At the minute i have cabbages, couliflowers, carrots, potatoes all in thye ground outside with sweetcorn to follow in the next couple of weeks. But at the minute i have been watering them every evening. Is this too much? Im just not sure as this is my first year growing veg. My soil is drier than most due to it being quite close to a hedge a think.
Thanks
Joe
I water at weekends sometimes during the week but the roots find the water by going futher into the ground and when you water too often you make them lazy and the expect it so stay nearer the top. Some people don't have water on their allotment site so whatever works for you really. In summer it takes me a good 1-2 hours to water.
Sweetcorn are goblers and will take as much water as you can give them
Cauliflower you should give a little drink every day
Cabbages you could give a good watering once a week
Carrots should be kept moist
Spud,s A good soaking once a week if it has not rained
I water the stuff in the greenhouse and in frames, also plants that have been grown in pots and then planted out. Otherwise I try not to water, but to mulch.
Special crops like celery have to be watered.
http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments2_my_allotment_in_liverpool.html
Its only April, we've had a few weeks of warm dry weather, and I'm already wishing for some rain! I think some is forecast for next week. Hasn't got to the collecting bathwater stage yet, but my waterbuts (600 litres) are already only half full!
Once they are watered in, no more - no need!
Growers don't?
depends on the weather reallym if its hot more, its its cooler then less.
cant really give a definite answer
Many of the commercial farms I've visited irrigate, but not all crops, and not all the time, they take soil water measurements. Nowadays many are looking into, or have already, installed drip irrigation which is a more economical way of using water as there isn't so much evaporation. Almost all the PYO farms round here drip irrigate their cane crops (rasps,blackberry etc) and I understand that cabbage is also a crop thats regularly irrigated. Potatoes are. Haven't seen carrots irrigated.
What I would say is, I think if you are fortunate enough to have water on hand, you need to strike a balance between what the plant needs and the taste. Am absolutely sure that the tomatoes that grow here outside without irrigation taste far better than those inside with irrigation.
Why not dig a hole beside the plants to check how dry or moist the soil is?
My new allotment hasn't got a water supply - so everything will be watered very sparingly as I don't want forearms like Popeye's!
But for those crops that do like water there is a system they use in drier countries (I lived in Aus for a while) which is planting a cheap terracotta pot into the soil which has the drainage hole bunged up, and a lid made for it. You fill the pot up with water and then fit the lid, and the water seeps into the ground keeping it evenly moist. You top the pot up every couple of weeks. I am going to give this a go this year, if it's any good I'll let you know.
Here is a rule of thumb I learned along time ago;
Hollow stemmed plants require lots of water to keep the stem charged, solid stems tend to fend for themselves so moist conditions are enough.
I rarely if ever water stuff that is in the ground apart from the above rule, if it is under cover or in a container then I water as necessary!
good tip Tee Gee
sorry to be dim :-[ hollow stemmed plants would be tomatoes, sweetcorn, courgettes, cukes and squashes............. wouldn't they ??
I'd agree don't water, force plants to go down and search for it themselves.
I agree with Susanne...I make it a bit easier on my poor old arms and as I go back and forth between the house and the veg plot I take up with me a couple of plasticmilk bottles filled with water which have teeny tiny pin prick holes in the bottom and these very slowly seep water to the roots of the very special plants such as Tomatoes. they are also easy for me to carry a couple or three at a time up to the greenhouse...where as a watering can would dislocate my arms. One day we,ll fix up guttering and a water but to my greenhouse ...one day.... ::) Rohaise
Quotehollow stemmed plants would be tomatoes, sweetcorn, courgettes, cukes and squashes............. wouldn't they ??
Agreed! think about it!! when you are eating the list you made they are 90% + water the remainder flesh so these need lots of water.
Dahlias & Gladioli come into the same reckoning!!
Starting last year, I didn't water my toms. They were the best I have ever grown! ;)
I planted them much farther apart than usual 2' per plant and 3' per row. All they got was about a cupful of tom feed every week through a buried pop bottle upturned with the bottom cut off (this takes it down deeper).
The plants were stronger and so was the flavour and the yeild was high too. All I did was keep a dry 'dust mulch' around them, by hoeing regularly, to keep the subsoil from drying out and stop competition from weeds. ;D
No blight either by the way because the whole area was so dry and the plants so far apart.. ;D
Donna