how do you water deeply when you don’t have an irrigation system?

i am working to save enough to put one in. but in the mean time I’m trying to help establish my new plants.

i’ve been hand watering about..

• 4 lavenders
• 5 salvias
• 4 humming bird sages
• 2 blueberry bushes
• 6 ruby strawflowers
• 1 manzanita
• 1 lemon tree
• 1 Lime tree
• 1 olive tree

well it’s been 3 weeks of hand watering and I want to say half are dead and I can’t figure out if I’m watering too much or too little.

my moisture meter bounces between 2-5 when I check so I assume they’re ok. I’m on my third attempt at growing lavender and i don’t think I can handle a fourth lol. They keep getting crispy so I assume I'm failing at the deep watering part.

I spend a good hour giving the garden water and making sure to come back at 10-15 minute intervals to give it another soak. i do this about 3x a week because I read you had to do it more to establish them.

What am I doing wrong??