Tips from the Potting Bench

Happy solstice everyone, let the summer fun begin! What glorious weather we have to usher in the summer season, I hope you are getting out into your gardens. With the onset of warmer, drier weather it’s time to start thinking about a watering schedule. Water is liquid life, without it nothing can survive. That’s why NASA spends so much time and energy trying to find it on other planets. Meanwhile, here on this planet, water has become a very important issue. Watering our gardens is therefore something we need to think about and plan for.

How much water? This question is one of the most frequently asked questions we get. The answer, of course is different for every person and every garden. Each gardener needs to become a water expert in their garden. It is a precious resource and needs to be treated as such. You do this by carefully observing the conditions in your garden. First, how much sun is the garden getting, full sun, part sun or is it a shade garden? What’s the soil like, is it sandy and fast draining or clayey and holds water? Lastly, what kind of plants are you growing and what are their water requirements? The answers to these questions will help you assess how much and how often to water. When all else fails go out and feel the soil 6 inches below the surface, is it dry, moist or wet? Proper watering is respectful to the water and healthier for your plants.

With this information you can set up a watering system that works for you. My favorite system involves soaker hoses and mechanical timers. I am wary of totally automated systems because they lull you into a false sense of security. I like to go out and physically turn the spigot and timers on. Then I take a walk up and down the rows listening for water leaks or breaks in the line. This also gives me the opportunity to look at the plants to see how they are doing. Are there bugs that need to be dealt with, yellowing or curling leaves that could indicate a disease or nutrient deficiency or is it getting time to harvest? Once again, routine, careful observation of your specific conditions lets you know what is going on better than any book or magazine article. There is a great quote about this that I will paraphrase: The best fertilizer is the gardener’s own footsteps. Walking in your garden also gives you the opportunity to stop and watch a butterfly getting nectar from a flower or a toad hopping by or to wonder at drops of dew clinging to a vine. These things too are part of gardening and will make you a better gardener, I guarantee it!

Soaker hoses can be purchased or you can recycle an old hose and make it into one by poking small holes up and down its length. Just lay the hose out in the rows and attach it to a spigot or a hose attached to a spigot. I like to mulch right on top of the soaker hose, this prevents excess water evaporation and extends the life of the soaker hose. Mechanical timers can be purchased at any good garden center, they are screwed onto the spigot and the hose is attached to the timer. They have a dial that lets you set the watering time for up to 120 minutes, once set the timer shuts itself off after the indicated time is up and stops the water. It’s simple, fairly inexpensive and very efficient. You will have to experiment to see how long you need to set the timer. Just dig down 6 or 8 inches and make sure the soil is getting wet.

Water connects all life on the planet, carrying spirit and the flow-er of love! I want to leave you all with a prayer to the water in the Gulf of Mexico that was written by Dr. Masuro Emoto, author of many books including, Messages from Water.

I send the energy of love and gratitude to the water and living creatures in the Gulf of Mexico and its surroundings

To the whales, dolphins, pelicans, fish, shellfish, plankton, coral, algae and all living creatures

I am sorry, Please forgive me, thank you, I love you.