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how do you water
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Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Jan 28, 12 at 12:05
| i wrote this in another post:
that PROPER watering includes enough of a soaking to get thru the whole root mass ... not just a little surface moisture .... and we can not tell you how long or how much water.. since we cant see/feel your soil ... insert finger.. or dig small holes.. to find out how the water you apply ... works its way thru your soil ...
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so what is your protocol???
on my sand.. with my drip irrigation ... i run a zone for 4 to 6 hours .... about every third or 4th day ...
and by digging small holes .. away from the hosta ... i have found.. that i can apply water.. up to 6 inches down... where the actual roots of the hosta are ...
until i learned to dig the holes.. i never really knew if i was actually watering effectively or not ....
i realize that you all most likely dont have drip ... but i would still like to know..
HOW DO YOU DO IT???
ken
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: how do you water
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| On recently planted conifers I use a screw driver to make a hole in or close to the root mass, and via a finger feel for moisture. I water overhead or with a hose. On hostas it is mass watering, not feeling of roots. Some are in clayey soil, others in sand with some humus. I decided not to spend $5,800. on a watering systems, and when needed move hoses around and sprinkle overhead for 1+ hour each area. I have 5x 50 ft hoses, 3 or 4 overhead sprinklers and faucets in front and behind the house, so not much work. I can reach every area with those hoses.
Bernd |
RE: how do you water
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| In just two words; I don't! Phil |
RE: how do you water
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| Right now I'm using a hose and watering wand, watering by hand. I have a number of those soda bottles that you invert and stick in the ground on top of plastic spikes that release water more slowly to the roots (sort of a low tech drip). I fully intend to start using drip next year, as I spend hours watering. Steve |
RE: how do you water
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| hey phil ... isnt 'i don't' .. technically 3 words in contraction form???? lol ken |
RE: how do you water
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| Spinning sprinkler on a platform (thin flagstone) on top of a tomato cage. Can be moved anywhwhere and covers a circle 30 feet in diameter. Run for 45 minutes it drops about an inch everywhwere. tj |
RE: how do you water
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| Not very scientifically. But I think it is effective. I have soil that absorbs water well. I has a lot or coal dust mixed in sand, clay and humus. I generally sprinkle or use a soaker and watch absorption. After a while, when I shut off the sprinkler or soaker and water lays on top of the soil I know the ground is pretty saturated. I lesrned this by digging test holes when I'd first moved in. Les |
RE: how do you water
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- Posted by babka 9b NorCal (My Page) on
Sat, Jan 28, 12 at 23:05
| Hey, Ken, get those glasses fixed. (I can sympathize, as I have tri-focals too). Phil wrote it correctly. -Babka |
RE: how do you water
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| Water is the reason I container garden. No matter how much compost I add this Florida beach sand does not hold water. I can control my usage better with my own soil mix a modified Al's Gritty Mix. I also grow cacti and I have a couple of clear planters so I can gauge rainfall when I am not home. Actually Phil's post was seven words. Have a great day all. Paula |
RE: how do you water
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| I don't water any established plant in my garden unless we experience some extreme drought and heat. Even my Japanese Iris seem to thrive with neglect. I am blessed with great loam. |
RE: how do you water
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- Posted by babka 9b NorCal (My Page) on
Sun, Jan 29, 12 at 13:19
| I'm the one who needs new glasses....wine glasses!!! I completely read everything wrong. -Babka PS. I water pots and totally flood them each time to flush out salts. We get zero rain here during the growing season. |
RE: how do you water
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Babka I like your second idea. :) Hey we all read a little too quick sometimes.
Cher |
RE: how do you water
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Hostas must have a drip line. I water usually from overhead with sprinklers and notice that some plants stay dry under some leaves. But what else can I do, water each hosta with a hose rather slowly, or buy that $5,800. sprinkling system which probably will malfunction at times. Overhead (forth and back) sprinklers are very simple.
Bernd |
RE: how do you water
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| hey bernd ... the guy who quoted you 5800$$ ... was probably working in a 5000$ profit ... it is not rocket science.. once you learn the basics ... and i bet you could do it yourself for less than the 800$$$ ... which you would probably recoup in a few years.. due to the lack of water you are applying to the atmosphere ... and compared to the ground ... ken |
RE: how do you water
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Q. How do I water?
A. Heavily. I water half using soaker hoses on a timer for about 3 hours every other day during normal weather. Everyday if there is a continuous heatwave. The other half is done overhead for the same time. New or special to me hostas get extra water using a watering wand. All of the pots of new and extra hostas on the drive are done by hand with the wand. I don't dig holes to check the depth of the moisture, I'm psychic/psycho, I just know. When the surface of the soil turns green and stays green is how I know I water enough. I don't wait long enough inbetween waterings to let the soil dry out ever during growing season. With my big Silver Maples I have to keep things well watered or the trees use it all up quickly. |
RE: how do you water
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Ken, I bet I could do it, I worked on controls in my former job, now retired. But now I like things simple. Last year I got worn out from a washing machine company having to replace ours 3 times on warranty. I got already miffed that I stepped on and raked into my new markers. My dream is some day to have no work in the garden, only enjoyment, but that's utopia. I think now, that in 10 years I will get a simple sprinkling system installed, but until then lugging around one or two 50 ft hose is good exercise.
Bernd |
RE: how do you water
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Having recently (2010) expanded hostas to an area (apx. 80' x 25') influenced by red maple tree roots I purchased a portable water pump to irrigate via a nearby pond. I use two round Gilmour sprinklers which deliver a good volume of water and check the amount delivered (inches) with several tuna cans and a tire iron and "finger test" to determine penetration. Last summer we had ample rain so I only used the pump two times.
It takes at least two hours to cover the area and should have bought a larger pump and run more hoses. |
RE: how do you water
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| I only have to water when it is very hot and we have not had rain for 2 weeks. But I only have about 100 hostas in a extremely shady area. I water by laying the hose on the ground and soak the area for 1/2 hour. This only happens maybe once or twice during the summer. I prepared the beds in an area that had a thick forest compost leaves soil. I mixed in some compost and clay. The bed stays moist. |
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