Vegetable Gardening: Is there a right time to water the garden?

It is Monday morning and it is raining cats and dogs. You think to yourself that the buckets of water that are falling out of the sky are a good thing. Good because your vegetable garden really does need a good watering. So you grab your hot cup of coffee, stair out the window and watch as much needed rain falls onto your plants that you are hoping will produce a lot of vegetables.

Later that week, Thursday rolls around faster than a cherry red Corvette on a straight away leading you to wonder where did the go? You check you calendar and have marked on there that it is time to water the vegetable garden.

Instead, you choose not to because, after all, on Monday the rain was tremendous. This scenario is the trap that we as gardeners can fall into if we are not careful, and that is not watering the plants enough. Many studies have shown that vegetable plants, especially those still in their infancy, need plenty of water.

Also, by watering more, creating a watering technique called deep watering, what you are doing is creating an environment underneath the top layer of soil where the roots of your vegetables will have to dig deep. That in turn will strengthen their roots and make them healthier plants

If you tend to only water once per week or water for short period of times throughout the week, then you are doing a disservice to your home vegetable garden. All is not lost though as it is easily fixable.

If you don’t own one already, invest in a soaker hose. You can get them for around thirteen dollars at Wal-mart. Just look in their gardening section. A soaker hose looks like a regular hose except there is not end to attach a spray nozzle onto. Instead the water seeps through pores in the house at a slow rate which allows for better watering.

Simply attach your soaker hose to your water source like you would any other hose, and the situate the hose up and down rows throughout your garden.

The soaker hose accomplishes a couple of things. For starters, because the water is being dispensed at a slower rate, this allows for the water to drain better through the top layer of soil. Secondly, as many experts agree, it keeps the water off the foliage of the plants and directs more to where it is needed and that is at the root level.

Finally water first thing in the morning for 30 to 45 minutes every 4 days or if you are in a climate where it is hot and humid, then for every 3 days. More importantly do not let your plants, especially the young ones, go very long without water. It could stunt their growth and potentially kill them.

Follow these tips on watering above to make sure you are doing it right. Watering is not as complicated as some make it out to be, but when done wrong it could limit the production of their gardens.

About the Author

Mike is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person. It is a practical easy to follow book that teaches gardeners everything from composting techniques, aeration and frost conditions, to choosing the right tools and picking the right seeds. You can, follow him on Twitter as well as join his Facebook fan page.