Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: tim on June 01, 2009, 10:43:43
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A 15' jet of water - soil looking wet & puddling? Don't be fooled.
The flow can be as little as one gallon a minute. An established plant likes about 1/2 a gallon. So don't just wave the hose over them - count the seconds each time.It's a LOT longer than you think. I've just been out there for over an hour!!
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That's a lot of counting Tim! But a good point, and no doubt topical with the weather we're having at the moment.
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Same like watering eg Grow Bags with a hose. I have 33 to water!
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From the timeofyour post,Tim, you were watering in the morning. Isn't it better to do it in the cool of the evening?
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Yes, so right - but it's COOL in the morning, for me, & very burning until late evening - & my bedtime. And would interfere with my intake of Scotch!
To hell with the plants - I like to get it all done before breakfast. Except that I don't have breakfast!
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I think at this time of year its better to water in the morning as it cools down in the evening the plants dont sit in cold water as the tempof a evening is still cool and from next week day temp will be down to the teens again
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Whatever!
'They' always say that if pm, the plants have all night to take it up, rather than losing it through daytime transpiration.
As said - pm I've got my feet up!
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Pippa Greenwood on G.Q.T said if plants need water it is better to water at anytime rather not at all. So as the people who work can only come to the site in the evening or early morning I water in the daytime and every seems O.K.
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I tend to water in the morning before i go work and my plot gets water when i can get there it tends took after itself as most of what i got planted looks after it self however the greenhouse at home gets waterd in the morning somtimes in the evening as well but try not to water in the evening as i believe this adds up to the chance of getting blight being damp all evening and the plants sitting in wet soil as the temp drops
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As said - pm I've got my feet up!
I'm not surprised after watering 30 + grow bags and goodness knows what else ! : ;)
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If you have to water during the day keep it off the foliage as the water drops act like a magnifying glass and burn the leaves!
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I have been up before 6 watering. I thought that evening watering encourages the slugs, who have a nice wet motorway all the way to the precious plants.
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I was, of course, talking about outdoor watering.
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I'm afraid I'm never going to be an early morning waterer, so as I'm at work all day it'll have to be evenings and hope for the best.
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Either morning or evening. whenever we have the time
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I've just installed drainpipes and plant pots into the soil. I water in them. Pics/articles on www.waark.com
I tend not to water most things - just those that need a lot of water. I do it in the morning as a warm moist evening tends to bring out the slugs. I'll only water seed trays in the evening as long as they're in a slug resistant location.
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The Garden mag has a piece on watering this month. It says we should water less often but more thoroughly. Watering little and often causes plants to form roots near the surface which dry out more quickly and get damaged in dry conditions. They recommend checking the soil 8cm below the surface and if it's damp, it doesn't need watering. Their rule of thumb is that every 1sq. metre of vegetation requires the equivalent of 25mm of water every 5-10 days from whatever source.
Watering in the evening means the plants get the benefit of the water rather than it being lost through evaporation.
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If my boys are watering for me, i get them to count to 7 before moving to the next plant, it's a bit more interesting for them and i know the plants are getting plenty of water.
Neil
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The amount of water which is wasted these days is a crime. 50 years ago farmers watered Brassica's by the bucket and dipper method, each plant ot a dipper full of water, now they just saturate the ground with water pumped from brooks and rivers and sprayed fron automatic sprayers. Gardener's are following a bad example.
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That's the adage I keep in mind, Ceres - 4 gallons per square yard.
And YES to the no spray idea - apart from what I said earlier, & waste, the weeds just love it!!
Timing is great - but measure the amount - it can vary hugely depending on time of day & hose setting.
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This is my offering on the subject;
http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Watering/Watering.htm (http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Watering/Watering.htm)
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Never leaves a stone unturned, does he!!
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Good advice
I see too many people wasting water ??? ???
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Yes quite right Tim, I have been watering in the mornings when it is cool and teh plants seem to appreciate it. I too have noticed that by really soaking just the area where the edible plants are, they seem to benefit but not the weeds. I have really gotten more on top of the weeds this year by planting later, hoeing regularly and watering the plants more carfeully! Yippee, a small victory at least!
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Oh, yes - keep the hoe going. So much less effort.
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That's a lot of counting Tim! But a good point, and no doubt topical with the weather we're having at the moment.
That's the thing....gardeners count things, it's automatic, the people who 'helped themselves' to all my manure pile laughed at me when I said I'd counted the number of barrowloads I'd put on it.