Water, water everywhere

Bryce: Supplying water to root systems when it's needed is the single most important thing gardeners do for plants.

Hand watering: Use a garden hose with a spray head on the end. It is a simple watering method that involves no previous soil preparation or equipment installation. But it is time-consuming and leads to under-watering because most gardeners do not have the patience to water for as long as is needed.

Furrow irrigation: works best when you are watering rows of plants: it is often used in vegetable gardens. Furrows beside plants are filled with water and left to soak in. Plant foliage stays dry when furrow irrigation is used, which helps minimize disease development.

Basin irrigation: Watering basins are used mainly around trees and shrubs. A ridge of soil is built to contain the water, either from a handheld hose or a bubbler head on a sprinkler system. A few basins can be filled quickly with water, but if many plants are irrigated by hand in this manner, watering may become time-consuming. Plant foliage stays dry when water basins are used.

Sprinklers: Both hose-end sprinklers and underground installed sprinklers irrigate a large area at once. They are most effective when used to water heavily planted areas. Sprinklers are wasteful if they are used to irrigate spar sly planted areas. They are hard to control in windy areas and they wet plant leaves.

Drip irrigation: Drip irrigation systems apply water slowly, allowing it to seep into the soil. They are left on for many hours at a time, often for four to sixteen hours per day. Many types of delivery systems are available. If they are properly operated, they will do the best watering job because they keep the soil at a relatively constant state of moisture, without the wet-to-dry fluctuations of other methods. They do not wet the leaves.