[Janeymiddlewife]

First year of allotment growing hence the question. I have sown a few rows of early carrots, beet, parsnip & trying salsify for the first time, also spring onions & chard.
The plot is in full sun continuosly at the mo, once my pear tree gets going there will be a bit of shade but none at the mo.
I watered them in well and have watered every 5 days or so with a fine rose watering can. The soil tends to clay but is quite dry at the mo. I have mulched around the raspberry canes and strawbs are growing through membrane which i can "spot" water through the holes IYSWIM.

Soo i suppose the question is - in dry spells like this how often should I water, and how much - the water took about 30 minutes to disappear last time if that helps.
Also once spuds are shooting (I plan to cover with fleece just in case) in dry spells, how often do they need watering - soil was prepped with seaweed chopped up and chicken manure pellets and some well rotted horse muck

thanks 

[DD.]

I would not consider watering at all at this time of year. Whilst the soil may appear dry, there is still plently of moisture in there.

Spuds I would only consider watering in a VERY dry spell, June/July etc.

Remember that if there's water on the surface of the soil, the plant won't make root downwards to go & find it!

[celjaci]

I saw so many people watering yesterday and I remember last year some people spending half there time watering.
IMO most of it is a waste of time and quite unecessary.
Just wait there will be a FLOOD of pro-watering comments!!

[peapod]

Giving them water when not necessary means that they dont work as hard to find water, making (to my mind) a plant that is not as strong as it should be. I only water when its bone dry (this doesnt count for toms and chillies though)

[AndyRVTR]

IMO.. (which is exactly what it means), I disagree with the above, in times of dry weather and it has been exceptionally dry up this way lately, plants should be watered at least once a week.
The amount of moisture that had been held in the ground proir to this dry spell would have long since evaporated into the atmosphere.
In my own experience, if has been dry for at least 5 consecutive days, then i would water my plants.

[crowndale]

I would water seeds and seedling if the surface is dry but nothing else.  the ground on my plot looks bone dry but when I was turning it over yesterday it was actually still heavy with water just a couple of inches down so anything with a root system or planted deeper than a cm or so would be fine.

[Rampant_Weasel]

also carrots take quite a while to germinate, especially this time of year when its cold, it might feel warm when the sun is out but its still very cold at night and were in for a wet and cold period soon.

[DD.]

I'd ask myself the question "do professional  growers water carrots, beet & parsnips?".

Certainly in the dry summer months you see those massive sprinklers at work in the spud fields, but do you see them at ANY time of year watering carrots?

[zazen999]

Try looking an inch under the top of the soil, its probably still quite moist underneath. I sieved my onion patch today and most of the soil was still very claggy underneath [clay soil].

I water seedlings in and then it's every plant for themselves. Seeds sown direct also get a watering - once.

[mashbintater]

Likewise, we've had a dry spell here too.  Most of my outdoor containers/ baskets etc enjoyed a good soaking the other day, with good effect. Not watered anything in the ground, except stuff newly planted.


  

[Stripey_cat]

My soil is dry everywhere to 1-2", and to at least 6" in the raised beds.  Having lost a couple of garlic plants in the raised beds (not enough roots yet to reach the damp subsoil), I'm watering everything that's not established.  I don't care if it's only March, my garden hasn't seen any rain for weeks, and despite the winter wet the topsoil is dust - I see puffs of it blowing off the hoed areas every time the wind gusts.

[DD.]

One of the disadvantages of raised beds!

[Faz]

I guess it really does depend on your soil - I have only just had the opportunity this weekend to dig one of my beds as it is very heavy clay and is still very wet, barely diggable really, despite all the sun and warmth of the last couple of weeks.

The only things I have watered are newly sown seeds and my fruit trees which were planted in the autumn, plus stuff in pots.

[andreadon]

it really does depend on your soil!
janey, you're clay like me, and i only water in the summer - the clay is incredibly good at holding the water in the winter and it doesn't drain well, so you'd have problems if you watered too much (rotting roots etc).
at this time of year, if you're putting seeds in the ground, cover them with a cold frame or plastic sheeting (on sticks or a frame or it'll touch the ground and that's counter-productive)  - water before you sow then the moisture from the ground will evaporate onto the plastic and condense back down on the soil.
if you have it like that for your newly sown seeds then you shouldn't need to water it again. then when the seedlings have grown you can take the plastic off. (but cover it again at night in case of frost)

[spud]

I find that deep beds work really well, if they are properly established they hold a lot of moisture in dry weather, and are dry enough in really wet weather, thats how they work!



Not a great pic, but it shows how the bed is top dressed with homemade compost in the spring, with the growing medium below. I raise my plants in the windowsill and greenhouse, then plant out into the growing medium, pulling the toplayer of compost up around the plants to keep the weeds at bay.