Irrigation: The Nuances Of Watering Different Crops

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Irrigation has a very important function in plant life. Water helps the roots absorb nutrients from the soil. And when watering is not enough, it negatively affects the growth of our pets in the garden. In addition, in the coming heat, not only people and animals are thirsty. Evaporation of water constantly occurs from the surface of plant leaves. In hot weather, a day on an area of about 1 square meter. up to 5 liters of liquid can evaporate. After all, this moisture needs to be replenished somehow. But plants, like people, each have their own character. So how should different crops be irrigated?

Irrigation preferences for different crops

Some plants are famous water-lovers. In particular, these include vegetables, whose nutritional value for humans is represented by their leaves and shoots. For example, these are all types of cabbage: white cabbage, cauliflower, Peking cabbage. They need constant watering. On average, the weekly irrigation dosage is about 15 liters per 1 square meter. depending on the weather.

For other crops, irrigation should be strictly dosed. Peas and beans will be happy with excessive soil moisture, but in this case, the gardener does not have to hope for a quick and rich harvest, since the plant will react with increased leaf growth. But if you reduce watering, then, like any living organism, legumes will strive to preserve the species and will try to multiply as soon as possible - by quick flowering and ripening of fruits.

The method of watering also matters. If the splashes of water on the cabbage heads do not cause significant harm, then for tomatoes such negligence threatens the development of fungal and other very contagious diseases. Therefore, you need to water the tomatoes gently at the root. In addition, tomatoes like it when watering is done immediately with a large amount of water, but not often.

Heat-loving vegetables, even in the summer heat, do not like watering with cold water from deep wells. Such water must first be kept in bali, barrels, basins on the street, so that it warms up properly under the summer sunlight. This measure will be appreciated by those who are engaged in the cultivation of cucumbers, vegetable peppers, melons. It makes sense to collect rainwater. So the costs of drinking water will be less, and there will be more benefits from irrigation, and the water temperature at the time of irrigation will be optimal. Therefore, do not be lazy to place buckets and deep bowls along the house at the gutters to preserve vital liquid.

Water deeply and retain moisture

It is important that the water does not splash, hitting the surface of the ground, and does not evaporate soon, but penetrates deeply into the soil, reaching the roots. To do this, zealous gardeners monitor the condition of the soil and take appropriate measures to improve the quality of the fertile layer of the earth.

The good news is that it is within our power to develop and improve the water-holding properties of the soil. For this purpose, the following procedures are carried out:

1. Carry out deep digging of the soil in the off-season and systematic loosening during irrigation in the process of growing garden crops.

2. An extremely effective way to improve the moisture content of the land is the systematic application of organic fertilizers. For this, peat, manure, compost are used, taking into account their tolerance by plants (after all, not every culture wants to grow, for example, on freshly removed manure).

3. Dense mulching of the soil prevents the rapid evaporation of moisture. It is carried out both during the cultivation of vegetables and in the off-season. For this, both organic matter and other materials are used: film, paper, agrofibre.

A simple procedure like weeding will also retain valuable water droplets in the soil. After all, the roots of the weed are still those competitors in the fight against cultivated plants for life-giving moisture.