How do you water?

[andehens]

My husband and I are setting up a new raised bed garden that is enclosed with 2x4 fencing at the sides and on top and I'm trying to decide how to water it of all things. Don't want to drag a hose through it to water by hand, do you do a drip system? each plant? or use little sprayers on the drip hose? use a sprinkler? In the past I have watered by hand and will continue that for the old garden, I'd like to use a sprinkler, is that hard on the veggies in sunlight?

eta to add size: its 20 x 30 feet

 

[patandchickens]

If you're not going to do it by hand, a drip system is by far the best if you're willing to go that route. Be it with emitters or a soaker-type hose. What exact design is optimal depends somewhat on what kinds of things you're going to be growng. Also on how hard your water is.

The problem with a sprinkler has nothing to do with sunlight, it's that it wastes loads of water and encourages disease among the plants (which is more of an issue in the veg patch than in flowerbeds). You can *do* it, it's just that a drip system is much better.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[andehens]

Thanks Pat, most of my flower beds are set up with a drip dripping on each plant, where my annuals and stuff that might be moved I use little sprayers like misters, I'm guessing that will be my goal for this garden is little sprayers so each plant gets water from underneath?? lol, what a thing to bog down on!!!

 

[patandchickens]

You don't want water spraying anywhere; either drip emitters or a soaker hose is fine. Again, it depends a little on what you're growing.

Have fun,

Pat

 

[homesteadmom]

I have raised beds & then I have rows that I water in the trenches irrigation style. Here once the temps start getting higher if I keep using the sprinkler then my plants get sunburned from the water on the leaves.

 

[momofdrew]

I use soaker hose and drip depending I find that more effecient than sprinkler or hand watering...

 

[andehens]

I'll probably go the drip system and soaker hoses with little shut offs in sections I want a little dryer at the time.

homesteadmom I grew up on the desert and I remember Casa Grande when it was just that big white motel? (is that what it was?) and a Dairy Queen! When I was veggie gardening on the desert I planted in the trenches, that I would then irrigate. Kind of backwards I know, the salt in the water would hike up the sides of the hills. I used our cooler water for irrigating, probably the most cause of salt! Any way, it was very succesful for years to do that.

 

[nightshade]

I use soaker hoses attached to a rain barrel for my garden as well as my flowerbeds. Works great! I open the hose bib when I want to water and let them run for a few hours off the barrels and then close then when I am done to let the barrels refill the next time it rains.

 

[obsessed]

I use one of the lawn waters that moves side to side. so far it has worked and is more reliable than hand watering or letting the kids water things.

 

[homesteadmom]

I'll probably go the drip system and soaker hoses with little shut offs in sections I want a little dryer at the time.

homesteadmom I grew up on the desert and I remember Casa Grande when it was just that big white motel? (is that what it was?) and a Dairy Queen! When I was veggie gardening on the desert I planted in the trenches, that I would then irrigate. Kind of backwards I know, the salt in the water would hike up the sides of the hills. I used our cooler water for irrigating, probably the most cause of salt! Any way, it was very succesful for years to do that.

Dairy Queen is still here in the same place downtown, motel is gone though in a fire many yrs ago. I have lived here since 74 & population was only 10k, now it is 40k. Way to big for me now, but stuck here because of dh's job for now. We still have a lot of salt in our water as I get white lines from watering in my trenches. I was hoping to be able to afford a water filtratin system for where the water comes onto the property to remove the cholorine & sodium from all our water for the property. But we need to build a patio & cover on the back side of the house to help shade it better & save on the elec bill some this yr.