A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Vegetable Gardening Follow up Post

This post is a follow up to my previous post

//www.agardenersforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/276186#Post276186

I was having some issues with my brand new garden. I think I've solved my original problem of what I now believe was water retention.

Here's some info on my current garden before I ask my question.

My garden is not in ground. I don't know how to explain this other then I put two rows of gardening timber on top of each other and filled them with dirt. I turned the grass below this and filled the rest with topsoil/compost mix.

Yesterday I put down compost, followed by newspaper and then straw.

After a long long day of hot weather (mid to upper 90s) I ended up having moist dirt about 1 1/2" to 2" below the surface. I watered at about 11 and check at about 5, so I feel that's pretty good.

I feel like it hasn't been long enough to tell if my plants are making a turn for the better, but I feel much more confident about my garden now.

So what I need to know now is some simple information to help me continue in the positive direction. When should I be watering my garden? Morning, afternoon or evening? Should I eventually put down more compost? If I do, should I think about putting down more news paper as well or will my plants be more mature then and not need the extra water retention? Should I eventually remove the straw?

I know these are a lot of questions, but I'd like to try to get the right answers ahead of time rather then have a problem and then go looking for solutions.

Thanks for help in advance.

I can only answer one of those questions for sure
always water FIRST thing in the mornings, always before 9 am ( I water at 6 Am . any time between 10 and 6 if it's hot weather the water will just evaporate and not do much good) and Never let the water touch the leaves of the plants, always water Under the plants never over the tops, water left on plant leaves thru the day can cause fungus and other diseases thru the heat of the day,
True compost( Homemade compost ) is always good for anything growing.
I'm sure others will come along and further advise you,

that was a lot of hard work in such hot weather you're having ~ Kudo's to you!

So here's another question for you then. I'm on a rotating shift at work. 7 days out of every two weeks I work from 12midnight to 12noon. What should I do on those days if the plants need watering? Which knowing the humid area... they probably will.

You did work hard this weekend!

I agree with Angelblossom about the watering. Morning is best; water the roots (soil) not the plants. Fungal diseases can be a problem if the plants/soil are too moist over night, that's one reason why morning is best. Another is that you're giving the plants the water they need to combat transpiration during the sunny breezy afternoons. (Transpiration is loss of water through the leaf surfaces, i.e., evaporation.) Additionally, many plants stop taking up water during the heat of the day (they sort of "shut down"). However, given your schedule, and lengthening days, you could water late in the afternoon, very early evening, if the plants need it. Just early enough to allow the water to soak, and the surface to dry up a bit, in before temperatures cool & humidity increases.

If you've added manure & mulched, then I think you'll be surprised at how much water the soil will retain. Also, be extra sure to water deeply when you do. In my garden, which has lots of organic matter, and once the plants are established, I only water about once a week!

Another alternative you could consider is a watering system. Soaker hoses would be one option. I can't remember the of the other system, but it's a series of small tubes (with tiny holes) that are interconnected along the rows, all hooked up to a hose. In either case, you could connect these to a timer, so that the garden would be watered consistently at say, 8am. A thought.

As for the mulch, sure, add as much as you like! I don't think there's a need for more newspaper, but you can continually add more manure around the base of the plants, up until the time they start to flower, and you can add more straw. Do NOT remove the straw you have. It will decompose & add organic material to the soil.

One more warning: Don't overwater! Especially in humid climates, this will promote disease.

You should feel good about all the work you've done! Keep us posted.

Try using a soaker hose and a timer. [Google key words: soaker hose with timer]

It is a time saving device that allows you to water your plants when you are away.

I will look into the soaker down the road. For the time being, I have a way of getting my plants watered in the early morning. I'm just hoping that they start to show some signs of growth within the next few weeks.

This year was my test run about 6-7 different types of plants to see what would do well. But that doesn't mean I don't want to see some results! Hopefully the plants all start to mature at a reasonable speed and then I wont have to worry about watering them so often.

On another note, I have been loading up the ground with water, but prior to this weekend, it was just soil, not compost/paper/straw. So I think the water was running right through the soil I put down and into the earth. Hopefully with the added compost and straw, more of the water will stay where the plants can use it.

Here's another question though. Should I look into planting any herbs around the garden? I have some small herbs in pots that I keep on the deck, but would it be beneficial for the herbs/garden to keep them in the same area?

Thanks

You are talking about "companion planting". In companion planting you mix veggies, flowers & herbs because of various beneficial relationships among them, usually regarding pest control. For example, basil is planted with/near tomatoes & peppers b/c it's supposed to make tomatoes sweeter, and increases the humidity around peppers (which is good). Oregano repels aphids. French marigolds are excellent companions and make the garden attractive.

So sure! Plant away!! The only herb that should not go in the ground is mint-- spreads like crazy.

There's been a lot of discussion recently here about companion planting, and wikipedia has a nice table of companions.