After soil, watering and irrigation savvy may be the second most crucial thing any food gardener will need to grow a garden to its greatest potential.
We all know about the hazards of container gardening: over-watering, under-watering, root rot, algae, etc. Container gardening is a watering and irrigation master class in and of itself.
In-ground gardens seem easier to grow, but as the line goes: “more garden, more problems.” Then you have irrigation systems and sprinklers to think about—unless you plan to baby your food garden day in and day out.
And although in-ground gardens are more manageable because plants can stretch their roots to access water and nutrients, there are still watering and irrigation challenges depending on soil and sunlight. Some garden areas may be too soggy, and others may be too dry, the ground may be too loose, have too much clay, or any other number of factors happening at once.
What about timing? Is there a best time to water your plants? Most would say morning. That gives the water plenty of time to saturate the soil before it gets hot and begins to evaporate. And it’s early enough in the day that any water on the leaves will evaporate before mold, mildew, and disease have a chance to settle in. But plants, especially those plants outside in your veggie garden, aren’t all the same.
In the articles below, you’ll learn everything you need to know about watering and irrigation in food gardening. You can learn even more in our How to Grow a Vegetable Garden: 10 Things Every Gardener Needs to Know Before Starting a Food Garden freebie. Enjoy!
When I was a bit younger, it wasn’t unusual to spend summers running through the sprinkler, letting the hose run over the slip ‘n’ slide, or just turning on the water to make mud pies. But the world is different today, and water conservation isn’t just the cool thing to do; it’s also mandated in […]
One thing about gardening is that there are lots of gadgets that can help you grow a better garden. At least that’s the sales pitch. Some of them, I’m not too sure how they made it off the drawing board. Others, like timers for sprinklers, can be really helpful. But like any gadget, they only help you if you use the right one in the right way.
What are the best times to water plants? Well, you might as well grab an iced tea and have a seat, because the answer isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Of course, the easy answer is to just tell you that morning is the best time for watering your garden. And in general, that’s true enough. So why go any deeper?
Confession time! Most of my houseplants are within 30 feet of my kitchen. I’m an absent-minded indoor plant waterer. If it’s not within 30 feet of my sink, there’s a good chance I’ll forget to water it. I have a beautiful rubber tree on the second floor of my house that I have (on several occasions) nearly killed from forgetting to water it. Enter self-watering plant bulbs! Also known as “plant nannies,” or “watering globes,” these self-watering plant bulbs are a plant lifesaver.
I’ll be the first to admit that I have an overwatered plant or two in my garden every year. It’s not so bad now, but my indoor plants used to try their best to run away when they saw me coming with the watering can. Spoiler alert: They didn’t get very far.
I’m going to tell you something so earth-shattering you’re going to want to sit down to read this. Are you ready? Vegetable plants need water to grow. I know, how profound! All silliness aside, having a good watering schedule will result in higher crop yields.
Root rot is seriously the worst. If you don’t catch the signs early enough, your plants are goners. Done for. And it happens fast. You can forget about harvesting your favorite potted vegetables. So how often should you water potted plants to avoid this disappointing outcome?
There’s probably not a gardener among us who doesn’t have a few stories of the zucchini they overwatered or the tomatoes that cracked because they let it dry too much between waterings. Unlike vegetables in the ground or in a raised bed, the roots of your container veggies can’t search deeper or wider for moisture. Nor can the soil drain any faster than the container allows.
Everybody always wonders and asks about how to water your garden. I remember my first vegetable garden. I spent hours fussing over which veggies to plant, and the best location to place them in my yard. After I planted everything, I reached for my garden hose and sprayed all of the plants not realizing the high-pressure nozzle was a poor choice. Newly sown seeds washed away while other seedlings were uprooted.
When it comes to watering your vegetable garden, you have a few different choices to make. You can create drip irrigation systems, place soaker hoses in your garden, and even break out the ol’ watering can. For many gardeners, hose watering is a primary or secondary method of watering their vegetable gardens. Hose watering is by far, the easiest way to get your garden watered right off the bat.
