Watering The Garden
How much water your garden needs will depend on the type of soil, whether you have raised beds or not, if the garden is mulched, and the type of vegetables planted. These factors influence the how much water you need to keep the vegetables moist and not under stress. You don’t want to over-water them, either, as this can easily rot out the plants.
For Raised Bed Gardens
If you have a raised bed, it will dry out quicker as the drainage will be increased and, therefore, you may need to water a bit more frequently. Then again, maybe not!
Watering recently planted carrots.
One way to see that watering is minimized is to see that the garden is properly mulched. I like to use straw around the plants. I apply the straw about two inches all around; this will keep soil moist even in the heat of the summer. Therefore, watering will be reduced.
Frequency of Watering
A rule of thumb is to see that the garden gets watered about 1” per week. Which means about 2 to 3 hours of rain in a given week. Place a rain gauge and check it weekly. Check the soil – if the surface is lightly moist, you know there is enough moisture below to forgo the watering. If the surface is dry, then lightly dig and access how moist is the soil below. If it is dry below the surface a good 3”, then water immediately. You should be able to feel slight moisture as you inspect the soil. Eventually, you will know when the garden has sufficient water by looking at the plants. If they are wilting, even lightly, then water right away.
Type of Water and Garden Tips
Watering with rainwater, or water from the faucet will make a difference. The chlorine from processed water will kill the good bacteria and microbes in the soil. If your water is chlorinated, then a last watering should be done with compost tea. Best is to use water that has been allowed to sit for hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate — and then add some mycorrhiza (fungus that forms a relationship with roots).
See video on watering the garden with compost tea.
