Water everywhere, but how much water does your garden need to drink?

Water, water everywhere, but how much does your garden drink?

Custom Search

Water is everywhere, but how much does your garden drink? The rule of thumb for a vegetable garden is one inch of moisture per week during the growing season to maintain optimum growth. . However there are some things to consider such as;

� Is the weather hot, dry and windy?

� Is the weather cool, overcast and humid?

� Is your soil dry and cracked or dusty?

While these are obvious questions, by not paying attention to these basic signs, your vegetable growing results may be disappointing.

The most common reason that any garden will fail is improper irrigation, either too much or too little water will doom all your efforts and your crops will be stunted and look like the produce at your local supermarket which has been on display too long.

Gardeners should always be aware of the different stages in the development and growth of their garden and how often an adequate amount of moisture should be made available. Generally, the first few weeks after planting and transplanting and also during the development of fruit, are the times when the plants may be most adversely affected by dryness.

With conservation as a main consideration, here are four methods of irrigating your garden guidelines with the minimum amount of water.

� On a small garden, watering hoses and watering cans are fine. Try to place the liquid at the base of the plant, not the leaves. A gentle flow will not compact the soil and not splash the foliage.

� It is much better to give your garden a good deep soaking once a week or as needed. Light sprinkling at frequent intervals will do little if any good.

� Sprinklers are effective, but waste tremendous amounts of H2o. Sprinklers also get the foliage wet which may increase the chances of disease, although watering in the early morning will help to alleviate this particular problem.

� Soaker hoses are an inexpensive and efficient method of irrigation. They're usually constructed of canvas or porous rubber hose which allows the liquid to seep out all along its length. The liquid is directed directly into the area around the roots with very little lost due to runoff or evaporation.

� The use of mulch on your garden will retain moisture in the soil and prevent the soil from drying out. Pine bark, straw and grass clippings will all do the job.
Another popular option is known as drip irrigation. As the name implies, it is a low volume system which allows the gardener to replace the moisture which the crops consume on a daily basis. The emitters or outlets, branch off the main supply hose so that a network of small tubes can be created. The emitter's can be placed directly at the roots of the plants leaving the fruit and leaves dry and minimize evaporation. These irrigation systems are also very effective in raised bed gardens

What's old is new and what's new is old.

Rain barrels and cisterns, are two ancient concepts that are as up to date as any of the latest trends in gardening. Either or both of these ideas deserve serious consideration for the home gardener. Rain is collected from rooftops and collected by way of the downspouts into a reservoir such as a barrel or cistern. One inch of rainfall on a 1000 sq. ft. roof will produce 500 gallons of rain. This rain is not only free, it is untreated and is free from chlorine, fluorides, minerals and other chemicals. Instead of letting all that wonderful rain run into your sewer, use it to irrigate your vegetables.

In times of drought or watering bans, one or two rain barrels can usually get you through the crisis Adding a rain barrels is a retrofitting project and can be done by the home handyman.

Considerations and hints

� Rain barrels come in different sizes with 50 to 100 gallon the most common sizes.

� Rain barrels and cisterns should be childproof, securely fastened, and have all openings sealed with mosquito netting.

� A spigot at the bottom of the barrel that connects directly to a hose or another rain barrel is required.

� An overflow valve to divert some the liquid to a dry well or a drain once the rain barrel is full.

� Place a screen at the top of the downspouts to minimize leaves and debris.

Cisterns

Cisterns are usually a more sophisticated project, because they are usually much larger and will hold much more liquid, and they're usually buried in the ground. They also require a pump system to empty the rain water. Obviously they are more expensive than one or two rain barrels, but if you live in an area of the country that has periods of rain followed by long dry spells, they are a good investment. Also consider a communal system which can be shared by several properties. The cost savings can be considerable, due to the facts that there is only one tank, one excavation, and one pump make this option viable.

If your municipal water supplier has a high a rate of cost per gallon, these systems will very soon pay for themselves.

Return to maintenance

Returm from water to Home Page

footer for water page