Craigh, I am reminded of the story about the man who had just about trained his donkey to live without food and water, and then, for no apparent reason, it died
Wow! Are all these gardeners so tough? I have clay soil, much improved over the years, but some areas of my garden bake dry and most plants would suffer badly or die in a dry summer in these areas. I prefer to soak the soil once a week if necessary, but I concentrate on vulnerable plants. It certainly wouldn't be possible for me to have any annuals if I didn't water these very dry places.
A lot depends on where you live, the SW gets more rainfall than the East. Also the sort of plants you have and the type of soil, whether it's well drained or holds onto water.
I live in SW France where it can get very hot and dry, so I water flower beds every week or two and the vegetable garden, which is well drained, shallow soil on rock, every 2 - 3 days. I water the plants in pots every other day in summer I always give a good soak, little and often means the water doesn't get down to the roots. I have soaker hoses in the long thin flower beds and I use a sprinkler for the others.
Sometimes there is a water ban, but just here I'm lucky. I ring the local water board and there is usually plenty because of the rocks, caves and underground rivers.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
I have a giant pond that I have to use as a sump due to natural springs and last year I had to dig a trench to lower the water level enough to get the grass cut!
I water my hanging baskets every night without fail.
I never water my garden. Apart from watering in new plants its just left to get on with it. I do water my pots - as often as I feel they need it. Lucky enough to be on a clay substrate though. Its a question of finding out which plants will be happy in your soil. I never experiment with plants I know will not be happy in my garden.
Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
OH told me off at the weekend for not watering! SE on clay get really dry really quickly. Pots, hanging baskets twice a day. Newly planted, good soaking then good soaking once a week. 5 water butts, had some rain yesterday, they were almost empty.
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Wow! Are all these gardeners so tough? I have clay soil, much improved over the years, but some areas of my garden bake dry and most plants would suffer badly or die in a dry summer in these areas. I prefer to soak the soil once a week if necessary, but I concentrate on vulnerable plants. It certainly wouldn't be possible for me to have any annuals if I didn't water these very dry places.
A lot depends on where you live, the SW gets more rainfall than the East. Also the sort of plants you have and the type of soil, whether it's well drained or holds onto water.
I live in SW France where it can get very hot and dry, so I water flower beds every week or two and the vegetable garden, which is well drained, shallow soil on rock, every 2 - 3 days. I water the plants in pots every other day in summer I always give a good soak, little and often means the water doesn't get down to the roots. I have soaker hoses in the long thin flower beds and I use a sprinkler for the others.
Sometimes there is a water ban, but just here I'm lucky. I ring the local water board and there is usually plenty because of the rocks, caves and underground rivers.
Of course, in winter I don't water and in spring and autumn it depends on the rainfall.
I have a giant pond that I have to use as a sump due to natural springs and last year I had to dig a trench to lower the water level enough to get the grass cut!
I water my hanging baskets every night without fail.
Choose your poison.
I never water my garden. Apart from watering in new plants its just left to get on with it. I do water my pots - as often as I feel they need it. Lucky enough to be on a clay substrate though. Its a question of finding out which plants will be happy in your soil. I never experiment with plants I know will not be happy in my garden.
I dont water plants in beds unless new or moved or divided. I water pots, and my vegetable garden. I use saved water though.
Well I don't think I will have to water the garden for the next 10 years with all the rain we have had the past couple of days
Every evening unless it's raining - it doesn't seem to affect the water meter that much.
Shouldn't need to water so much once the new plants are established but I've put in a lot of new perennials this year.
OH told me off at the weekend for not watering! SE on clay get really dry really quickly. Pots, hanging baskets twice a day. Newly planted, good soaking then good soaking once a week. 5 water butts, had some rain yesterday, they were almost empty.