It's been a dry finish to summer. Alex tells you the one thing you need to know before you waste time and water on your garden.

As summer ends and temperatures cool, many garden plants require less frequent watering. Hydrangeas are among the thirstiest, but only need water if wilting, while tomato plants in the ground often thrive without extra watering due to their deep roots. Potted plants, however, still need regular attention, especially during dry spells, since their roots cannot reach deeper moisture. The expert also suggests practical water-saving strategies, such as hand watering with a control nozzle and placing water-loving plants at the bottom of slopes where water collects.

What happens if you stop watering your garden in late summer?

one of the dry summers on record for Long Island. But do your plants need water in this cooler weather? Our garden expert meteorologist Alex Calamea is in his yard with some water saving tips. One of the nice things about summer coming to a close is that we don't have to do quite as much yard work. This week I'm talking about watering because you might be surprised at what does and doesn't need a little extra drink this time of the year. One of the thirstiest plants in the garden is unfortunately one of the most loved. We're talking hydrangeas. I only water these if they're wilting. Don't worry about them if they're not. And if you're looking for some water saving tips, I recommend hand watering first and your hose should always have a control nozzle at the end of it. That way you're in total control of how much water you're giving your plants. And if you have a hill like I do, learn from my mistake. Don't put those water thirsty plants on the top of the hill. Put them on the bottom of the hill because water is going to collect here. Surprisingly, tomato plants actually don't need a lot of water this time of the year if you have them in the ground. And you can tell my lawn here is starting to die, but this tomato plant is thriving. I never even planted this tomato plant and I've definitely never watered it. It's loaded with fruit. Your plants in the ground have deeper roots this time of the year, so they're reaching farther into that water table. Unfortunately, potted plants just don't have that luxury. Containers need more water in the fall, especially during dry, low humid weather days. And even though my patio is filled with potted plants, I really don't water very much because I have a lot of drought tolerant plants in containers. And you can see it still gives a very lush look. I'm Alex. Happy gardening.

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Breakdown