On the dry side

If you know what to look for, you can figure out your plants’ watering needs. Plants actually prioritize when water-stressed, so look for the early warning signs:

1. If a plant isn’t getting enough water, flower petals and buds are the first things to be jettisoned (or fruit if it has developed), because making and maintaining them takes so much energy and water.
2. Next to go are the leaves, which shrivel.
3. Then the stems flop.
4. Underground, the roots go limp.

Obviously, if your garden is in this condition, it needs more water.