Topic: What are your watering habits?

[umshamrock]

So...although I don't live in a hosepipe ban area, I am an avid environmentalist.  Unfortunately, my water butts are almost empty already!

I water my greenhouse every day, tomatos about every 2 days, pumpkins about every 3, carrots and parsnips maybe once a week, potatos never.

What, and how often do you water?

[redimp]

Rarely - only seeds and things that have just been planted out - don't have a greenhouse though.

[keef]

Most days I've been watering my Gourgettes, Melon, Tomatoes and my runners (but as they looked a bit sick but have got going now). Not loads of water - a couple of watering cans does the lot. It has'nt rained properly here for well over a month now.

[tricia]

I tend to water my mini greenhouse every other day or so with a weak feed. All the container veggies get watered most evenings since they dry out in the warm sun. All veggies in the ground are heavily mulched and get watered infrequently as my water butts are empty too :(. The only exception to this are the outside tomatoes which receive water every three days via plastic bottles dug in near their roots.

I've just had to top up my pond with 300 litres of tap water - and that hurt :'(. The evaporation rate during this warm weather is horrendous :o. But the fish have to be cared for with tap water when the rain butts are empty.

Tricia

[fluffygrue]

I'm watering things in pots when they look like they need it. I don't really ever water things in the ground unless they're looking sad or they're newly planted - I figure they have roots for a reason..!

Melanie

[MikeB]

Greenhouse twice a day at 6 and 6. Veg plot every two days unless it has been raining. Water is from my rain butts or my pond. I used to water from the mains but went on to a meter last year, continued my normal watering habits and then the water bill came in.  An extra 250 GBP. Now I use rain water that I collect.

[kitty]

we never water the veg patch-we like stuff to grow slow and strong so they get watered when planted and thats their lot-water pot tomatoes sparingly once a day(at night)and feed once a week.hanging baskets and the like have rainwater and when its gone its gone!
kitty

[supersprout]

Greenhouse once a day at 7am. Some squash get a look in with the watering can once a week. Otherwise, have resorted to a sprinkler to soak sweetcorn, young beans and toms in compacted soil, and undug areas where I'm going to plant out (making the hole is easier). New plantings in friable soil get a soak with the watering can in the planting hole, and that's it.

The sprinkler is a recent import. I don't want to use it regularly unless we've had drought conditions again, when it will be a good soak every week at most. There IS water down there, especially in the undug areas, and I'd prefer the plants find it themselves.

[Hyacinth]

I'm finding this year a marked difference in the water needed by the toms in pots in the g'house since adopting the ring culture  & Mrs.KP's Pretty Maids method 8)

They now get water every 3rd day approx rather than the daily dose they needed previously.

Seedlings get cosseted - once out in the big wild world only in extremis (not reached that point yet).

[Mrs Ava]

Never water the allotment apart from seed drills and new transplants.  You make your veggies into wooses by pampering them!  ;D

Greenhouse, as and when it needs it.  I have lots of shade, and when I do water, I water well.  Maybe 3 times a week is enough.  Everything seems to thrive and we always end up with bumper crops.

I recycle and save as much water as I can however.  Waterbutts at home and at the allotment, and I have started saving the pollybottles that my milk comes in to pour in waste water...so for example, water from the kids drink bottles that they take to school, veg boiling water, running the tap waiting for the hot to come, veg washing water.  Amazing how much we waste in the kitchen.  I fill a 4 pint polly every 2 days!

[kitty]

You make your veggies into wooses by pampering them! 

indeedy!
ours need to be strong little beggers to survive-but they do and they are tastier for it i think
-its why commercial taters have no taste-too much water :(

and even with very strictly limited wateringkitty cracks whip!) we get tons of veg!
as foir saving water-wheen we run the hot tap we save the cold-before-it-becomes-hot water...usually means we have about 6 pints to throw in the butt or use on tomatoes

kitty

[MikeB]

Never water the allotment apart from seed drills and new transplants.  You make your veggies into wooses by pampering them!  ;D

Fairs fair, I live in the second dryest county in the UK, (EJ is in the dryest), so for someone from say manchester, where it rains every day, to say that my veg is pampered, well. They'll take your veg on any day of the week. ;D ;D ;D ;D

Seriously if I don't do it as often as I do, you can actually see the veg wilting.  Now you could say thats OK, leave them, they will harden up and recover, but what if they don't? Then I've lost a whole season of veg, I spent to much time (and worry) growing the seedlings, preparing the beds and all the other work that goes in to it to take a chance.  So me and me wooses (I won't tell them you called them that) will just carry on. :D :D

[kitty]

They'll take your veg on any day of the week.

oo-er!
theres a very mean lookin parsnip coming up our path -i take it that'll be one of yours mike?lol! ;D

well-you keep watering your veg if thats what you want to do(i'm just over the border from you-there-see?i'm wavin'!)and i shall keep mine thirsty!

kitty

[Mrs Ava]

Practically a desert here in Essex.  No, I do appreciate what you are saying, and yet, in the middle of August my squash bed can look really poorly.  This is why I have been saving the water in the plassy polly bottles.  I have put a can in at the planting point of each squash, then, if I do have to revive the little beggars, I can direct the water rather than waste a drop.  I have never lost veg because of the dryness, I have lost veg seedlings by watering them and then the sun baking them to a crisp!  I find for me, once they are off and running, leave them to it.

[carloso]

greenhouse everyday ! and the outside err everyday !!

i tend to make sure that pumpking cougettes and Squash and Toms have a drink outside weather it rains or not (down pours are mised of course)
and i always water everything in the green house so i guess mine will be following mikes up ya path lol

Carl

[mc55]

Potting shed - weekend and mid-week, depends how sunny it is.

Outside - seedlings when they are transplanted.  Squash, pumpkins & courgettes once, maybe twice a week via a pot sunk next to their roots ...

I can't get to the lottie every day, so I need my plants to seek their own water.  They have no choice but to be tough.

I could do with some more 'gravel' trays for my potting shed.

Save water in rain butts, but have had to top up with the tap twice this season.

[libby]

I believe if youv'e paid your expensive water bill, which they are, then use your entitlement. you are right in what you are doing, but we should see more effort by the government to force water, gas is next then electrics, to do more, these people, the more and more the harder YOU try, the more these people line thier pockets, or have i got te wrong forum :-[

[fbgrifter]

but do you really need to water carrots and parsnips?

[umshamrock]

Wow, I am so impressed with how little you guys water. Here, in Plymouth, it hasn't really rained in almost a month. It's good to know that my plants will live without water.

[RobC]

don't worry, Wimbledon tennis starts next week, its sure to rain for at least a couple of days