Consistency, I admit, has never been my strongpoint. I've always taken comfort in Emerson's remark in Self- Reliance about it being "the hobgoblin of little minds". Which means, I suspect, that Emerson's garden looked just as shabby as mine does this time of year.
Proper irrigation is the key to gardening success in mid-summer, and consistency (alas) is the key to proper irrigation. Regular, deep waterings are essential during the kind of hot, dry weather we've been having. The summertime rule of thumb is to apply an inch of water once a week during rainless periods. Like all rules of thumb, this one works best when qualified: the goal is to thoroughly moisten the soil to a depth of at least 8 inches; the precise amount of water required varies with the type of soil, since organic rich soils will absorb far more water than organic-poor ones.
A foot-long dowel or steel rod provides the easiest test for soil moisture. Push the rod or dowel into the soil of a garden bed; it will penetrate easily moistened soil but stop when it reaches an unmoistened depth. (N. B.: This test does not work in areas of compacted, uncultivated soil) Testing with your dowel periodically as you water will give you an idea of how long it takes to moisten each area of the garden, information that will simplify future waterings.
When watering dense clay soils that don't absorb water readily, you may find it most effective to repeat watering. After moistening the top few inches, a single, prolonged watering will begin to run off over the soil surface. Instead, water until it begins to puddle, then wait several hours until the moisture wicks through the clay. Then water again, setting the sprinkler or drip system for a modest delivery rate to finish moistening the bed.
Providing plants with a consistent supply of moisture through the summer months is crucial to the quality and quantity of harvest, both of flowers and fruit. That's why I'm working so hard, these days, at being small-minded.
Another note on irrigation
Keep in mind that too much is as bad or worse than too little. You'll hear gardeners speak of giving the garden "a good soak", but unless you're growing aquatic plants, there's no such thing. The roots of terrestrial plants need access to air as well as water in the surrounding soil, and excessive irrigation, by water logging the soil, forces out that essential air. It also drowns the microorganisms and worms that give the soil life, greatly reducing its fertility.
The most wasteful form of summertime irrigation is, of course, lawn watering. Except where the natural precipitation isn't sufficient to support grass (and in such areas, no good gardener should have a lawn), most of the water applied to turf in mid-summer is used only evaporate off the turf and thereby cool the grass.
Turf grasses naturally go dormant during the hot weather of mid-summer; if well-rooted, they ordinarily suffer no damage from this and green up again with the return of cooler weather in the fall. Those who must have an emerald green, Wizard of Oz lawn right through the dog days, should keep in mind that keeping the turf unnaturally active not only extracts an unacceptable environmental price by draining reservoirs and streams, it also has the collateral effect of provoking unnaturally lush, soft growth from any other plants growing amid or around the turf. This soft growth is especially attractive to deer and will make your yard a favorite summer resort for those beautiful but destructive pests. Lush, soft growth will also be prone to cold damage during the subsequent winter.
Please visit House & Garden.com to read great gardening tips from Tom Christopher.
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