June
27, 2001
The
Summer Watering Issue |
|
Water,
Water, Everyone...
We have added a new member to the Marsh family! Sam
Parker is our new 9 week-old beagle puppy. I must of
thought it was time to have another baby in the house! He
is so cute and good natured and we knew the minute we saw him
that he would be a perfect addition to our family. What joy
a puppy brings to a household! Of course we have three cats
and their votes are still out. The good news is that he is
a puppy and I think the cats will soon let him know who has run
of the house.
We are dedicating this issue to watering - the single most
important and least understood aspect of successful summer
gardening. Even though we
have had so much rain this month we must continue watering to
make sure the summer heat does not destroy our gardens. All
of our advice this week relates to water - too much, too little,
and just right. I think you will find these tips very
beneficial.
Thanks to all of you Savvygardeners who joined us at The
Kelly Gallery last Friday evening. The weather was
perfect and the gardens were divine! Kevin and I both
enjoyed meeting new readers as well as some readers who have been
with us for some time. I truly enjoy those gatherings.
It is so great to get together with friends to share our love of
gardening. Thanks to Mark and Kelly Daniels! Once
again they were perfect hosts.
~
Shelly
Veggies
Need More...
We've stated in the past that most gardens require one inch
of water per week. As the weather heats up however water
consumption for a vegetable garden will gradually increase up to
two inches of water per week and then taper off again as the
weather cools. Remember that it is imperative that you
water deeply once or twice a week. Watering a little bit
every day is just not good for the plants.
Other
watering tips for your veggies:
- Concentrate
your watering in the root zone. Soaker hoses and drip
irrigation systems are great methods.
- Related
to the above, try to minimize watering of leaves. This
will help prevent disease.
- Water in
the morning between 6:00 and 9:00 AM. Midday watering
wastes water. Evening watering may lead to plant
disease.
- Keep the
garden well weeded to eliminate competition for water.
- Use
mulches to aid water retention in the garden soil.
Coping
With Containers...
Container plants (those in pots, window boxes, hanging baskets,
etc...) are the first to be affected by lack of water.
Since the container itself is exposed on all sides the sun and
heat cause the limited amount of soil to dry up much quicker than
in a garden. As a general rule you should water containers until
the water drains out the holes
in the bottom. During the summer it is not unusual to do
this two or three times a day.
Competitive
Nature...
Don't let grass or weeds grow beneath your trees and
shrubs. They compete fiercely for available water and will
slow the growth of trees, especially newly planted ones. Worse yet,
the longer turfgrass grows under trees and shrubs the greater the
reduction of new growth. Left alone a cumulative effect may
decrease tree growth for several years. For instance, if
the growth of a tree is reduced by 20 percent for one year
because of grass competition, the growth automatically is 20
percent less during the second year's growth. Grass
competition alone reduces tree and shrub growth by as much as 50
percent.
Source
Flowers
- Blooming Not Burning...
Different flowers have different watering needs. The
one inch of water per week rule is a good start but it's always
best to keep an eye them. Look for the telltale signs of
drought stress including wilt, droopiness, and the premature
loss of foliage and/or blooms. Like vegetables your flowers
will benefit from deep and infrequent waterings. Also, a couple
of inches of mulch will do wonders to help retain soil moisture
during the hot sunny weather.
Another good
long-term strategy would include greater use of drought tolerant
flowers. Savvygardeners can find a list of these water
efficient marvels (suitable for the Kansas City area of course) here...
What's
Hot On The Hotline...
The Hotline has been abuzz with water and drought related
questions. Last year's dry weather and this month's heavy
rains have perplexed even the savviest of Savvygardeners.
Find out more in this
week's What's
Hot on the Hotline...
Grass Guzzlers...
For many of us our lawns are the single biggest users of
"gardening water". Unfortunately excessive
watering is wasteful and can actually be harmful to your
lawn. If waterings are too light or too
frequent the lawn can become weak and shallow-rooted, which in
turn makes it more susceptible to stress injury. To make
sure you get it right use the
following steps to determine the amount of water your sprinkler
or sprinkler system puts out and check its distribution pattern
at the same time.
- Determine
the rate at which your sprinkler applies water to the
lawn.
- Set
out three to five empty cans in a straight line going away
from the sprinkler. Set the last can near the edge of the
sprinkler's coverage.
- Run
the sprinkler for a set time such as 1/2 hour.
- Measure
the amount of water in each can.
- Each
can will contain a different amount of water. Usually, the
can closest to the sprinkle will have the most water.
The
sprinkler pattern must overlap to get an even wetness of
the soil. Use this information to find out how long it
takes your sprinkler to apply 1 inch of water. For
example, if you find that most cans contain about 1/4 inch
of water after the sprinkler runs 1/2 hour, it would take
4 x 1/2 or 2 hours to apply 1 inch.
- Run
the sprinkler long enough to apply at
least 1 inch of water or until runoff occurs. If runoff occurs
first:
- Stop
sprinkler and note running time.
- Allow
water to soak in for 1/2 hour.
- Start
sprinkler.
- If
runoff occurs, repeat above steps until at least 1 inch of
water has been applied and allowed to soak into the
soil.
- Do not
water again until the lawn has completely dried out. (This
usually takes 5 or 6 days.)
- Apply
enough water to wet the soil to a depth of 4 to 6
inches.
- Avoid
frequent light applications of water.
- Water
in early daylight hours.
- Select
a turfgrass with a low water requirement.
- Avoid
using soluble nitrogen fertilizers. (They promote high
growth rates which, in turn, increase water requirements
of the plant.)
Source
A Hose
By Any Other Name...
Hoses are easily the most common means of getting water to your
gardens and containers. Most gardeners give little thought
to their hoses until it's time to replace them. If you are
replacing a hose or just interested in a new one take a little
time and choose one that's best for you. Like most tools,
hoses are available in varying quality levels with prices that
usually follow. Hoses come in different diameters but
5/8-inch is the most popular. Different diameters deliver
different flow rates and this may be an important factor in your
choice. Use this table to assist in sizing.
Flow
Rates from Different Hose Sizes and Water Pressures |
Pressure |
1/2 inch |
5/8 inch |
3/4 inch |
1 inch |
20 psi |
4 gpm |
8 gpm |
12 gpm |
26 gpm |
30 psi |
5 gpm |
9 gpm |
15 gpm |
32 gpm |
40 psi |
6 gpm |
11 gpm |
18 gpm |
38 gpm |
50 psi |
7 gpm |
12 gpm |
20 gpm |
43 gpm |
60 psi |
8 gpm |
14 gpm |
22 gpm |
47 gpm |
Flow
rates are in gallons per minute (gpm). 40 psi is
typical water pressure for most homes. |
Source
Finally... "Successful
gardening consists of
One part soil,
Two parts water,
Three parts prayer." ~
Popular Gardening Wisdom |