Watering Crops in Dry Weather

Watering Crops in Dry Weather

May was a wet cool month as everyone probably remembers – excellent for planting out, digging, weeding and working with the ground – when we could find a short spell when it stopped raining long enough for us to work our plots. But, growth was a bit slow, waiting for some sunshine and heat.

In June we have definitely had that. Growth is rampant, especially with soft fruit of all types that the birds have left alone. I have had to be away quite a lot lately and find, on my return, that my soft fruit crops are way ahead of my picking and using ability. My sugar-snap peas are almost too mature and my summer brassicas – Romanesco and purple cauliflower have headed up but without the water they needed to provide good heads. Most of a bed of Little Gem lettuces have just gone beyond looking their most attractive though I might still be able to salvage some.

I still have some beetroot and winter brassicas in pots waiting to be planted out but, the ground is now too hard and unworkable to plant them. I might have to water the ground well in the beds to be able to plant them out - then water well over days to ensure they have established.

I have a large plot and a poly-tunnel and find that I really must restrict the amount of watering I do. We are not allowed hose-pipes on our allotments but must carry water from fixed points throughout the fields. This can be demanding and very physical work. As I have a poly-tunnel, growing crops which do require water, it is important that this is my first priority. I could choose to water directly onto the root areas of the plants and leave the rest of the ground dry. However, red spider-mites can be a problem. These determined little pests don’t like moisture so I choose to water all of the surface and the paths to discourage the mites which do come in to my tunnel and can move from plant to plant unless discouraged.

If I had lots of energy and unlimited supplies of water I would slosh loads of water around my summer brassicas as they are hearting up and around my peas and runner beans and French beans as they are putting on their flowers and developing pods.

I am watering recently transplanted seedlings and my courgettes, cucumbers and winter pumpkins. The courgettes are now setting, the cucumbers are developing and the winter pumpkins are just putting up their first female flowers – some of them look as though they need some extra water.

I’m not too worried about my runner beans. This year I have planted them around tepees rather than in rows. I have found that, as my plot is on a slight slope, as the season progresses and the plants become heavier, my rows of canes start to lean determinedly downhill. I have chosen to plant them in my no-dig area which has had a good mulch of manure each year for several years. In the last few years I have followed my now naturalised flower bulbs with winter pumpkins, squashes and courgettes. I thought, this year,  it would be a good idea to have a change of crop. Well manured and composted ground will definitely hold onto moisture much longer than ground which lacks humus.

Suggestions:

·        It is important also, to keep weeds off the planted beds as the weeds will compete with your crops for the available water. Although it would seem that the weed cover is keeping the moisture from evaporating, really, those weeds which are probably more at home on your ground than the crops you plant, will take the best nutrients and moisture. Hoeing is good in dry weather, if you can get the hoe through the ground. The decomposing weeds will be a mulch to help keep the moisture in. In wet weather, hoeing is not so useful as the weeds move over and re-root

·        Lots of humus in the soil helps to hold onto the moisture in dry weather. Add manure, either as a mulch in autumn or early spring and dig in well or, in a no-dig bed, add in the autumn and let the worms take the humus into the soil. I have, in the past [and will probably continue to do so, put lots of well rotted manure around my fruit bushes, trees, canes etc. in autumn and early spring to feed them and to act as a mulch. However, I have found that birds – crows, magpies, blackbirds, robins, pigeons, remove it looking for insects and scatter it everywhere but under my bushes.

·        Do think about the response of the plant you are watering to the water you are putting on it.

·        Do think about the amount of energy you expend and water used watering plants which may not need watering.

·        Remember that watering encourages leaf, stem and flower growth, for root crops this is not necessarily what you want.

Water is one of the essentials to make plants grow and most gardeners assume that keeping vegetables well watered will pay dividends. In fact, this is not always the case and excess water can result in rotting, leaching of nutrients, poor taste and poor keeping qualities, especially in onions and garlic.

All vegetables need water to start with, either from seed or when planted out. After this establishment phase is over, they usually grow very strongly and push roots wide and deep, 2 feet or more is common. This is usually early season when water is freely available in the soil and extra watering is totally unnecessary and can result in a weak root growth (with a poor subsequent performance) or the production of large amounts of something you don’t want – foliage on peas, for example. When the plant has grown, the onset of flower and seed formation, which is often the product you do want, means that the plant’s emphasis changes to the production of these and root formation stops. It is at this time that many plants need extra water and they respond very well if you apply it.

Watering technique is also important. Roots are usually deep and you need impractically large quantities of water to get enough down there. The only way to help the plant is to target the roots – light sprays over the foliage or wetting ground are useless. This targeting is assisted if you build in depressions in the soil around the plant (peas/beans) or bury a bottomless bottle next to the plant roots (tomatoes). Many will find the extra hassle of these measures not worth the effort [like me – I have 5 ridges of peas and three tepees of beans. I feel they must take their chances with the weather and, so far this policy has worked well]

See the table below for the optimum and necessary times for watering you crops:

Category 1  - Responds well to frequent watering

Category 2  - Water only at sensitive stages shown

Category 3 -  Not very responsive, water only as advised

 

Category 1 - Responds well to frequent watering

·        Aubergines, peppers and chillies – high maintenance plants which require lots of heat, moisture and food – water twice daily. [I wish! Mine are watered when it suits me, every day if possible though I do give them a good drenching when I do water].

·        Summer cabbage and calabrese – most efficient is one watering 2 weeks before cutting

·        Cauliflowers - most efficient is one watering 2 weeks before cutting.

·        Lettuces – throughout their life.

·        Courgettes and other curcurbits [cucumbers, pumpkins, melons, squash, gourds] – frequently once flowers and fruits form.

·        Spinach/ Swiss chard – frequently.

Category 2 - Water only at sensitive stages shown.

·        All beans – when flowering and throughout pod formation and development.

·        Peas - when flowering and throughout pod formation and development.

·        Potatoes – when flowers start to form and potatoes are the size of marbles – for many plot holders this can be a large area [ I never water my potatoes, whatever the weather].

·        Sweetcorn – at tassle and cob formation.

·        Tomatoes – when flowering and setting fruit, be careful to not over water as this will affect the flavour.

Category 3 - Not very responsive, water only as advised :

·        Beetroot – water before the soil gets too dry.

·        Broccoli [winter] – water well after transplanting to ensure the plants have established.

·        Brussels Sprouts - water well after transplanting to ensure the plants have established.

·        Carrots – before the soil gets too dry, just along the rows.

·        Curcurbits [ cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, courgettes, melons] – water well but slowly to allow the water to penetrate to the deep roots, perhaps once a week. Avoid water on the leaves to prevent disease. But frequently once the fruits form.

·        Garlic and onions – do not water in the later stages but, for spring onions water just along the rows.

·        Leeks – after transplanting to ensure they have established.

·        Parsnips – water just along the rows before the soil gets too dry.

·        Radishes – water just along the rows before the soil gets too dry.

Growing Leeks

Planting leeks

My little friend. He turns up whatever the weather, accepts a cuddle then, gets on with the business of catching lunch. I do know it's mostly birds and rats and that I'm attracting them by feeding them daily but, I try to keep the birds out of his reach. Unusually, he is a male. Normally it is the females who are the killers. But, he is cute and I believe, he lives off his hunting. Don't know his name but, he responds to 'Puss'

When I first took on my plot I was anxious to grow enough vegetables and a wide enough range of vegetables to provide for my needs all year round.

In my first year I came pretty close – it was a mild winter and although I became heartily sick of purple sprouting broccoli by the end of spring, I only had to buy onions, garlic and potatoes from January onwards and mushrooms occasionally (I've never attempted to grow them).

Although I'd never attempted to grow them before, I do love leeks and they are an important basic vegetable for use during the late autumn, winter and into spring. That first year I sowed a whole packet of Musselburg(Dobies) – it seemed like a good, reliable, not too expensive variety. I think possibly every seed must have germinated. I had leeks to give away to anyone who wanted them.

One of the other plot holders who had grown leeks successfully for many years recommended that I plant them out before the end of May. In a normal year this is probably excellent advice – this year it has not been quite so easy as the ground is rock hard after the very dry spring. With this practice you can start to eat excellent leeks by the end of October though, to have a crop to take you right through to April it is important to also have a later sowing. Last year I shared my early sowing with my daughter and she shared her later sowing with me. They were all excellent and what an great plan!

We thought this year, we would use the same strategy again. I sowed seeds in my polytunnel on 1^st March. I thought I’d try a couple of different varieties so started with F1 Carlton (from Dobies). The germination rate was dismal – I believe I got 15 plants! I sowed again. This time Toledo (Dobies) – the result has been even more disappointing and the ones which did germinate have made little progress. While I might be wrong, I believe the unusually warm, dry weather this spring has been responsible for the poor results, not just in leeks but with other crops as well.

I have sown again, outdoors so I just might have enough leeks though, only 15 to see me through the autumn! I think I might be begging!

The recommendation is for the leeks to be ‘pencil’ size when transplanting. As always some of my pencils are small and skinny and some really quite chunky but, they all grow just the same.

We all know that, when transplanting it is important that the roots should have as little disturbance as possible - well, with leeks, it seems, this is not always the case. The first of my advice of transplanting leeks is as follows:

-Water the ground where you are going to plant your leeks, really well.

- Using a pair of sharp scissors, trim off the ends of the roots and the tops of the leaves.Using a dibber(I use a dibber a neighbour gave to me made from an old spade handle – it is excellent).

 

Whatever you use, you will need something which will form a hole 2-3cm across(1in) and about 15cm deep (6in).

- You should plant the leeks about 15cm(6in) apart in rows about 20-25cm(8-10in) apart – wide enough to be able to hoe comfortably between the rows.

- Drop the prepared leeks into the holes then fill the holes with water.

Well, I have read around quite a bit on the subject of transplanting leeks and lots of different advice is given. Some information will suggest that they should be germinated in individual cells or pots to avoid disturbing the roots. Others suggest digging a trench and placing the young leeks along it.

I started by using the method I’ve given above and it has worked extremely well with no losses after transplanting so, I guess I’ll stick with that method.

 It is a bit like the continuing debate on when to water tomatoes. Some experts say they should be watered a little twice a day. (That would seriously not suit me!) Others say they should be given a good drenching every 3-4 days with nothing in between.Apparently it makes the plants lazy and shallow rooted !

I think we must try different methods and see what works best for us. Good luck. But, please do leave a comment if you have any better advice.