Please water plants using water from the rain barrels, rather than from the hose at the house, as much as possible. You may fill watering cans from the house if the rain barrels are empty.
Important points for gardeners to remember when watering include:
1. Water deeply and infrequently. Deep watering promotes the development of a deep, extensive root system. Frequent, light watering promotes shallow rooting. Deep-rooted plants will be able to survive hot, dry weather much better than shallow-rooted plants because they will be able to reach the moisture deep in the soil.
A deep watering once a week should be adequate for fruit, vegetable, and flower gardens. Apply approximately 1 inch of water per week.
2. Water efficiently. Mornings and evenings are excellent times to water gardens. Water directly at the plant roots, and avoid getting the leaves wet when possible.
3. Mulch plants to conserve soil moisture. Mulching reduces the rate of evaporation from the soil surface and also limits weed competition. Organic materials, such as grass clippings, straw, and shredded leaves are excellent mulches for the vegetable garden. Wood chips, bark, and ground corncobs are good choices for perennial beds and trees and shrubs. The depth of the mulch depends on the type of material used and crop. Optimum depth in the vegetable garden ranges from 2 to 3 inches for fine materials, such as grass clippings, to 6 to 8 inches for straw.
Average plant watering needs (once plants are established):
Beans: weekly, ½ cup per plant; twice weekly in very hot weather; #; ##
Carrots: weekly, ¼ cup per plant; need constant moisture until mature
Chard: weekly, 1-2 cups per plant; twice weekly in very hot weather
Corn: weekly, 1 cup per plant; twice weekly in hot weather
Cucumbers: weekly, 2 cups per plant; twice weekly in hot weather; #; ##
Eggplant: weekly, 2 cups per plant; twice weekly in hot weather, #
Lettuce: weekly, 1 cup per plant, twice weekly in hot weather, ##, do not water at night
Parsley: weekly, 1 cup water per plant; #
Peppers: weekly, 1 cup per plant when young, 2 or more cups when larger, ##
Tomatoes: weekly, 1 gallon per plant; twice weekly in very hot weather; ##
Zucchini /Summer Squash: weekly, 2-4 cups per plant depending on size, twice weekly in hot weather; ##
# Do not let the soil dry out
## Keep water off the plant leaves (can lead to fungus, infection, mildew, etc.)
Information compiled from Richard Jauron, Department of Horticulture, and Square Foot Gardening
No comments:
Post a Comment