WATERING

Debz and Jon · « **on:** June 21, 2006, 08:33 »

Keep getting different advice from my allotment neighbours - do you water onions and potatoes - the older crew say no and the youngens say yes!!!! Please help :roll: Oh and strawberries - ta

ang · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2006, 11:48 »

Not sure which catergory I fall in I'm in my mid 30's but personally I haven't watered my potatoes since they went in the ground around the end of April. I water my onions if I think they look like they need it. If it's dry I always water my strawbs I once read that they need the water to make the fruit swell, not sure if it's true but we've had some good strawbs so far.

Eristic · « **Reply #2 on:** June 21, 2006, 13:37 »

I no longer qualify as a youngster but I'm in favour of watering.

Onions must not go short of water at any time even if they look ok. Any check to their continued growth will cause splits or layers of brown skin inside the onion. They may also run to seed.

Much the same with potatoes, in fact potatoes require copious amounts of water throughout the growing period or you will get small tough tatties.

Watering is always dependant on local ground conditions, availability of water, restrictions etc. and sometimes we have to plant crops according to these conditions. I opted for Jerusalem artichokes instead of spuds this year.

supersprout · « **Reply #3 on:** June 21, 2006, 14:29 »

he he I think you'll get different advice from different peeps here too!
I don't water onions or potatoes at all, but do mulch heavily to keep the water from evaporating out of the soil. And I plant my onions in blocks, very close, for the same reason

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