I've recently relocated to a region with significantly less rainfall, dropping from 40 inches to 20 inches annually. As I adapt my gardening practices, I'm wondering about the best watering strategies for my plants. I have garlic, potatoes, and blueberries, and I've made sure to heavily mulch the blueberries. My plan is to flood the blueberries once a week during hot spells since they're newly planted, and maybe water the garlic and potatoes every other week. The potatoes are planted quite deeply, so I'm not sure if they need as much attention. Should I wait for them to show signs of wilting, or is there a better method to determine when to water? Thanks for any advice!
2 Answers
Wilting is definitely a sign that your plants are stressed, so it's best to avoid that. I recommend checking the soil moisture around your plants instead. Sometimes just looking at the surface can give you hints, but I also like to dig in a bit to feel if the soil's moist up to my first knuckle. If it feels dry, it's time to water. Mulching will help keep the soil cooler and more moist, which is great!
It's important to consider when the rain falls during the growing season. Where I am, I only get about 8 inches a year, and almost none of it comes in summer. I water my garlic and potatoes at least once a week once they're growing well, and increase to twice a week when it gets really hot, especially as the potatoes start flowering. They generally need about an inch of water weekly to thrive!
Got it! Thanks, that definitely clears things up. I’ll plan to have a dedicated watering day this summer!