How often should I water my vegetables?
Banyandreams
-
banyandreams
- Full Member
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2006 3:57 am
-
opabinia51
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 4659
- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
- Location: Victoria, BC
Now you'd think that this would be a simple question to answer but, it actually isn't.
The short answer is: you should water them when they need watering.
The long answer is: Definately deep water them for at least an hour (if you have a vegetable garden) but, test the soil before watering. Just use a shovel and lift some soil up. If it is damp,then your plants don't need watering.
Also, if you employ some water saving techniques like building swales into your property, deep mulching with leaves and other water colecting mulches, growing cover crops like: Clover, Rye and so on (I'm just currently blanking on other cover crops) then you will need to water less often.
In the heat of the summer, I usually only have to water my garden say once or twice a week. And that is a deep water for about 4 hours.
The short answer is: you should water them when they need watering.
The long answer is: Definately deep water them for at least an hour (if you have a vegetable garden) but, test the soil before watering. Just use a shovel and lift some soil up. If it is damp,then your plants don't need watering.
Also, if you employ some water saving techniques like building swales into your property, deep mulching with leaves and other water colecting mulches, growing cover crops like: Clover, Rye and so on (I'm just currently blanking on other cover crops) then you will need to water less often.
In the heat of the summer, I usually only have to water my garden say once or twice a week. And that is a deep water for about 4 hours.
-
pixelphoto
- Senior Member
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:13 pm
- Location: Middle Georgia USA
I agree with the short answer when they need watering. While that sounds very simple I will explain.
feel the soil with your hands does it feel dry does it feel wet? I prefer moist which is somewhere in between.
Using a good mulch will cut down on how often you have to water.
The type of soil structure you have has alot to do with its water holding abilities. sand, clay, humus, rocky, etcetc.
feel the soil with your hands does it feel dry does it feel wet? I prefer moist which is somewhere in between.
Using a good mulch will cut down on how often you have to water.
The type of soil structure you have has alot to do with its water holding abilities. sand, clay, humus, rocky, etcetc.
-
Gnome
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5122
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
- Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A
banyandreams,
As Opa says it is always preferable to deep water less often rather than to water shallowly with greater frequency. Shallow, frequent watering encourages a shallow root system that is vulnerable to future dry spells. By watering deeply you promote a deeper and stronger root system that is better able tolerate periods of dry weather.
Norm
As Opa says it is always preferable to deep water less often rather than to water shallowly with greater frequency. Shallow, frequent watering encourages a shallow root system that is vulnerable to future dry spells. By watering deeply you promote a deeper and stronger root system that is better able tolerate periods of dry weather.
Norm
-
a white rabbit
- Full Member
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Mon May 07, 2007 11:16 am
- Location: ..under deconstruction at 6N124E..
..and what about shallow rooting crops ? like lettuce ?..Gnome wrote:banyandreams,
As Opa says it is always preferable to deep water less often rather than to water shallowly with greater frequency. Shallow, frequent watering encourages a shallow root system that is vulnerable to future dry spells. By watering deeply you promote a deeper and stronger root system that is better able tolerate periods of dry weather.
Norm
..use a rain-gauge, and a flow meter and follow the instructions for each plant..