How to water a vegetable plot in a dry spell
In a dry spell, water deeply and less often, at the roots, and give the water to the plants that need it most. Mulch does the rest.
Published
A dry spell on an allotment means carrying cans, and there is never enough water for everything. The answer is not to water more. It is to water better: deeply, less often, at the roots, and first to the plants that need it most. This letter is how I get my plot through a dry spell without losing crops or my weekends.
Water deeply, less often #
A quick sprinkle every evening wets the top of the soil and teaches roots to stay near the surface, where it dries first. A long soak twice a week pushes water down, and the roots follow it. Pour slowly at the base of each plant, so the water sinks in rather than running off.
Water in the early morning or the evening, when less is lost to the sun and wind.
Who gets water first in a dry spell #
- Seedlings and new plants. Their roots are short, and a day without water can kill them.
- Leafy crops. Lettuce and spinach turn bitter and run to seed when dry.
- Fruiting crops in flower. Beans, courgettes and tomatoes need water most as they flower and set fruit.
- Established roots. Potatoes, onions and parsnips cope better, and can often wait.
Keep the water in #
A layer of compost, grass clippings or leaf mould on damp soil slows drying a great deal. My no-dig beds hold water better than the dug ones, because they are always covered.
Tomatoes in a dry spell may split when you water them again after a long gap. Steady watering prevents it, and a split fruit is still good to eat. More on tomatoes in my letter on saving tomato seeds.
For more on how mulch works, the entry on mulch at Wikipedia is a clear summary.
The Allotment Letter is written by Margot Ellery on her plot in Sheffield.
About the author
Writer of The Allotment Letter
Experience Has worked the same half-plot allotment in Sheffield for eleven seasons, and volunteers on her site's committee
Margot grows vegetables on a half-sized allotment plot in Sheffield, on heavy clay soil and in a cold, wet spring. She writes The Allotment Letter every Thursday about what she did that week, what went wrong and what she would do again.
