Watering Question (When)

[Pharmer Phil]

Obviously, Considering the rain we been getting, A WATERING QUESTION...was probably the last thing I wanted ROTFLMAO
But every year is different, and Usually around June..the "When...How Much...How often"....Question is the most commom.
Answer?
Depends On YOUR soil condition, rainfall, and your preference.

Clayey soils retain the water they receive, while Sandy soils drain.
Water, just doesn't make your roots Wet! It delivers nutrients to your plants roots in an aqueous solution,
The water Table
below the surface, holds layers of nutrient rich moisture, which your plants "wick" up with their roots, gaining nutrients, otherwise unavailable to them, from Deep in the earth.

Morning or Evening?
Evening Watering:
a few hours before dusk, The soil, heated throughout the day, will warm the water as it percolates downward, making the liquid less chilling (and stressful) to the plants. However, ONLY in the early evening allowing time for the foliage to dry before nightfall.
preventing dampness that favors the spread of fungi and mildews.
Plants do much of their actual growing at night (employing the stored products of photosynthesis), so they can well use a late-day boost to their aqueous reserves. And evening is generally a time of reduced wind and cooler temperatures—so water added then will be less likely to evaporate , Very important in a conservation situation.
However, Those of us who are having Other Problems, disease, Slugs, etc. Would want to Opt for morning Watering.
Morning Watering:
May not provide quite as many advantages as does early-evening watering, at least it avoids the hazards of maybe your Early evening watering , actually being a nightfall (which encourages disease) watering, and that can happen, time flies fast in the Garden!

Early Morning provides the earth with a deep, long drink early on that can help bring your plants through the coming hot afternoon. But agiain...Time yourself, It Must be Early Morning and way before the Heat of the day, doing so and letting your plants Dry in the sun, stresses them and makes them sucseptible to disease.

[nickinva]

i have always heard that watering during the day could kill your garden is this true?

[douglas]

Could be some truth to that, I had a few of my pumpkin plant leaves burn up where the water sat on them, guess the water went up a few temps in the sun and burned them until they were dried out
I try to get my watering done early in the morning to give the plants time to dry before the sun hits

[Songbird]

This answered some questions i had.
Thanks!

[Pharmer Phil]

Yes, watering..INTHE SUN...can damage your plants. a constant misting will work; however the key word here is CONSTANT.
In very bright sunny weather, the water can actually scorch the plants, as the sun reflects on the water droplets.
Water in the Cool of the Day, watering in the heat of the day is not as effective as morning or evening watering, because the sun will evaporate the water droplets, especially if you use a sprinkler. The water on the soil surface will also dry up more quickly. Much of the water you applied will be of no benefit to the plants.
Water Well Not Often
Water plants thoroughly each time and they will develop good, deep root systems. You can water less frequently if you give your plants a good soaking.
Watering a little every day encourages lots of surface roots and the plants never really get enough moisture. If you wet just the surface of the soil it will quickly dry out again, leaving plants gasping for water. Light surface watering encourages the roots towards the surface where they are more vulnerable to dryness and heat, rather than deeper into the soil.
Watering with a strong force of water, or with large droplets, results in a crusty layer forming on the top of the soil. This is a barrier to subsequent watering or rain; it may prevent the essential exchange of air and gases. A surface 'crust' can be enough to prevent seedlings coming through the soil surface.
When to Water is the question most asked by gardeners.
Don't expect the surface to be moist all of the time. The simplest method of testing the moisture content in the soil is by rolling a little bit of soil in your hand. Or you can dig as stated in the post above, (3 - 4 inches, a foot), just See where the moisture is beneath the surface.

[nickinva]

can you over saturate the soil to the point of causing your roots to rot?

[jeanette]

absolutly yes you can... especially your maters...

[Songbird]

and on the flip-side of that, a couple of years ago my cucumbers were bitter, and a local farmer told me that it was from underwatering! (this IS Kansas)
So, last year I watered mine every single day, and they were sweet and huge.

this year I'm watering every other morning real deep...
we'll see how they come out...

[nickinva]

can you water your giant pumpkin to much

[Laura]

Phil say's it depend's on your soil. If your soil drain's well then no..if you have clay then yes it can be over watered.