It’s more efficient to get the water down first, then mulch. Just as the mulch hinders evaporation, it also slows penetration of moisture to the roots. But it’s a good idea to soak the soil before you lay on that first layer of mulch. Mulch helps conserve water in your soil by shielding the ground from the hot rays that burn off moisture. With a good garden soil, you should be able to squeeze a little dirt into a clump that will break up easily if you gently bounce it in your palm.ģ. Keeping that section moist should prevent plants from being parched by thirst or stressed from binge drinking. In general, we’re talking about the first 6 in. The root network is the critical area of watering. bags of compost to the little garden strip to slow it down.Ģ. Water drained faster than you could say alligator. Our garden soil was dredge spoil, essentially sand. When I lived in southwest Florida I had the opposite problem. Raised beds may be the solution if that site is your only option for a garden. If it takes more than four hours, you’ve probably got a drainage problem that could harm plant roots.
Fill it again, and then see how long it takes for the water level to drop 1 in. Fill the can with water and let it drain completely. You can check how fast your soil absorbs water using any type of cylinder, such as a coffee can with the top and bottom removed. The idea in watering is to keep this system operating smoothly. This allows entry of the carbon dioxide critical to photosynthesis. As water moves in, cells surrounding the stomata expand, pressing open the stomata. When the leaves recognize the loss of pressure, they again start pulling in water from the stems so long as it’s available. Heat from the sun vaporizes water in the leaves, which generates pressure that forces water out through tiny pores called stomata. Then a kind of botanical bucket brigade driven by the leaves takes over, drawing water through plant stems. When the water storage structures get too full, they expel water. Here’s how it works: The roots draw in water by osmosis, that is, if pressure inside the root cells drops below the pressure outside, water moves in to equalize it. Along the way, plants employ a marvelous method of water intake and distribution. And water moving into leaves plays an important role in photosynthesis. One reason vegetable plants need water is that they absorb nutrients in dissolved form. Speaking of watering, it’s worth noting why you should go to the trouble. Both clay and sandy soils can be turned into a preferred loam by mixing in organic material, such as compost.
But if it’s too sandy, water may leach out too quickly and take dissolved nutrients with it. Water flows more easily through sandy soil. In dense clay, little room exists for passages that permit the exchange of essential gases with the air above ground. Clay has an electrical charge that draws water, pulling it away from plant roots. It makes a big difference in your drainage.Ĭlay-laden soil presents special watering challenges. Dig into your garden and find out whether you have clay or sandy soil. Learn more: Build a rain garden to catch water runoff. Each garden has its own idiosyncrasies that must be observed. Really, without being in your garden, no one can tell you how much water this will turn out to be. Somewhere in between is the ground that will give your plants the right amount of water to flourish. They run for the hose only after the rain has turned irregular. I do know people who let the heavens do the heavy labor when it comes to irrigation. I don’t know anyone who takes the hospital bed approach to plant nourishment. Watering a vegetable garden can be as easy as watching the rain, or as ridiculous as feeding plant limbs intravenously.