Rappahannock Plant A Row

Normally I would answer that question with, “well, a rule of thumb is veggies need an inch of water a week.” So far this year that figure is just not relevant.  This is one of the wettest Spring seasons on record; just look out the window at the rampant growth of weeds, overgrown lawns and overflowing rain barrels and we know how wet it has been.  Here in Viewtown my rain gauge registers 2.9 inches just in the past four days!

The amount of moisture in the ground at the moment is not going to be good news for the development of many young seedlings and the germination of seeds. This amount of moisture in the soil will slow if not stop the development of seedlings and cause seeds to rot if the ground temperatures do not get back to normal soon. I suspect with the wet and cold March followed by the searing heat of a week or so ago and now with another wet cool period we might well see fungal and developmental problems with some of the plants already in the ground if we get a sudden warm up.

There is an art to watering the veggies in your garden depending on what you grow. Not all plants require as much water or as frequently as their neighbors. Seeds which have just emerged need daily light watering with a very fine water flow. The average ‘Rose’ on a watering can will suffice if used carefully. Carrots, Spring Onions, Radishes, etc., with their tiny seeds, can be washed out of the furrow if you are not careful. The seedlings you buy in the garden centers and plant out at home will need more individual attention and watering initially, but once they have established themselves consider setting up a simple automated soaker irrigation system.

I recommend soaker hose and micro feed piping. This system is very easy to set up, is crop specific and will save you about 70% on water use. Peas, carrots, onions and other ‘row’ crops will need a soaker hose alongside the row. Tomatoes, peppers and other individual plants will be best suited with a micro feeder, that is a individual emitter or two at each plant. These emitters are inserted directly into the main half-inch feed pipe. Once you have established a good and even flow rate for the plants you can add an automatic timer to the faucet or outlet to make life a little easier.

Timing of watering can be critical. Do not water in the heat of the day or direct sunshine. Preferably, watering should be done in the cool of the morning. Watering in the evenings, especially in the humid weather, can induce and encourage fungal problems. Water the root area and not the leaves especially on Tomatoes, Cantaloupe, Squash etc.

Also, keep the guesswork out of watering and buy yourself a meter which will be about $15 to $20.

by Rob Burnett (robboblimey@hotmail.com)