Sowing, Planting, Watering, and Feeding by Bob Flowerdew

Author:Bob Flowerdew
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2010-04-04T04:00:00+00:00

Potatoes grown in tubs under cover need lashings of water or they crop lightly

And, of course, each day’s needs depend on the strength of the sun and the dryness of the air, as well as the stage of growth. And every plant is different.

As well as the variation from summer to winter and day-to-day under cover, there’s also controversy as to what time of day to water. Personally, I reckon it’s best to water in the morning, as the plants are cold from the night so the water will warm up with them and be available when they need it during the day. Others maintain it’s better to water at the end of each day; however, then the plants are chilled by the watering and go into the night with damp about them, which I suspect is not good. But ultimately the best time to water is whenever you can, and more often than not that will not always be the same time of day anyway.

It’s good to get into a watering routine; there’s little benefit in giving huge amounts one week, then little another. Plants become used to your regime; if you keep it constant they adjust as best they can—vary it and they’re lost. Worst of all is leaving it until the compost or soil dries out, then the water does not wet the soil but runs straight through it. Adding a drop of dishwashing liquid or soap helps wet the soil by breaking the surface tension and using warm water is quicker for the soil to absorb than cold (and more comfortable for the plants). Big plants in small pots of compost may need watering far more often than you can manage, so pot them on into bigger pots with much more compost and they’ll last longer between waterings. Indeed, the best way to reduce watering frequency is to pot everything into bigger pots or, better still, with ornamentals, put several in an even bigger planter.

With vegetables, and to a lesser extent fruits, one good soaking when you see the flowers appear can double your crop. This is especially true in drier counties when flowers on potatoes, corn, and pulses should be seen as the sign to pour water on really generously.

Always water before the plant wilts! If you leave watering until this point is reached serious damage has occurred and the plant will have suffered a check it will likely never recover from. However, there is a neat trick to help: some plants, such as daturas and phloxes, wilt well before most others, so having these as indicators among other plants will give you an early warning that the danger point is near.

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