How often do you water

[rary]

Was out at the greenhouse watering my tomatoes and also watered some veg in the garden which is a thing I don't usually need to do and wondered how often people water their garden so what is your watering pattern and what plants take more than others

[greenishfing]

Outdoors I try to water as little as possible. I want my plants to put down deep roots rather than shallow roots. Obviously when I have newly planted seeds/seedlings I try to keep them moist. When I have to water I try to soak once a week rather than give small amounts often. Due to all the rain we have had over the last 2 weeks it will be a long time until I need to water. In dry spells if planting out small plants I make a hole and fill it and let it drain a couple of times before I plant into it.

[Bren In Pots]

I’m the same as greenishfing not much gets watered once it’s established unless it’s in a container/ bucket/pot then it’s daily watering in hot weather.
Plants are mulched with either grass or leaf mould so that helps retain water.

[bikermike]

My tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse get daily watering from a drip feed.
I check the greenhouse and pots in the garden every day, and the allotment roughly every other day, I tend to water things when they droop or otherwise look cross, except when fruiting or just establishing, when they get more watering.

This is a weird year as I've been watering every other day in May and am slackening off in June.

I have noticed that everything has had a real pause this year, I think it's between the damp soil they got planted with and getting down to damp soil a bit deeper.

Mike

[ameno]

Assuming no rain at all, plants in the ground I water twice a week at most, giving them a good soak when I do. Other crops might get a soak once a week in drought conditions.
In pots, usually fairly often. It depends on the pot size, but usually at least every 2 days, and often daily. My cucumbers I need to water twice a day when it's really hot.

[Chestnut]

I also tend to water stuff in greenhouse every 1-2 days at this time of year.
On the plot, seedlings get a soak weekly, and thirsty plants like curcurbits get watered 2-3 times a week if no rain.
This year I am trying to grow fennel, so the 60cm square bed is being watered daily til they germinate- mostly by natural rainfall!

[Penellype]

It depends a lot on what and where it is - in particular my garden has several completely different areas and a lot of my plants are in containers. My summer watering regime is roughly:

Home
Indoors self watering trays for tomatoes are filled daily, checked twice if sunny. Peppers drink less but checked daily, seedlings are on large self watering trays which need filling about once a week.
All fence pots and hanging baskets watered every evening unless significant rain, checked again at lunchtime if possible if it is very hot and sunny.
All trees (apple, pear, blueberry, apricot) in buckets watered every evening, every 2 days if raining unless there is a real deluge.
Strawberry pots are on self watering trays which can need filling up every couple of days, daily if very hot
Some of the carrots are on self watering trays (more ordered) others are in drip trays - watered daily unless there is standing water
Potatoes in buckets are in the shade, watered every evening unless weather is cool when every 2 days will do.
All other pots watered every evening except brassicas that are in the shade, watered more sparingly depending on conditions
Anything planted in the veg garden ares, which is on top of old patio footings and next to a leylandii hedge needs watering thoroughly every day unless there is significant rain.
Peas and tomatoes in the flower beds every couple of days unless rain, daily if hot.
Apple tree in soil given a good soak every few days depending on conditions.
Quadgrow planters filled once a week, more if very hot.
Anything on the top shelves of the growhouse checked twice daily and watered as required, self watering trays on the bottom filled as needed.
Any newly planted flowers given a drink for a couple of days then have to fend for themselves unless starting to wilt.
(Average time at least 1/2 an hour, upto an hour a day unless raining, all done with a watering can)

Allotment
Potatoes and trees (cherry, blackcurrant, gooseberry, blueberrries) in buckets every day unless there is a deluge
Strawberry towers twice a day if dry (thinking of ditching these), other strawberries in containers once a day, strawberries in the ground fend for themselves.
Melons in growhouse at least once a day unless clearly still damp
Anything in the hotbed at least once a day, sometimes twice if covered and sunny
Peas, beans, young seedlings and anything newly planted watered every day.
Anything else in raised beds when dry (I poke my finger into the compost if unsure)
Plants in the tunnel every 3-7 days depending on conditions (shadier than the raised beds)
(Average time 10-30 minutes all done with a watering can)

At my friend's
Whole veg area given a spray/soak with a hosepipe every dry day (soil seems to dry very quickly)
Special attention paid to buckets of potatoes, peas, beans and hotbeds
Plants in greenhouse checked daily, self watering trays filled as appropriate and anything else watered. During the week I can only visit once a day. Large tomato plants that are not on self watering trays (I use the Hozelock grow bag waterers) usually wilt and can die if it is very hot and sunny even with shading on the roof (and this is a large greenhouse shaded by trees). In a smaller greenhouse in full sun I would anticipate having to water large tomatoes that were not on large capacity self watering trays at least 3 times a day when it is hot.
(Average time 5-20mins, greenhouse done with watering can)

As you can see, on hot, dry sunny days I can spend nearly 2 hours watering if everything needs filling up. I consider the results to be worth the trouble.

[Martin H]

Stuff in pots gets checked every day and watered most days. Stuff in open ground gets well watered in, then a good soak a week after planting. That's usually all they get except for a few specific exceptions, notably runner beans and lettuces among the veg crops, Acer amd Camellia among the decorative stuff.

[bramble]

Greenhouse plants, usually tomatoes in large containers are watered every morning unless it's a very wet day and theres no heat.
Peppers in the greenhouse, every second day.
Plants in the open ground get watered in for few days and then left to their own devices unless we have a heat wave..
Watering plants in the open ground only encourages shallow roots in my opinion..

[OakR]

I typically give my tomatoes and squash (all outside) a really good watering every 2-3 days when it's dry, though reading the above I might extend this for the tomatoes, squash I think I will leave as they are.

Peas and beans once or twice a week unless it's really hot and dry.