Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
seedlings. After the plants have grown an inch or two, you can let them dry out a little between water-
ings.
Watering can make or break a plant's chances for success.
KIDS
LOVE
TO WATER
Often children are overlooked as volunteers, which is unfortunate because I've never seen a child who
doesn't like actively participating in their community garden. Children are great instructors for simple
tasks like watering. So, early in the season, we get all the children under age 10 together (some of the
older ones hang out on the periphery, picking their nails and pretending not to care) and appoint them to
be Water Ambassadors. This includes a few key assignments:
Make sure everyone is watering properly at the base of the plant.
Make sure nobody is wasting water by leaving the faucets running.
Make sure water is turned off when they leave the garden.
Easy stuff, right? You'd think you'd given them keys to their parents' cars. Kids love having a job
to do in the garden; and it is hysterical to see a 5-year-old talking to a grown-up, giving instructions on
water conservation or proper watering techniques. Even more hysterical is that the adults listen! Every-
one has a job to do in the garden. Give kids this important task and proper watering will be the least of
your concerns.
Once the plants are established, the best way to water is by hand, or positioning a hose nozzle close
to the base of the plant. Overhead watering methods like sprinklers are fine for lawns and shrubs, but
not for vegetables. Excessive moisture on leaves can harbor fungal diseases; and if an infected plant
is watered from above or the side, the disease can spread to other nearby plants. Emphasize to your
gardeners that plants need water sent to their roots.
WATER WORRIES
More than almost anything else, not watering at the appropriate time (or at all) will kill plants. Many
gardeners, particularly first-timers, may not realize the commitment that watering their plot involves.
Vacations and other summer happenings can get in the way of people regularly tending and watering
