Watering continued......
7. When choosing a watering can pick one that is well balanced and not too heavy to carry
when full, 7 to 9 litres (1½ to 2 gallons) should be all right. Polythene cans are shorter lived than metal ones but are inexpensive and with reasonable care should last for several years. Buy two roses (perforated heads), a fine one for watering seedlings and a coarse one for general purpose watering.
8. When you do water, it is better to pick one section of the allotment and water thoroughly to
some depth. A thorough soaking at weekly intervals is much better for the plant than a daily sprinkling of water as this will encourage plants to grow deeper and search for their own water. It is best to water early in the morning, particularly in greenhouses, so plants are surface dry at night. This helps to keep diseases down.
9. If watering has to be curtailed because of a water shortage, the addition of a dilute liquid feed to the water used makes it more of an immediate benefit to the struggling plant and less water will go further.
10. Regular hoeing of cultivated areas not only reduces competition for water from weeds but breaks the soil capillaries and therefore reduces water evaporation from the surface of the soil.
If you take note of these points and are careful with the use of water it will still be possible to grow a wide range of crops through the driest of summers. It is these battles with nature that are amongst the things that makes gardening so enjoyable.
Useful information
Useful information
An inch of rain is equal to 4.5 gallons per square yard
1 Gallon of water weighs 10 ¼ lb