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How much do you water a garden??
JustC
Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
I know that watering a garden too much will split tomatos, bbut what effect does it have on other plants??
Peppers (green, red, orange, yellow, jalepeno, habernero, cayene)
yellow squash and zuccini
string beans
strawberries
corn
lettuce
how often and how much should I water??
Peppers (green, red, orange, yellow, jalepeno, habernero, cayene)
yellow squash and zuccini
string beans
strawberries
corn
lettuce
how often and how much should I water??
Comments
I know that watering a garden too much will split tomatos, bbut what effect does it have on other plants??
Peppers (green, red, orange, yellow, jalepeno, habernero, cayene)
yellow squash and zuccini
string beans
strawberries
corn
lettuce
how often and how much should I water??
Lots of variables. How much rain do you get? Is he soil sandy or clay? Temperature during the day and night? Wind?
Maters need less water then squash. Beans need dry soil to germinate.
Too many vaiables. I can help out a bit on specifics if you give me some details, but really cannot help with generalities.
beans were planted as plants, already germinated.
Corn and lettuce were seeds and most has germinated and emerged.
peppers, squash, and strawberries were also planted as plants, not seeds.
thanks
How much do I need to water my tomatoes right now. Have been planted only about 2 weeks and are about a foot high. Lots of sun and about 80-85 in the days and 45-55 at nights??
about 15 minutes every other day. Maters are real sensative to over watering. If the leaves start to roll up, you are over watering. Not sure about your soil, but here is a little trick. Go to the dollar store and get a bottle of Calcium pills. The hard chaulky type. Run 7-8 through your coffee grinder and sprinkle the dust around the plants. Or you can save your egg shells and let them dry out real good and do the same thing. Around here, at least, the soil is calcium deficient due to the alkalai nature of the soil. I am having bad luck with tomatoes this year. We have had a few days already over 110 degrees. I am still trying to keep them going, but I am not expecting much. The old timers here say you cannot grow tomatoes around here unless they are in pots.
soil is somehwat sandy,no clay.
beans were planted as plants, already germinated.
Corn and lettuce were seeds and most has germinated and emerged.
peppers, squash, and strawberries were also planted as plants, not seeds.
thanks
Pepper like full sun and moderate watering. I would say about the same as your tomatoes. Squash like lots of water, so I usually water mine every day for about 15 mins in the evening.
Corn likes lots of water. I planted mine in the traditional method or raised rows, and flood the ditches once a week. Beans tend to like it dry, so I would only water them every 3rd day for 15 mins.
Strawberries, I have not raised since I was a kid, but remember we would flood irrigate them once a week. Lettuce likes water and expecially likes water sprinkled on it. Once a day for 15 mins or so is good.
Hope that helps.
soil is somehwat sandy,no clay.
beans were planted as plants, already germinated.
Corn and lettuce were seeds and most has germinated and emerged.
peppers, squash, and strawberries were also planted as plants, not seeds.
thanks
That's my problem all Clay and no sand. I have amended my soil about 4" deep but when that clay drys out its like a sponge and sucks everything up.
I am on water rationing this year and can only water twice a week. All my veggies and lawn seem to be ok, for now.[:D]
Set you up some 5 gallon buckets along your drip line of the house. Use that water. I do.
quote:Originally posted by JustC
soil is somehwat sandy,no clay.
beans were planted as plants, already germinated.
Corn and lettuce were seeds and most has germinated and emerged.
peppers, squash, and strawberries were also planted as plants, not seeds.
thanks
That's my problem all Clay and no sand. I have amended my soil about 4" deep but when that clay drys out its like a sponge and sucks everything up.
Clay soil is pretty tough. Used to garden in Houston Texas....it friggin rains at least once a day there. However, I have found that if you have a paper shreader, work as much of the ground paper you can produce into the soil. Also, if you can get it, a couple hundred lbs of ground corn cobb or walnut shell will help you out a lot.
I forgot to add....compost compost compost. Go to Starbucks and ask, they will give you their coffee grounds. Put filters and all into the soil. Great stuff!! Also, go to a bait shop and buy some worms. Turn them loose in the garden.
I'll set-up a better schedule[:I]
Calcium tablets will be looked into as well.
sounds like we have been overwatering. WE have been running the sprinkler for about 1/2hr every few days on every plant.
I'll set-up a better schedule[:I]
Calcium tablets will be looked into as well.
I use the calcium because I am organic here. Egg shells work just as well.
I have a tendancy to over water because I am about as patient as a honey bee on speed. But I have learned patience. Its one of the lessons learned from the garden.
Drip irrigation is better for the curcurbits, water sprinklers on the leaves leads to fungal wilt problems, especially if you water in the evening or night.
Too frequent a watering in small amounts leads to shallow root formation, better to water less but deeper.
Not in a real dry climate, with sandy soil and real hot days. I spoke to our county extension guy, and the old dude up the road who has been a truck farmer here for 40 years. Fungus is almost unheard of. I was told, that due to the VERY sandy soil here, deep watering is a waste as it just goes away. You can dump a 5 gallon bucket of water on the ground and it just goes straight in. Of course, I am building my soil with lots of organic matter, so that helps a lot.
Drip irrigation is better for the curcurbits, water sprinklers on the leaves leads to fungal wilt problems, especially if you water in the evening or night.
Too frequent a watering in small amounts leads to shallow root formation, better to water less but deeper.
Whats a curcurbit?
Merc (been gardening for 35 years, owned a 3,000 square foot greenhouse for 3 years)
quote:Originally posted by Survivalist86
You really *cannot* overwater tomatoes, either. They are one of THE BEST crops that are grown hydroponically, which means they are in water just about 24/7!!!!!
Merc
quote:Originally posted by Survivalist86
quote:Originally posted by big800
How much do I need to water my tomatoes right now. Have been planted only about 2 weeks and are about a foot high. Lots of sun and about 80-85 in the days and 45-55 at nights??
about 15 minutes every other day. Maters are real sensative to over watering. If the leaves start to roll up, you are over watering. Not sure about your soil, but here is a little trick. Go to the dollar store and get a bottle of Calcium pills. The hard chaulky type. Run 7-8 through your coffee grinder and sprinkle the dust around the plants. Or you can save your egg shells and let them dry out real good and do the same thing. Around here, at least, the soil is calcium deficient due to the alkalai nature of the soil. I am having bad luck with tomatoes this year. We have had a few days already over 110 degrees. I am still trying to keep them going, but I am not expecting much. The old timers here say you cannot grow tomatoes around here unless they are in pots.
You need to put some SHADE on those tomatoes. I remember that you are in west Texas? They need about 40% SHADE. I grow HUGE tomatoes in Tucson........they don't grow worth a DAMN in full sun!
You really *cannot* overwater tomatoes, either. They are one of THE BEST crops that are grown hydroponically, which means they are in water just about 24/7!!!!!
Merc
quote:Originally posted by Survivalist86
quote:Originally posted by big800
How much do I need to water my tomatoes right now. Have been planted only about 2 weeks and are about a foot high. Lots of sun and about 80-85 in the days and 45-55 at nights??
about 15 minutes every other day. Maters are real sensative to over watering. If the leaves start to roll up, you are over watering. Not sure about your soil, but here is a little trick. Go to the dollar store and get a bottle of Calcium pills. The hard chaulky type. Run 7-8 through your coffee grinder and sprinkle the dust around the plants. Or you can save your egg shells and let them dry out real good and do the same thing. Around here, at least, the soil is calcium deficient due to the alkalai nature of the soil. I am having bad luck with tomatoes this year. We have had a few days already over 110 degrees. I am still trying to keep them going, but I am not expecting much. The old timers here say you cannot grow tomatoes around here unless they are in pots.
Merc,..I don't have the option of shade where they are planted,..so what can be done?? I thought they loved full sun,..at least when I grew them in the past they seemed happy??
You need to put some SHADE on those tomatoes. I remember that you are in west Texas? They need about 40% SHADE. I grow HUGE tomatoes in Tucson........they don't grow worth a DAMN in full sun!
You really *cannot* overwater tomatoes, either. They are one of THE BEST crops that are grown hydroponically, which means they are in water just about 24/7!!!!!
Merc
quote:Originally posted by Survivalist86
quote:Originally posted by big800
How much do I need to water my tomatoes right now. Have been planted only about 2 weeks and are about a foot high. Lots of sun and about 80-85 in the days and 45-55 at nights??
about 15 minutes every other day. Maters are real sensative to over watering. If the leaves start to roll up, you are over watering. Not sure about your soil, but here is a little trick. Go to the dollar store and get a bottle of Calcium pills. The hard chaulky type. Run 7-8 through your coffee grinder and sprinkle the dust around the plants. Or you can save your egg shells and let them dry out real good and do the same thing. Around here, at least, the soil is calcium deficient due to the alkalai nature of the soil. I am having bad luck with tomatoes this year. We have had a few days already over 110 degrees. I am still trying to keep them going, but I am not expecting much. The old timers here say you cannot grow tomatoes around here unless they are in pots.
Please see Photo number 1....PVC frame with screen door screen.
http://s1.zetaboards.com/survivalism/topic/1715112/1
Curcurbits are melons, squash, cucumbers.
If you have never had a problem with wilt then you are lucky indeed. Many of the new varieties have been bred to be wilt resistant to a degree, but all of the old varieties are not resistant, and once started in a garden patch, will always be an issue in the future.
Tomatoes stop putting on when temps go above 95 degrees because the temps actually kill the pollen, which is why they start making again later on in the fall.
No problems with diseases.
You need to put some SHADE on those tomatoes. I remember that you are in west Texas? They need about 40% SHADE. I grow HUGE tomatoes in Tucson........they don't grow worth a DAMN in full sun!
You really *cannot* overwater tomatoes, either. They are one of THE BEST crops that are grown hydroponically, which means they are in water just about 24/7!!!!!
Merc
quote:Originally posted by Survivalist86
quote:Originally posted by big800
How much do I need to water my tomatoes right now. Have been planted only about 2 weeks and are about a foot high. Lots of sun and about 80-85 in the days and 45-55 at nights??
about 15 minutes every other day. Maters are real sensative to over watering. If the leaves start to roll up, you are over watering. Not sure about your soil, but here is a little trick. Go to the dollar store and get a bottle of Calcium pills. The hard chaulky type. Run 7-8 through your coffee grinder and sprinkle the dust around the plants. Or you can save your egg shells and let them dry out real good and do the same thing. Around here, at least, the soil is calcium deficient due to the alkalai nature of the soil. I am having bad luck with tomatoes this year. We have had a few days already over 110 degrees. I am still trying to keep them going, but I am not expecting much. The old timers here say you cannot grow tomatoes around here unless they are in pots.
Over watering.
According to the guy that runs the truck farm up the road, the tomatoes are very easy to overwater. He says if the leaves start to curl up, you are overwatering. He is 77 years old and has been organically farming this area for 50+years. And, he uses a horse to still plow...pretty cool.
He claims that the water here is salinated and the soil is very alkalai. He claims you can actually kill the tomatoes here very easily by watering too much.
He also states that tomatoes like drier conditions.
Wat? Beans don't need "dry soil" to germinate. They need moisture in order TO germinate.
Merc (been gardening for 35 years, owned a 3,000 square foot greenhouse for 3 years)
quote:Originally posted by Survivalist86
Water shortage I have been making rain barrels and the wife has two 55 gal rain barrels and has a ball using rain water on our maters and stuff. Real easy to make if you have hole saws. We haven't had a shortage and plenty of rain but she still waters her flowers and maters.
I use a bunch of 5 gallon buckets. Neighbors thought I was nuts, until they saw the house go from no lawn to the best lawn on the block. Nothing like rain water.
Water shortage I have been making rain barrels and the wife has two 55 gal rain barrels and has a ball using rain water on our maters and stuff. Real easy to make if you have hole saws. We haven't had a shortage and plenty of rain but she still waters her flowers and maters.[img][/img]
VERY cool set up. Wish you would do a documentary on the other site I am on about making those.