Watering regime

[marmite66]

I am new to the allotment- and I am sharing with my neighbour. I think it may end in a divorce though as she is too bossy. One point of conflict is watering. There isn't a water point on the allotment- so we have had to take water up in containers. She has decided that it must be watered everyday. Whilst we have done fantastic by starting and and having planted the allotment in full in since the beginning of April - I have done all of this with 3 kids and a new baby and a c/section (8/4/05)- 2 or 3 visits a week is more in my time frame. It is being to feel like a chore to me by her continual baggering. I am already looking at an alternative plot for myself (ah freedom) but I was just interested in finding out what is the bast approach. One of the established guys says he never waters anything as it helps the roots to grow down deep, and his plants look fab.

[marmite66]

[Gadfium]

As a newcomer, I thought you had to do a lot of watering. But, after a bit of reading (here, and book) and watching others in the allotments around me, I don't pay it too much heed...

The exceptions are - at the moment -  moistening seed drills before sowing, and settling in transplanted vegetables. And, occasionally I might slosh 4 or 5 watering cans around something or other, as the urge takes. I have no idea how 'practical' this approach is, in terms of yield. But everything's growing okay, nothing is obviously drooping, and even the tomatoes are doing fine on cloud-droppings. I've probably used no more than 1 x waterbutt-full in the past 3 months.

[keef]

My allotment is about 200 yards from the tap - so it would be a real effort doing loads of watering. To be honest you dont really need too anyway, this week all i've been watering (every other day) are some young cabbage plants put in this week, and my tomatoes (2 watering cans worth in total). Everything else looks fine even though its been really hot.

Ditch her and go it alone, sounds like to much hassle - i go down the allotment for a bit of P & Q, a nagging bird with me would do my head in...

[Icyberjunkie]

I totally agree Gadfium.  I did exactly the same until reading etc and was surprised to find that watering as opposed to not always being necessary can actually do more harm than good eg onions and leeks. 

I now do the same and only water in transplants and new sowings.  Not that it matters from a labour point for the tap is right on the corner of my patch  ;D

[Doris_Pinks]

I only water new sowns, seeds and my squash and sweetcorn...........and that is only about twice a week, and I have the water tap on the edge of my plot too!
It all boils down to me being too lazy to haul cans of water all over the plot! :o
Oh and go it alone, you won't look back! ;D

[RosieM]

Hi Marmite,

I am also one of those boring people who lecture anyone who will listen about the damage caused by over and indiscriminate watering. I water new plants and seeds for a couple of days and after that only if something visibly droops plus, of course, anything in a container. Force the roots to scavenge the water from deep down and they should never be short. I can't remember ever having lost a plant or crop through lack of water.

I had never considered the link but now I think of it, is this why I have to expend such a huge amount of energy digging up old brassicas and the other 'long termers'? The roots go on for ever...aha!

Strangely, and I don't know if this is universal, but the quickest thing to droop on my lottie are the chrysanths. Being flowers they are one of the things I am least inclined to water!

As for your neighbour, how often do we start these things with such high hopes? As the saying goes..life is too short to do something that gives you grief....at least you didn't decide to go on holiday with her!!

Go it alone. Double the produce, double the satisfaction.

Rosie ;D

[flowerlady]

Hi Marmite,

We are under threat of a hose pipe ban around here soon, so perhaps you could plant the odd upturned plastic bottle next to those plants that really need water at their roots, (ie Toms etc)  puts it where its needed, no waste!

Also if too much sprinkling watering is done, it keeps the roots towards the surface of the soil, which then get cooked, so you are undoing all your hard work!

[jennym]

I agree with all the below about watering - but when I do it, I draw up some dry soil around the base of the stems of plants like tomatoes, to sort of seal it in. It's called dust mulching.

[marmite66]

Thanks for all the posts. Makes lots of sense to me. Have made enquiries for my own plot and have a second set to look at on Sunday. A great site. Many many thanks

[giantseye]

My biggest mistake this year, was watering my plants too much.

When my beans wouldn't grow, the concensus was because i was watering them either every day, or every other day.

Since i took the advise, and stopped over watering them, they have grown brilliantly.

They are still smaller than everybody elses, but are now growing beans.

As a newbie, I thought that you had to water everything to death to make it grow well, butI've now found that this is the worst thing that you can do.

Water once a week if necessary, that's all it needs.

[Mrs Ava]

I don't have water on tap, only that which mother nature provides (and the occassional use of the allotment neighbours hose, but only one in a while) .  The plot is looking really dry at the moment, and the squashes are begining to wilt, but it is suprising how things carry on regardless and I am really pleased with how things are doing in this drought.  One warning I would give about watering newly emerged seedlings during the sunny days, they fry and die!!  I have lost a whole row of freshly popped out of the ground Mizuna and I think it was because they were watered. 

[Roy Bham UK]

I don't have water on tap, only that which mother nature provides (and the occassional use of the allotment neighbours hose, but only once in a while)

Emma! How come your neighbour has access to water and you don't ???

[David R]

yeah i agree with consensus - i water 3-4 times a year but visit the site 2 or 3 times a week. Let the roots search for the water, it is down there believe me.

Mind you, it has been bad for rain this year down here in Kent. Cant remember the last time it rained, maybe in May or April perhaps. You can see its bad as some common weeds like buddlia are dying in exposed places.

[Andy H]

I thought that if things wilt then it is too late? I mean "some" harm has been done although they will pick up again, a bit like getting dehydrated ourselves, better to drink plenty before it is needed rather than when a bit late...

I actually water quite a lot as do many other on the plot....

Pumpkins need lots and like regular consistant moisture level.....

Am I gonna get told off now ;)

Better log off quick...............

[Svea]

i am trying not to water too much, but when cracks open in the dry clay and i can see australia i do begin to panic a little ;D

honestly, i water newly establlsed plants and seed drills, about every other day. slogging watering cans from the waterbut to where it's needed. i do water my peppers every day because they are in containers, ditto my cucumber and my courgettes (i ran out of soil and have a hard standing area, hence the pots)

i am very pleased to see most veg have developed deep deep roots and are happy looking after themselves :)
as for the suqashes, i have planted them through black plastic and have not watered them once! not even after transplanting them. the bed was covered in plastic for a couple of weeks before the squashes went out (to keep weeds down) and it was all pretty moist down there anyways. and they are romping away like mad! so think i will do the black plastic trick again next year :) (permeable plastic, so any rain water can get down there)

everyone else on our allotment site uses the hose pipe to water, almost daily at that. whilst i dont begrudge it to the older people who will have more trouble carrying full water cans, i do wonder about the young chaps whose plot is right next to the communal water butt yet they have never used it! each to their own i guess.

svea

[redimp]

Here I have to agree with Londonfarming.  I have not yet got a shed or waterbutts so on the few occasions I do water I am still using tap water.  But I do believe that rainwater must be better than the stuff that comes out the tap - which is why the primary purpose of my buying a shed is to attach a couple of butts to it.

Other than that I hardly water at all despite having well drained soil believing instead in the roots will find it if they are forced to.

[Mrs Ava]

Roy, not only is she my allotment neighbour, but her house and garden neighbours our allotment site.  She has the worlds longest hose reaching from her house all the way through her huge garden, across the stream, past my shed and onto our allotment.  Mananged to give the squash patch a water today, not as much as I would have liked, but I will hopefully be able to do it again on Wednesday as some are starting to wilt!

[supernan]

 :) Oh BUGGER EJ Your neighbour has a longer hose than mine! I am going for a good sulk.

My hose is about 300ft. We have very low water pressure here and its hopeless watering in the pm, everyone else is watering, or am when washing machines are going. I too only water seed drills, new sowings (one good soak) and pumpkin, squash courgettes. Every thing else is having to cope.

I got two second hand water butts, with taps and lids but have not had time to site them yet. We have had no rain for two weeks. Craters like ditches in the wheat fields. Whats the betting it rains just when the poor old farmer is going to harvest.

[Sprout]

I've been watering on almost a daily basis. Will reduce it now having read previous posts. I suppose that it is bad to under water as well as over water; the secret must be in getting the right amount in at the right time as I have read that if you continually wait until the plant droops before watering, for example, then it will suffer will a reduced crop, more prone to disease etc as a result.

[daveandtara]

hi, i'm too new to advise on watering but i do have a suggestion regarding the lady you share your allotment with. instead of falling out with her why don't you just agree to use half the existing plot (or the new one) to experiment with new gardening ideas?
lot's of people are resistant to change, my mother in law is helping us with our plot (and she's lovely) but she thinks raised beds and block planting are daft. we've agreed to use tradditional methods on one half and ideas from this site on the other and compare yeilds as we go along.
everybody happy  ;D