Vegetable gardening is one of the more popular hobbies and pastimes in the United States. Many people are gardening for the first time and are looking for answers and advice about have the best harvest possible. Do your veggies need water every day? Do they need it once per week? Several factors determine the answers to these questions.
Controlling Water Supply
If you live in an area that receives summer rain, it can be difficult to control the frequency of watering. Too much moisture can cause a calcium deficiency that leads to blossom end rot on crops such as squash and tomatoes. Too little rain can cause plants to wither and die. Too much moisture can also cause fungal diseases such as powdery mildew on your plants' leaves. One way around the rain is to build clear plastic "umbrellas" over your garden beds. By watering only underneath your plants, for example with a drip irrigation system, you can control the amount of water they get and prevent the leaves from getting wet. Vegetable plants thrive on an even supply of water and many prefer to be watered deeply once or twice per week. One inch of water per week is generally recommended for most vegetables, although consider your soil type---clay soil retains water well, but sandy soil does not. Loamy soil, with lots of organic matter, holds moisture best and affords your plants good drainage.
Seeds and Bedding Plants
Young plants need more frequent watering than older, well-established plants. If you start seeds in small pots, you'll find that they dry out quickly, especially as they grow larger and their roots take over more of the pot's space. Keep an eye on your plants in small pots and water them every day if they are dry. When you first transplant small plants, whether you've grown them from seed or purchased bedding plants from the nursery, water them frequently. Check every day, and give them a drink every day or every other day until they become larger and their roots penetrate more deeply into the ground, where there's more moisture.
Tomatoes, Peppers and Eggplant
The Nightshade family includes tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, all of which have similar watering needs. They also are susceptible to a fungal disease called Fusarium wilt, which you can help prevent by keeping your plant healthy with the right fertilization and irrigation. To prevent fungal diseases, do not over-irrigate, especially early in the lives of these plants. As much as possible, keep the soil moisture level stable. You can help this by using a thick mulch of hay or straw---4 to 6 inches is recommended. Tomatoes can develop cracks if they receive a seesaw effect of wet and dry periods, so keep the soil damp but not soggy. Water the Nightshades once per week with 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water, and in very hot weather check the soil with your finger and give them additional water if it feels dry.
Green Beans
Green beans are hardy in most climates. They can be subject to bacteria that causes their leaves to wither and die, so keep the soil moisture as even as possible by watering twice per week. Always water green beans from below to keep their leaves dry.
Root Crops
Radishes, potatoes, carrots and other root crops can rot if they are forced to live in soil that is constantly soggy. Wait until the soil around these plants has dried out before you give them a good, thorough soaking. Carrots need sufficient water to keep the plants growing quickly, but decrease the frequency of your watering to once a week as they grow larger to prevent them from cracking and splitting, which extends an open invitation to soil-born insects to dine on them.
Zucchini, Cucumbers and Other Squash
Water the squashes only from below to keep their leaves dry, which will help prevent powdery mildew and other fungal diseases. It's a good gardening practice to build "hills" on which these plants will grow. With a "moat" around the hill, the plants will not sit in water when you apply it, and it will allow more water to soak into the soil around them. After your zucchini, cucumbers and other squash begin to flower, water them deeply once each week by flooding their "moat."
Tags: your plants, fungal diseases, give them, keep soil, once week, their leaves, these plants
