Rega Semanal por Tipo de Planta

Weekly watering: the 1-inch rule

The horticulture standard for home gardens is 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water per week, rainfall included. Spread it across 2–3 deep soakings instead of a daily sprinkle, since deeper watering pushes roots down and makes them stronger. For a 1 m² bed, 2.5 cm works out to 25 L per week. Example: tomatoes want 2–3 deep waterings a week (roughly 5–8 L per plant); succulents get by on one watering every couple of weeks; leafy greens like a little moisture daily. Before you water, push a finger 5 cm deep into the soil. Dry down there means water; damp means wait. A layer of straw or wood-chip mulch can shave 30–50% off your weekly water use.

Applications

Think home gardening, urban vegetable beds, balcony container gardens, and fertigation planning. It also helps with drip irrigation setups (Pingo Negro/dripping), where emitters put out 2–8 L/h at around 90% efficiency, against the roughly 50% you get from overhead sprinklers. Handy too for sizing rainwater cisterns and setting the timing on automated valves.

FAQ

Does rain count? It does. Subtract the week's rainfall from your target. A 10 mm rain on 1 m² already gives you 10 L for free.

Morning or evening? Early morning wins. Leaves dry off before nightfall, which keeps fungal disease down, and evaporation is still low at that hour.

Yellow leaves: overwatering or underwatering? Either one can turn leaves yellow. Fall back on the finger test 5 cm deep and watch how water drains at the base of the pot.

Clay vs sandy soil? Clay holds water, so water less often but go deeper. Sandy soil drains fast, so water more often with lighter doses.