6. Good Organic Gardening - November-December 2016 AvxHome.in

Water wisdom | WEEKEND GARDENING
Words Carrol Baker
Pure H 2
0. For farmers, it’s like liquid
gold. For the city hobby farmer
or backyard gardener, turn on a
tap and it’s there in abundance.
However, that does not make this natural
resource any less valuable.
Healthy gardens need water. It’s arguably
the single-most important factor for plant
survival. There are ways you can make the
most of this finite natural resource so you
can have a thriving organic garden, while still
making every precious drop count.
So how much water do plants need? That,
of course, depends on the plant, where the
plants are positioned in relation to the sun
and wind, and the soil type.
Soil has three types of particles — sand,
silt and clay — and the combinations of these
determine the soil type. If you aren’t sure what
your soil type is, there’s a simple way to work
it out. “Add water, mould it in your hand and if
it crumbles, it’s sandy; if it’s silty, it will form a
ball; and if it’s clay, you can pinch it between
your forefinger and thumb and ribbon it out —
the longer the ribbon, the more clay you have.”
Loam, which is around two parts sand and
silt and one part clay, is the optimum soil type
for healthy plant growth. There’s another way
to test for silt particles, says soil scientist
Jade King … if you’re game. “Rub it gently on
the front of your teeth. If it’s silty, it will feel
silky smooth; if it’s sandy, it will feel gritty,”
says Jade. “Personally, I prefer to rub it on the
back of my nail,” she adds with a laugh.
Go with the flow?
Do you know your H 2
0 flow rate? You can simply
test it by measuring how much water comes out
of the hose in a set time. For example, measure
how much water goes into a bucket in 15
seconds. Multiply the recorded amount by 240
and that equals your hourly flow rate.
CanStockPhoto
The art of hosing
Sprinkler systems can work extremely well if
they are well-designed; if not, they can waste
water. The benefits of a good sprinkler system
include the ability to water deeply over a long
period without you having to stand holding
the hose for a couple of hours. You can turn
on your sprinklers — or have a timer do that
— and do other things while they water the
garden. Deep watering doesn’t have to be
done as often, either.
If you like to hand-hose, make sure you
use a trigger nozzle to restrict the flow.
A strong blast will not penetrate and can
wash soil away from the roots. Water deeply
so the water penetrates. A light spray of water
daily can inadvertently prompt root systems
When hosing,
water deeply
to stay close to the surface of the soil, where
they can be burnt or damaged by the sun.
Move the hose in a slow, sweeping,
sideways motion, walking backwards and
forwards, and enjoy the beauty of your
garden. I remember when I planted my first
garden, the pure joy of seeing each new
seedling spring to life, watching new growth
on plants flourish and witnessing the first
bloom of spring flowers. To water the garden,
Soil water
requirements
Clay needs less than sand, but keep
moist and don’t let it dry out.
Sand needs frequent watering, in small
amounts, to maintain moisture.
Loam can just be watered as needed,
especially silty loam.
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