Really daft novice question

[BarbaraGood]

Hi

got lots of seed potatoes and onions in yesterday, but no idea how often I will need to water them all in this dry spell?

(told you it was a daft question!!)

[BarbaraGood]

[tim]

Daft reply?

Some do, some don't. I don't!

[BarbaraGood]

really?? Not ever, even if really dry for the next 3 months til I pick them? thats fantastic news!
Thank you

[saddad]

I watered the two onion beds yesterday but the spuds are on their own..
;D

[keef]

I watered the two onion beds yesterday but the spuds are on their own..
;D

Dont get them hooked now. I never water much at all - partly because i cant be a*rsed to walk to the tap.

[Trevor_D]

I watered the onions yesterday as well. I wouldn't normally, but Metcheck isn't forecasting any rain for best part of a fortnight.

Potatoes no, but Bob Flowerdew reckons that if you water them when they are in flower you increase the crop. Personally I'm not sure about that. I suspect you need quite a bit of water to make much difference, certainly more than you could tip on them using a watering can. What does everyone else think?

[Tee Gee]

I'm with Tim!!

Think of it this way; They have no roots to take up the moisture at the moment!!

Having said that; once they do have roots these should never be allowed to dry out.

Its as simple as that!!

[saddad]

It hasn't rained here for three weeks and none forecast for another two... I weeded and fed the overwinter onions and took pity on them and the new ones so gave them a proper watering @ 20-30 mins per bed... that's it now for at leasta month, did it late evening to give time to soak in...
:-X

[HappyCatz]

There is no water supply on our allotments [rent is only a tenner a year so can't complain!] and i haven't got a shed or anwhere to hook up a water butt so we don't water anything. never watered the spuds at all last year and had a really good crop, we try and add lots of moisture retaining materials like grass cuttings and this year we are experimenting with shredded paper.  Occasionally have watered newly planted stuff like the courgettes last year but this means carrying cans of water to the plot.  Generally plants will search out their own water supply and if they don't, well we put that down to experience :-\

[cleo]

I watered the shallots today-a real soaking that should see them through until it rains.

Watering spuds heavily will increase the yield but leads to flabby tasteless tubers

[allaboutliverpool]

I prefer not to water as it encourages the roots to stay near the surface and expect a repeat. like pets hanging round for more.
A mulch is much better as it will prevent too much further water loss, and when it rains will help trap it.

See my picture on

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Vegetables_garlic.html

I just happened to have mulch mine today.

[tim]

Barbara - if you DO water, make it worthwhile - like equal to 1"" of rain = 4.5 gall/sqyd.

[bennettsleg]

I have watered neither.  Might put some dilute urine on my onions for a boost of nitrogen, but am humming & hawing over that one as I can't decide if they need it.  Last year, neither got any water and they turned out just fine.

[MrsKP]

we're even having a bit of a drought up here atm.  it drizzled a bit earlier but that's been it for days !

does the same non-watering theory apply to raised beds which are built over deep dug beds or will the searching roots never search down far enough ?

???

[tim]

I DO need to water raised beds.

[MrsKP]

thanks tim.  I'll not go mad though like I did last year but i'll not panic about the dry surface of the "real" beds, I'll have enough trouble keeping up with all the pots without worrying about the borders !

cheers.

[Barnowl]

We used buckets (have a cistern as well as a tap and watering cans are too slow)  once a week when it got really dry. Can't say whether we got a larger crop because it was our first.

Have sandy very free draining soil. At the moment in unwatered beds the soil is completely dry to 6-8 inches down.