Senshi of Izganda (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sailor_meshi) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2024-07-23 01:18 am
sailor_meshi) wrote in fandomhigh2024-07-23 01:18 am
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Grow Your Own Garden, Tuesday, Period 6
"Now, you all seem pretty smart," Senshi said in his usual soft rumble, "so you already know that waterin' your garden is important, especially in weather this hot." He mopped his forehead with a hanky and then tucked it away somewhere under his beard. "But knowin' that it's important to water doesn't mean you know how to water. Like, waterin' this late in the day isn't the best idea. The soil's had a chance to get real warm and warmth plus damp is a great way to get fungus to grow and insects to swarm. The best time to water is in the mornin's, usually before 10am, while the soil is at its coolest. Which doesn't mean much in this weather, but every little bit counts and it's a good habit to get into. The worst time to water your vegetables is in the afternoons; most of that water will just evaporate before it does anythin' at all.
"Now, because we've got a layer of mulch down, our soil's a little bit cooler and has better water retention, which cuts down a little on how often we need to water them, but we still have to. Plants in the ground need one inch of water per week and even more when they're seedlings. I've been handlin' that for you, but from now on, it's gonna be your responsibility to keep your plants watered correctly - you may wanna come back another day in the week and check on the soil--what we'll cover today should be enough, but a little extra care, won't hurt. So, the first question is when should you water? While we have a rough idea how often different plants need waterin', there's a real easy way to test: if the soil sticks to your palm and you can form it into a ball, it's damp enough. But, if it barely holds together in the palm of your hand, or if the surface looks hard, baked, or cracked, it is probably dry, and it's time to water. See if the soil is dry an inch below the surface; that means it needs water, too. Once you've determined if your plants need water, the next thing to figure out is how to water."
He shook his head. "Most folks think you can just pour some water over the top of the plants and that'll be fine. They're wrong. Most of what you get from that is leaf disease. What you want in a healthy plant is deep root penetration, and the only way that you're goin' to get deep roots is if there is water down deep. So you're gonna wanna get down and pour water on the soil around the base of the plant directly, so you know it's goin' down where you want it to. You wanna try to get that water to go down about five or six inches to encourage deep root growth - it's not great if you water too quickly and the water doesn't penetrate far enough. Encourages the roots to grow thin and shallow. For best results, pour your water right at the base and let it soak all the way down. Feel free to stick a finger in there to see how far it got. It'll take longer than you think, but this is gardenin'. Bein' patient is what it's about."
"Now, because we've got a layer of mulch down, our soil's a little bit cooler and has better water retention, which cuts down a little on how often we need to water them, but we still have to. Plants in the ground need one inch of water per week and even more when they're seedlings. I've been handlin' that for you, but from now on, it's gonna be your responsibility to keep your plants watered correctly - you may wanna come back another day in the week and check on the soil--what we'll cover today should be enough, but a little extra care, won't hurt. So, the first question is when should you water? While we have a rough idea how often different plants need waterin', there's a real easy way to test: if the soil sticks to your palm and you can form it into a ball, it's damp enough. But, if it barely holds together in the palm of your hand, or if the surface looks hard, baked, or cracked, it is probably dry, and it's time to water. See if the soil is dry an inch below the surface; that means it needs water, too. Once you've determined if your plants need water, the next thing to figure out is how to water."
He shook his head. "Most folks think you can just pour some water over the top of the plants and that'll be fine. They're wrong. Most of what you get from that is leaf disease. What you want in a healthy plant is deep root penetration, and the only way that you're goin' to get deep roots is if there is water down deep. So you're gonna wanna get down and pour water on the soil around the base of the plant directly, so you know it's goin' down where you want it to. You wanna try to get that water to go down about five or six inches to encourage deep root growth - it's not great if you water too quickly and the water doesn't penetrate far enough. Encourages the roots to grow thin and shallow. For best results, pour your water right at the base and let it soak all the way down. Feel free to stick a finger in there to see how far it got. It'll take longer than you think, but this is gardenin'. Bein' patient is what it's about."
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