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Vegetable Gardening Hints, Issue #061 June 02, 2014 |
Hello, Tips for Watering your Garden"
How much water do I give my plants?Vegetable plants need 1 - 2 inches of water each week especially from mid June to mid August. Too little water will not let plant roots grow deep and strong enough to gather nutrients for good growth. Too much water will saturate the soil, not allowing the plant air and space needed to grow. For best results it is important to know how much water your plants are getting. Observe your vegetables, get to know your soil conditions, keep an eye on the weather and learn which plants need more water than others. Is this sounding too complicated? Here is an easy way to measure how much water your garden is getting. Watering Measuring Tip Place a small can in 4 different areas of your garden, turn on the overhead sprinkler for 1 hour and then measure the amount of water in your cans.
How often do I water?Irrigate your vegetable garden twice a week, giving 1/2 the water requirement with each watering. It will depend on your climate but all of us will need to water our gardens at some point in the season. Container gardening has different rules for watering.How do I water my plants?Some plants ( lettuce, spinach, salad greens, swiss chard ) like to be sprayed to stay cool. Other plants are adversely affected by overhead watering ( tomatoes, squash, carrots ) because the water can cause fungus and disease on the leaves. Still other plants have such large leaves that overhead watering does not allow enough water to get to the roots broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower ).Overhead sprinkling is probably still the most popular way of watering however drip, trickle or seeping hoses are becoming more common place now as well. I recommend using both as each are best for certain plants. If you have a small garden and hand water, it is easy to do both; spray the leafy vegetables and water around the base of the root vegetables.
Is there a best time to water?Before 11am or after 4pm. Let plants dry off before dark so they are less likely to get fungus or disease.Chek out water tips for even more information.
What to grow now
Why is Soil so Important
is a great new book giving simple and easy instructions on making and keeping your garden soil healthy.
Get everyone growing a few of their own veggies. Forward this FREE ezine to a friend.
Happy gardening! Catherine |
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