Tips for Watering Your Vegetable Garden

With the possible exception of celery and celeriac, our more commonly grown crops quickly display their dislike of badly drained or waterlogged soils, which results in poor or nonexistent root activity. A few inches of water cover soon causes plant death, so in higher rainfall areas and in low lying valleys, or on heavy clay soils, efficient drainage is essential. On light sandy or medium-type soils overlying gravel, natural drainage works well, especially when the ground slopes slightly downhill. But to improve the drainage of heavy clay soils, some form of underground channeling is required, not always practical when your plot is surrounded by neighbors' properties.

The best method is to lay 3 inch land drains or brick rubble in slightly downhill-sloping trenches 2 feet deep and, say, 12 feet apart, preferably covered with washed gravel or rubble. This works well when the channels are linked together at the lower end or side of the plot, with a continuing fall beyond. Without such means of disposal a deep sump filled with rubble might suffice except in difficult deep clays. Ridging or mounting may be necessary with a combination of boggy soil and heavy rainfall, although this entails a good deal of extra effort. If this is done during the winter, the vertical sides should remain intact for a whole season. The greater the water logging, the higher the mounds need to be. The width of the mounds at the top is important; 2-3 feet is a good growing width, with a trench about 12 inches wide between each mound.

On plots where winter water is an insoluble problem, it is best to concentrate solely on spring and summer cropping. Rough-dig the ground before Christmas, wait for March with its drying winds, and break up the crust with a three-pronged cultivator.

In spring and summer the problem is reversed. Plants must have a certain amount of water if they are to be healthy, especially when the weather turns hot and dry. Seeds need moisture in the soil to germinate; so if an opened seed drill is dry, water it before sowing. After germination, the seedlings will have shallow roots, and in drought conditions they may be at risk. Water them thoroughly in the evening with a fine rose on the can. Just sprinkling water on the surface to lay the dust is worse than no water at all, since the fibrous roots need to delve down for moisture.

This golden rule for thorough watering applies as well to established plants. If you have means for collecting rainwater, use it in preference to city or well water.