the brown parts, water well, and then wait. They may very well come back.

Plants that are over watered can develop root rot, which will also cause flowers to drop and cause the plant to look unhealthy. If the soil in your container seems very moist but you are still seeing signs of stress, (such as lots of dropped flowers), tug gently at the base of one of the plants. If it comes right out of the soil with few or no roots, you are over watering. Let the soil dry out a bit, then water less frequently and see if you can get the plants to revive.

When watering container gardens, it is best to use an indirect, gentle spray such as the kind you can get with a watering wand or a watering can with a series of small holes on the nozzle. The pressure from your garden hose will likely be too strong without a special attachment. You can water the entire plant or gently pour the water onto the top of the soil mix.

Most plants benefit from getting some mist and water to their flowers and leaves, but some plants, like roses, may get spots on their leaves if they get water on their foliage too frequently. The best way to make sure you are watering your plants the way they most need to be watered is to read up on their growing habits so you will be aware of any idiosyncratic demands before you get started. Knowing your plants well is the best way to keep them healthy.

Before you purchase any watering equipment or start any watering regimen, it’s a good idea to check online for the types of watering cans and watering wands available to you, as well as to check out information on your specific plants at gardening and horticultural web sites. That way, once you actually begin to care for your container garden, you will have the tools, the knowledge, and the confidence you need for a fabulous and satisfying growing season.