Watering the Garden
We have not had significant rainfall for six weeks. I was told that June was the driest recorded here since they started keeping records. Today and tomorrow will be among the two hottest days in south central Wisconsin since the weather service started logging meteorological data. 103 was reported as a high today, highest ever for July. The all-time high temperature record here was 104 in August of 1988. Tomorrow may be hotter yet.
In most of the 26 years I’ve lived here, I’ve not had to worry much about watering my garden. Rain just fell with enough regularity to count on. Not every year, for sure, but mostly the rain has been there when we needed it.
This year is different. Hotter and drier than anything we’ve ever seen. So I have no choice but to water regularly. I’m quite happy with this simple system I use to get water down pretty much where I want it.
Overhead Irrigation System
Components, in addition to hoses with quick-connects, are a plastic milk crate, an oscillating sprinkler, and metal spring clamps. I got my sprinkler at my local Ace Hardware (Ace is the place!). I really like the design of the new oscillating sprinklers. Precise control of the arm movement is super easy. The newer models have thumb tabs to control the arm movement and one can lay down a water pattern with precision.
I’m watering frequently and the garden is looking good. It’s easy for plants get stressed in these unusual weather conditions, but so far, with my slick overhead irrigation system, all is well in our garden.
Here in the North Central Arkansas Mountains, we also have had record dry months of May and June. Along with record breaking heat and low humidity, even many of our mature hardwood trees are dying. July 1 we were put on mandatory water conservation and can not use any type of sprinkler. We had already purchased a number of the flat, cloth, weeper hoses and set up a more water efficient system for our 40 x 40 ft garden. We put the hoses directly next to the plants and run them about 30 minutes every other day.
I like your system of clamping the sprinkler to the “milk crate” and I’m sure it is less expensive to set up than ours but the cloth hoses should hold up for a number of years, much better than the hard rubber weeper hoses.
Geoff has to use a drip irrigation system in his garden in Austin. I know using an oscillating sprinkler is not very efficient, but constant watering has never been an issue before, and I’m not ready to set up a more expensive and complicated drip system, yet. The sprinkler attached to the milk crate really lets me get the water where I need it without wasting too much and I know the plants like the overhead watering in spite of reading articles telling me they do not. Good luck with the weather. It’s getting scary.
I worry about burning the plants with overhead watering…I guess I could water late at night…We have had the hottest driest summer on record here in central Kentucky…I installed a drip system but am not very happy with it…If our winter is as cold as our summer was/is hot we are in for a bad time…Climate Change for real…
Watering late at night could be a problem. Overhead watering can enhance the onset of fungal infections. Probably more likely to occur in the cool of the night. You may want to water early in the morning rather than at night. Peppers, tomatoes, and squash appear to like overhead watering in the heat of the day. Potatoes, I’m not so sure. The water might enhance sun scald on really hot sunny days. I only water when I have to, which has been a lot more this year than most. The overhead watering has not caused me any major problems, but the raised beds I use also drain very well.
Thanks…I have a raised bed that drains well so I think I’ll try the early morning routine and see how it works