As is widely known, underwatering a plant can cause stress and injury. Overwatering can injure a plant, too, by preventing air from reaching the plant's roots or by fostering the growth of organisms that cause root rot or other diseases.

Overwatering also wastes water — an outcome that's unacceptable in our increasingly water-scarce world.

Applying the correct amount of water is the best approach, and it's not that difficult to do. The first step in doing so is to estimate correctly the water needed by plants in your landscape.

If you plan to irrigate your landscape with recycled water that's somewhat higher in dissolved salt than formerly was used at the site, estimating the amount of water needed by plants and applying the correct amount is even more important, as it will help to minimize any adverse effects of the new water supply.

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