Let the rain handle early spring watering.

Probably not as often as you think. Early spring is the season of damp soil and cool air, so rainfall usually does the job. Most plants aren’t fully active yet, and evaporation is low. Wait until the top couple inches of soil are dry before even thinking about turning on the hose.

Checking is easy: stick your finger in the soil. If it feels moist an inch or two down, skip watering. Overwatering in spring is a real thing — it rots seeds, drowns roots, and invites fungus. Unless you’ve had a dry week with no rain and warm temps, your garden is probably fine.

Overwatering in spring kills more plants than underwatering.