Should I be watering?

[selfraising]

Hi
Just wondering, should I be watering my planted onion sets and garlic?

[FionaH]

Well I am watering mine!
Hasnt rained in ages

[Nicos]

Depends on how dry your soil is!!

If you wiggle your finger into the surface by about 2cm , and it's still dry- then a watering won't do them any harm.

[selfraising]

Right, thanks Nicos, I will go out right now and do the finger test!

[selfraising]

Okay, i've done the test. The top inch was dry but was moist further down so I gave them a bit of a watering anyway. As I have a habit of overwatering things, I didn't want them to end up rotting.

[Two_Sheds]

The top of the soil is "meant" to be dry ... it acts as a mulch, trapping moisture down underground.

I'm not watering mine unless we have a serious drought ... I want them to put roots DOWN into the soil. Frequent surface watering encourages roots to stay near the surface - leading to further drying out. You'd be creating a rod for your own back.

[selfraising]

Thanks Two Sheds. Will put a halt to the watering for now unless, as you say, we get a drought.

[Matt.]

I'm not watering mine unless we have a serious drought ... I want them to put roots DOWN into the soil. Frequent surface watering encourages roots to stay near the surface - leading to further drying out. You'd be creating a rod for your own back.

This is a wise lesson learned.

Most plants will grow quite happily in their natural environment. Let them find their own water and only in extreme summer will you need to offer a bit of help. Put your effort to removing weeds which are competing with your plants for the water available.

[sallym]

Great thread. I have been wondering if I should water the potatoes I planted on Sunday. Now I have the good advice of "Grapes in the know" I can sleep at night. First year on allotment. Great innit!

[FionaH]

Very good point TS which i will keep in mind. However mine are in containers which will dry out quicker than ordinary beds so I keep a closer eye on them as they dry out far quicker

[selfraising]

Very good point TS which i will keep in mind. However mine are in containers which will dry out quicker than ordinary beds so I keep a closer eye on them as they dry out far quicker

Hmmm thats a point, wonder if that applies to my raised beds too

[Eyren]

Great thread. I have been wondering if I should water the potatoes I planted on Sunday. Now I have the good advice of "Grapes in the know" I can sleep at night. First year on allotment. Great innit!

If the spuds are in containers, you shouldn't water them for the first week (that's a tip from tattieman, not me!). If they're in the ground, I wouldn't water them at all except:

1. If we have an extended spell of really dry weather and they start to look thirsty

2. Bob Flowerdew reckons that if you give them a good soak when they start to flower, that will improve the crop more than anything else you can do.

For the last two years the only crops I've watered on my lottie have been the celeriac, which likes it wet, and the squash.

[HayleyB]

I gave my onions and garlic a seaweed feed last Sunday and the way they've picked up this week is inspiring. I read a recommendation for this somewhere and while I was at it fed my peas and strawberries as well. The peas have gone barmy since

[selfraising]

I gave my onions and garlic a seaweed feed last Sunday and the way they've picked up this week is inspiring. I read a recommendation for this somewhere and while I was at it fed my peas and strawberries as well. The peas have gone barmy since

I've got some of that too but thought you could only feed when they start flowering (obviously not garlic and onions).

[HayleyB]

I only used it the once to give a bit of a boost to their systems as they have been out all winter, I will feed regularly once the peas and the broadies start to flower, they're both earlies and have suffered two coverings of snow and many long frosts