Keep all your veggies well hydrated and healthy with these simple tips.
How do you know when to water your vegetables and how much water to apply?
For example,watering seedlingsis different from watering established vegetable plants.
Credit: William N. Hopkins
Watering in-ground beds differs from watering containers.
And watering in the morning is better than watering at noon.
Understanding these differences will maximize yourwatering efficiency.
Credit: Cameron Sadeghpour
Under or overwatering seedlings.
Water seedbeds lightly every morning and recheck them in the evening.
If a dry crust forms on the soil surface, it can be difficult for new seeds to germinate.
And if a germinating seed dries out, it may die.
The key is to maintain an evenly moistnot wetsoil until the young plants have developed healthy roots.
Not knowing how often to water a vegetable garden.
You must know how often to water an actively growingvegetable gardenfor successful plant growth.
Frequent light watering may perk up your plants in the short term but also promotes shallow root growth.
Deep soaking two to three times a weekconsidering rainfallwill promotehealthier, more productive growththan frequent shallow watering.
If it feels dry, water.
If the soil feels moist, hold off another day or two.
Not using a rain gauge.
Of course, that depends on your soilsandy soildries more quickly than heavyclay soil.
(Raised beds and container gardens need more watersee below).
Under-watering containers and raised beds.
Vegetables and herbsgrown in containersorraised bedsneed water more often than in-ground beds.
If the soil is dry, it’s time to water.
Watering during the heat of the day.
Watering during the day’s heat is less efficient; water evaporates faster and less reaches the root zone.
If you must water in the evening, avoid wetting leaves.
Plants get their moisture through their roots, not their leaves.
Direct watering to the soil surface and avoid wetting leaves because water helps spread some plant diseases.
Splashing soil onto leaves.
The spot should have good drainage.
you could add vegetables to existing plant beds as long as the soil and sun exposure are suitable.
confirm it’s easy to access ahoseso you don’t have trouble getting water to the plants.
Grow lettuce, radishes, and peas in the spring.
When summer comes, there’s nothing easier to grow than zucchini.
In the fall, leafy greens are once again the best choice.
Spend a few minutes each day pulling weeds that sprout through the mulch.
When it comes to keeping weeds away, persistence is key.
