Watering is the job gardeners do most often, and the one most often done wrong. Too little and plants wilt and fruit cracks; too much and roots rot. These free tools turn “water about an inch a week” into exact gallons and run times for your beds, and help you collect free rainwater to supply it.
They use the standard conversion that one inch of water over one square foot is about 0.62 gallons, and allow for your watering method and soil type.
Watering tools
- Garden Watering CalculatorEstimate weekly water needs in gallons and how long to run your hose.Open tool →
- Drip Irrigation CalculatorWork out emitters, flow rate, tubing and run time for a drip system.Open tool →
- Rain Barrel CalculatorFind how many barrels a rainfall will fill from your roof or downspout.Open tool →
- Rainwater Collection CalculatorEstimate how many gallons of rain your roof can collect in a storm, month or year.Open tool →
Watering guides
Watering
How Often Should You Water a Vegetable Garden?
How much and how often to water vegetables: the 1-inch rule, adjusting for soil, beds and weather, the best time of day, and how to tell when plants need water.
Watering
How to Make a Rain Garden: Size, Design & Plants
What a rain garden is and how to build one: choosing the spot, testing drainage, sizing it with a simple formula, digging, planting native plants and maintenance.
Plant Problems
Overwatering vs. Underwatering: How to Tell the Difference
Wilting and yellow leaves can mean too much water or too little. Learn the signs of each, how to check soil and roots, and how to rescue the plant.
Watering
Drip Irrigation vs. Soaker Hoses: Which Should You Choose?
Soaker hoses or drip irrigation? Compare cost, evenness, durability and setup, and see which suits your beds, budget and watering style.
Watering
Rainwater Harvesting for Gardens: A Practical Guide
How much rain your roof can collect, how to size and set up barrels or tanks, use rainwater safely on vegetables, and avoid common mistakes.
Where to start
- Find out how much water your garden needs each week with the garden watering calculator.
- Plan a system with the drip irrigation calculator, which sizes tubing, emitters and run times.
- Collect free water with the rain barrel calculator and the rainwater collection calculator.
Check before you water. Push a finger 2 to 3 inches into the soil. If it is still moist, wait. Our guide to overwatering versus underwatering explains the signs.
Frequently asked questions
How much water does a vegetable garden need?
About an inch a week from rain and irrigation combined, roughly 62 gallons per 100 square feet, and more in hot, dry or windy weather.
Is drip irrigation better than sprinklers?
For vegetable beds, usually. Drip delivers water to the roots with little evaporation and keeps leaves dry, which reduces disease.
How fast does a rain barrel fill?
Quickly. One inch of rain on 1,000 square feet of roof yields about 623 gallons, so a 55-gallon barrel can fill from a small amount of rain.