Tackling Watering Issues

Sure, without moisture, plants die. Everyone knows that. But you may not know why water is so incredibly vital. The answer is threefold, actually:

• Sufficient water pressure within plant tissues creates turgor, or rigidity, so the plant can stand up. A plant without turgor pressure collapses.
  
• Water keeps nutrients flowing through the soil, the roots, and the plant parts as they should; it keeps the show going.
  
• The show is the chemical process of photosynthesis, which you no doubt remember from biology class in school. The plant uses light, carbon dioxide, and water to make sugar (a pretty impressive trick).

Without photosynthesis, plants can’t grow or develop flowers or fruit. Keeping a close eye on your plants is easier said than done, of course, but the following sections tell you what you need to know, to keep in mind, and to watch out for when evaluating just how much moisture your garden needs.