Watering your garden regularly and well is one of the keys to maintaining an attractive property.
As easy as it might sound to do this, choosing the best watering can makes a big difference. These are durable and eye-catching pieces of equipment that can make gardening easier and more enjoyable.
Watering Can Reviews
The very first point you might want to ask is why you even need to water your plants in the first place? Isn’t the rain that falls on them enough for them to grow?
It really depends how frequently and heavily it rains where you live. The type of plants you have and other factors such as the soil drainage also have a part of play in working out whether additional watering is needed. Of course, if they are indoors or in a highly sheltered location then all the rain in the world won’t do them much good, anyway.
Because of all this, there is no fixed amount of water that plants need. In fact, over-watering can be just as harmful as not giving them enough liquid. It is important that you get to know each plant and how much water it needs.
Of course, some plants such as types of cactus need hardly any water. Others need abundant watering on a regular basis. The fact is that most outdoor plants do need watering from time to time, especially when the weather is hot or dry.
Indoor plants typically need far more watering. This is especially true if they get a lot of sunlight through a window or are in a warm, heated environment.
If a plant doesn’t get enough water then it will eventually die. They are made up of about 90% water and need to be watered regularly in order to grow and thrive.
How Should You Water Your Plants?
The task of watering plants might seem like the simplest thing in the world. Yet, there are some important points to bear in mind here.
Water slowly
This allows the water to reach the roots without over-flowing and running away. You may think that you are watering too much but a lot of plants need more water than appears to be necessary.
Ideally, you will water your plants in the morning
This allows the water to do its job without evaporating too quickly.
Water the roots
It isn’t the leaves or the flowers that need watered. It is the roots. You need to make sure that the water reaches deep down in order to do its jobs well.
Why Use a Watering Can?
There are a few powerful reasons for using a watering can to keep your plants well hydrated.
Easy to get around
No matter where your plants are located, it is easy to get to them with a watering can. Even if you have plants dotted all round your property, there is no problem in getting to them all.
Use the right amount for each plant
As we saw earlier, it is important to understand how much water each plant needs. If you use a hose or sprinklers, it can be difficult to measure exactly how much water they are getting. A good watering can lets you perfectly control the flow of water.
Save water
Following on from the last point, hoses and sprinklers are also very wasteful with water. If you want to help the planet, using a watering can will allow you to be more careful with how much water you use.
Fast and simple
If you have a huge garden, using a watering can might not be so practical. However, for many of us this is the quickest and simplest way to hydrate our plants.
How to Choose Wisely
What kind of model is the best watering can for your needs? We will look at a number of different models later on. So, it is worth first of all considering the features and specifications that you can expect to find.
The material
The classiest and most durable cans tend to be made of metal, often painted with pretty designs. Yet, there are some good reasons for considering plastic models too. Metal watering cans will last for longer if they are rustproof, while plastic models are lighter and generally less expensive.
The size
How big do you need this gardening accessory to be? Clearly, the most important point here is how many plants you need to water. If you don’t want to carry a heavy can around then you could buy a smaller one and just fill it up more times.
The sprinkler attachment
Having an adjustable sprinkler attachment makes the task of watering your plants a lot easier. This is sometimes called the sprinkler rosette or rose head, and it lets you choose the exact setting each time. Some can be detached and others can’t be.
How it looks
For many of us, a watering can adds a lovely touch to our gardens. This is why it is good to see that there is a good range of styles, colors, and designs to choose from. Get the perfect watering can and you will add something interesting to your garden.
The 5 Best Watering Cans We Reviewed
With a capacity of 1.5 gallons, this watering can is big enough to let you look after even a reasonably large garden with a number of plants dotted around it. It has the classic look of a zinc finish and is designed to be resistant to rust and to fire. Even if you use it every day and leave it outside, you should get years of use out of it without problems of wear and tear. Importantly, it won’t crack or fade in the way that a plastic watering can over time.
This Behrens watering can is also fully recyclable and features a large, non-removable rosette for sprinkling. It is a strong and robust looking accessory but it weighs just 1.9 pounds. The overall dimensions are 8.5 x 8.75 x 15.5 inches. It is easy to use and allows the water to reach a fair distance just by tipping it over a bit further. If you ever need to replace the rosette then it can be removed, but the manufacturer recommends that you only do this when absolutely necessary.
- Powerful watering action
- Durable finish
- Holds a lot of water in it
- Some people prefer a removable rosette
This fun, colorful watering can is designed for indoor use. The long stem spout means that you can control the flow of water fairly easily. The handle has also been carefully shaped in order for it to be easy to hold while you tend to your plants. In fact, the idea is that your hand slides naturally along the handle as you use it and the water flows out. This is a plastic can, made out of recycled plastic that is shatterproof and is also UV-protected. An additional feature that can come in handy is the fact that different measurements are embossed on the side.
You can hold up to a gallon of water in here. It is made in the US and has dimensions of 18” x 6” x 8.5”. In terms of weight, it is just 8 ounces. This means that it is a decent size and weight for a number of uses. Whether you have just a few plants at home or an office filled with them, this watering can help you to get them all watered efficiently.
- Attractive, fun design
- Smooth action lets your hand slide along the handle
- Lightweight
- A few issues with leakage have been reported
This is another versatile watering can that holds up to a gallon of water in it. It is a plastic blow-mold design and measures in at 14″L x 6″W x 11″H. A 1.5 inch opening give a satisfactory water flow from the sprinkler head. This isn’t the fastest-flowing watering can around, which means that you can give a long, deep watering that really reaches the roots.
The different color options for this Union watering can are described as Caribbean Blue, Sage Green, Purple, Daffodil Yellow and Hunter Green. It also has a pretty tulip design on each of these different colors. This Union watering can is made in the US and weighs a tiny 8 ounces. The fact that it features two handles is a nice touch, as this allows you to find the perfect grip for any space and to carry it around comfortably. The rosette is removable, and can be simply screwed on and off as necessary. This could come in useful if you want to replace it or if you need a heavier water flow for some reason.
- Two handles for ease of use and carrying
- Good water flow
- Sprinkler head is removable
- Can be difficult to fit under the faucet in some homes
This classy looking resin watering can is attractively styled to add something extra to your gardening time. It comes in green or red, and has a very neat, modern look to it. This can is small, holding just a quart of water inside it when it is full. Therefore, it is likely to suit you if you only have a very limited number of plants to look after or else are happy taking your time when watering. You can use it indoors or outdoors, but due to its size it could take you a lot of time to take care of even a modest-sized size garden.
There is a long stem spout that allows the water to reach the plant without any spills. This is important to ensure that all of the liquid reaches the roots, where it is needed. This model is also light and has a large handle that allows for one-handed use. The dimensions are given as 10.6 x 2 x 5.1 inches, while it weighs just 3.2 ounces.
- Very small and light
- Long spout to reach the right places easily
- Good-looking design
- The flow of water may be too fast for some people’s needs
Extremely small and cute, this stainless steel watering can is useful in a number of different situations, although it isn’t likely to be right for every type of gardener. For example, it is marketed as being suitable for watering small office plants or for children who look after bonsai. Yet, it is going to be small for you if you have a large garden. This IMEEA watering can measures 9.85 x 4.73 x 4.14 inches and weighs 0.75 pounds. Unusually for a product of this type, it comes with a 1-year warranty.
The high-quality SUS304 stainless steel construction gives a sleek modern look as an accessory that should last you for years. Of course, the main issues are that it is fairly expensive and isn’t particularly big. This means that it is probably only going to be right for you if you want a small and pretty watering can that you will enjoy using for light watering tasks. The right watering can makes gardening more fun, though, and the stylishness of this one is a big factor.
- Great to look at
- Sturdy and long-lasting
- Comes with a 1-year warranty
- Will be too small for someone with more than a couple of plants to look after
Conclusion
We can see from this selection of watering cans that there is a great deal of variety around. Despite this being such a simple type of product, there are a number of factors to take into account. In our opinion, the best watering can is the Behrens Manufacturing 206 Hot Dipped Steel Watering Can. This is a sturdy, well-built model that should give you a good few years of trouble-free service.
This model is also big enough to be highly versatile. It can cope with a big garden that contains a lot of plants and can also be used indoors for fewer plants. Finally, the attractive design helps to keep gardening as fun as it should be.
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Last update on 2024-10-10 / Affiliate links / Product Images from Amazon Product Advertising API