#77737
Jun 27th, 2007 at 05:46 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
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I kind of wanted to hear what everyone does here to water their gardens. I laid soaker hoses but even watering 8 hours doesn't make it very wet. I need to water every 2-3 days. I have been letting them run through the night to make the hose available for me to sprinkle the lawn in the day. But do you think it is still ok to soaker at night? I assumed because it wasn't touching the plants it would be fine. Also I have watered overhead two or three times this season in the morning. Today I fertilized with a side dressing and then watered overhead. But I hate doing it because I have had fungus problems. Most of my garden is covered with weed blocker which keeps the water needs down a little but the tree roots soak up so much that it has been a pain to water. I wondered how many water overhead and how many use soaker hose or water by hand.
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Joined: Feb 2005
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Joined: Feb 2005
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With 25" of rain this year, I haven't needed to water at all. It has rained at least 5-6" this week already.
One OS to rule them, one OS to find them: One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them in the Land of Redmond where the shadows lie.
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Joined: Jun 2007
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We have had lots of rain this year as well so I haven't watered much at all. I do however keep the in ground watering cones for my tomatoes (and a few pepper plants) so that they have access to water straight to the roots (I fill them usually 2-3 times a week). Must have worked because my tomatoes are going absolutely nuts on me and my once dying peppers have made an impressive comeback.
~Karen~
The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses. ~Hanna Rion
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Joined: May 2006
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Joined: May 2006
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Last year, I used soaker hoses then tore them out because they didn't water very evenly. I used a hose, with no attachments and the water only half-way on, and watered the based of each plant. I had to water 2-3 times a day because I had no mulch, high heat, and sandy soil. This year I've mulch and am watering the base of each plant once a day. I don't water overhead, unless it's freshly planted seeds, even then, as soon as I see green, I stop. I've got some tree roots in my garden, we yank them out every spring and they quickly grow back. They make life miserable, don't they?
Sarah - Zone 5b/6
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Joined: Jan 2004
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Joined: Jan 2004
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We've used soaker hoses and had to take them out. With out clay type of soil it did not water correctly. The plants did ok but the soil in between the rows was rock hard from lack of moisture. We've now gone back to sprinkling and I have to sprinkle when there's no wind. Usually early mornings or evenings. So far no problems with fungus. I guess our windy area dries the plants off before night.
Kindness is a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
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Are you guys talking about the green, lawn soaker hoses or the black, recycled tire kind? I have the black kind and usually they water ok, except that they peeter out at the end. I just wind the end around and put the beginning where more water is needed. I have noticed how hard the ground does get though. hmmm
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Joined: Jan 2004
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Joined: Jan 2004
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We used the black ones and just did not like the results with our clay type soil.
Kindness is a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
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Joined: Feb 2005
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Joined: Feb 2005
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One thing about saoker hoses is they like to plug up, I just take mine and strech them a little bit and breaks all the crap looses and they water real good for a few months.
One OS to rule them, one OS to find them: One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them in the Land of Redmond where the shadows lie.
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So do you think using the soaker at night will cause fungus like watering overhead? It is starting to get humid here.
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Joined: Sep 2004
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So do you think using the soaker at night will cause fungus like watering overhead? It is starting to get humid here. Most fungal problems come from the leaves being wet at night. Night watering is fine if it's at ground level, like with soaker hoses.. Some of those hoses don't water very evenly and there are areas that don't get enough while others get too much. I have tried them but i don't really like them. I like to hand water vegies in the mornings, so the leaves have time to dry off but the most important thing is that i mulch heavily so any water i use isn't evaporated off. It also helps prevent water splashing from the soil onto the lower leaves, which is how some fungus are spread around. You really shouldn't have to water all night every night. That's a huge use of water. Something isn't right.
The secret is the soil.
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I water every two or three nights. I am sorry if I didn't communicate that well. It is barely enough though if there is no rain. I am afraid I don't have time to hand water very often. It is soaker hoses or sprinklers. I watered by hand the other afternoon and it took an hour. I don't have that in the morning unfortunately since I bike or run then. I wish it was easier. As it is though, now I have a motion detector for rabbits and so now I probably won't water at night that often- I could drag two hoses out there I suppose. Oh and about the uneven watering, I have tried to counter that by how I set them up, more loops at the end knowing the beginning will have more water, but as I said it isn't working that well. Another question I had was when do you start witholding water from onions, garlic and potatoes? I always forget that.
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Joined: Jan 2004
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Joined: Jan 2004
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Onions and carrots don't need much water once they are the size you want them to be. With carrots too much water will cause them to crack.
Kindness is a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
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Joined: Aug 2005
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Thanks, that sounds simple. Unfortunately my onions are nowhere near the size they were last year. We ate them until April. I don't think that will happen this year.
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