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!
Hi, my name is Amanda, and sometimes I forget to water my vegetable garden! Phew, that feels good to get off my chest! If you can’t be out in the garden seven days a week, an irrigation system might be the next best thing. There are many irrigation methods to choose from like sprinkler systems or drip methods. Some of these systems can lead to wasting water if you’re not careful.
Squash is in my top five favorite vegetables and that’s partly due to the fact that it’s both a noun and a verb. You can squash a squash but you can’t tomato a tomato. Beyond my logophile feelings toward the vegetable, squash is also one of the most versatile veggies out there.
So you want to start growing your own fruit trees. You have picked out one or two you want to try, but you still have some questions. Do you have the time for watering fruit trees? How fast will your fruits grow? And will you finally get to taste a freshly-plucked apple / pear / plum / orange / avocado /insert your favorite here? Is now your time to become the neighborhood baker of the best apple pies? Will you start your own peach orchard? Is now your time to accomplish your fruit tree dreams?
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.
Droopy under-watered plants, yellow over-watered plants, is there any balance when it comes to gardening? Basil, my most beloved herb, is notoriously famous for telling me that I love it just a little too much with its sad yellow leaves. Meanwhile, my pathetic parsley is looking at me, saying feed me!
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.
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 some communities.
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?
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?
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.
