Watering

[The Allotment Shed]

Once a year is about right for a bath

In our house we have made it a rule that we bath/shower once per week whether we need one or not!


Remember, a bad day at the allotment is still better than a good day at work!

[SarzWix]

The Allotment Shed, please could you put your bad day/good day phrase into your signature link? That would save you having to type it every time, and save my eyes from repetitive strain injury


As for watering, I don't outside of the greenhouse/polytunnel. Even seedlings/transplants only get watered if the soil is dry deeper than a trowel-depth, because I'd rather they went downwards looking for moisture than expect to find it at the surface. Watering in the tunnel and greenhouse is mostly into plastic bottle funnels which take the water straight to the roots as there's less loss to evaporation that way


Whoever was asking about smileys - they have no nose on this forum So it's : ) with no space to get for eg.

[toby6668]

Super. Thanks for the no nose smiley advice!

[The Allotment Shed]

The Allotment Shed, please could you put your bad day/good day phrase into your signature link? That would save you having to type it every time, and save my eyes from repetitive strain injury

It is/was my sig but I've turned it off. For now

[~kirsty~]

I haven't watered for about a week, but I've potatoes about to flower so going to give those a drink. The soil still feels damp just under the surface... I love clay for water retention.

[b300y]

went on a course today at tatton park in cheshire,
and the guy there said not to water as the water only stys at the top and draws the roots up when they should be going down, also dont use bark or wood shavings for mulch as it draws the nitrates out of the soil

[boatsman]

I have set up a drip watering system that has pipes on the surface of the soil with the drippers next to each plant or in a loop around a tree. All the pipes are covered with a layer of 4-8mm sized volcanic rock which is porous and prevents water evaporation and stops the clayey soil from being muddy. It also acts as a very effective mulch as any weeds that may grow are easily uprooted from the mulch. The size of volcanic rock was chosen as it is very comfortable to walk on for maintenance. In summer I generally water the garden in the evening for about ten minutes.

[mothhawk]

The further apart each plant is from its neighbour, the less watering it needs, because it has a bigger area in which to spread its roots and from which to draw moisture without competition

[Alison]

Hi, I tend to water each day at the allotment when it is hot, is this necessary? Never know when to water, would save me a lot of time if I didn't need to go everyday. I am growing the following,

Cabbages
Broccoli
Sweet corn
Squashes
Pumpkins
Carrots
Beet root
Onions (over winter)
Garlic
Courgettes
Broad beans
Turnips.

I live in Nottingham

Thanks

If they are in the ground then personally I wouldn't water them at all after an initial really good watering when I first put them in - I tend to puddle in plants ie dig a hole, fill it with water, let it drain, fill again and plant. Seeds are sown on watered soil and that's it. I do obviously have to water things in the greenhouse / polytunnel and anything in tubs but nothing else. Have you tried digging down a few inches to see if the ground is damp? Even when the surface looks very dry the soil underneath often isn't but it does depend a bit on your soil type.

[Alison]

It is/was my sig but I've turned it off. For now

If it was in your signature then I think it would show below the line where your twitter link is rather than in the main text. Can't remember how you put text in there now but I know it wasn't difficult as I managed it

[KittyColdNose]

I water when needed, not every day. There are also upturned bottles of the dilute variety filled with water with the neck buried a few inches with the thirstier plants. I find that the insert in the top of the bottles is great for controlling the amount of water released, and a 1.5l bottle lasts about 8-10 days.

[Stan79]

I have a stream at the bottom of the veg plot and a solar powered pump (of the garden water feature variety). It supplies a steady stream of water direct to the plants. I also have a length if hose with 5mm holes drilled in it at 15cm spacings which spreads the water out a bit!

I had planned on installing a water butt and pumping the stream water slowly into the butt to build up a store and then onto the plot but the hose doesn't have quite enough ooomph to push it high enough to get it into the top of the water butt.

I still top up with the watering with watering cans when things look wilty!

[snakeshack]

I now mulch heavily with straw (not hay as there are too many seeds, and its more expensive) when I plant out,or on new ground put down a big sheet of cardboard after watering,then make a hole in the cardboard,add manure to form a mound,plant out my squash,place an old tyre over the top to give shelter and provide a microclimate while the plants are small then soak.After this they get a good drowning once a week,or a 10 liter can of comfrey feed.

[Wedwards]

If they are in the ground then personally I wouldn't water them at all after an initial really good watering when I first put them in - I tend to puddle in plants ie dig a hole, fill it with water, let it drain, fill again and plant. Seeds are sown on watered soil and that's it. I do obviously have to water things in the greenhouse / polytunnel and anything in tubs but nothing else. Have you tried digging down a few inches to see if the ground is damp? Even when the surface looks very dry the soil underneath often isn't but it does depend a bit on your soil type.

Hi,

Thanks for the reply, I have started to try a water meter which tends to show wet after about 2 inches. The replies have helped me to decide not to water every day.

[Guykp57]

Love the tip about using stored water instead of straight from tap. Makes sense really.