The Watering Cycle
Every vegetable needs water. How much water? The rule of thumb for watering vegetable gardens is simple: an inch of water per week in the summertime, whether it's provided by you or rain. This converts roughly to six gallons per square yard per week. This inch of water will wet the root zone to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.
You can water the plants in a variety of ways. We like to use soaker hoses because they keep the water from evaporating too badly and allow the water to soak in deep.
Shallow-rooted vegetables will have a greater demand for water than deep-rooted crops, so keep a watchful eye on them. Shallow-rooted crops include lettuce, corn, potato and radish. Moderately deep-rooted vegetables include bean, carrot, cucumber, eggplant, cantaloupe, pepper, pea, summer squash and turnip. Deep-rooted vegetables include asparagus, lima bean, pumpkin, winter squash, sweet potato, tomato and watermelon.
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Last updated: October 11, 2004 |