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Re: Watering Methods

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

Hello, Susan!  I am really pleased that another person feels the same way I do
about the garden.  Like everyone, my life is quite
hectic, demands for my attention from all quarters, so I try to make sure I
spend at least 1/2 hour in the garden each day, because it helps me to relax and
get things in perspective!  One of my cats is my "garden kitty", he keeps me
company and stays by my side while I'm there, it's "our time" - I have 5 cats
and he gets to be with me alone during our garden time.  Jeff (cat) is (luckily)
very good about laying between the squares and not using the garden as his kitty
litter box (as far as I can tell!).  He is such good company!

I, too, am watering with the hose, against all advice!  However, I do have
several round medium plastic tartans around the garden that I keep full and dunk
from with the plastic margarine container (1 lb.).  Another way I save some time
(by not having
to stand their with the hose at each plant) is by using empty
1 gal. milk containers with a small hole punched 1/2 above the bottom (so I can
see the water drip out; I just like to, go figure).  These are around my
tomatoes which are planted (in sq. feet) against a fence around my garden.  I
fill these with the hose and then water by hand my squares with the margarine
container.  Yes, I realize this is not the best way to water, but my tomatoes
are getting a gallon of water every other day or as-needed (hot here, too) and I
enjoy watering.  I have a tartan of manure tea going, carefully covered with
fine mesh to ward against mosquitos.  I fertilize with whatever's cheap at the
store . . by far, my plants do best with foliar seaweed-fish emulsion spraying.
They just love it!  My cats love it too, inevitably some of the spray gets on
me, and the cats think I smell super!!!  They're all over me, and then have a
field day rubbing in my laundry basket when I'm showering!  LOL!  So everybody
wins!  My horse provides a plethora of manure, his "bad hay" (sometimes bales
have a strange weed coursing through it and I hold it back, or it has gotten
wet) provides me with mulch and the chickens wait outside the gate when I call
them to cultivate and feast on bugs!  I'm happy in my garden, and hope you will
be too.  I'll be
thrilled to help you in any way I can!

Happy gardening!

Mary
S. Calif., Zone 9

Susan Humphries wrote:

> Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html
>
> Hello
> Thank you to whoever takes the time to reads this and especially to those of
> you who reply.
>
> I have found my love in gardening.  This is my first season and thanks to
> Mel's methods I was able to obtain great interest in herbs and vegetables.
> The garden is completely organic!
>
> I live in Raleigh, NC- zone 7-b.  In other words it gets HOT!, in the summer
> months
>
> I started watering a couple times a day by spraying with my garden hose, the
> least efficient and most wasteful method.
> In reviewing Mel's watering methods, I realize his way is much more
> efficient and very specific to the plants he mentions. (and allows you to
> become more intimate with your plants, if you are into that kind of thing)
>
> Is a more thorough guide to what a larger variety of plants and herbs
> (unmentioned in the SqFt book) like in terms of amount of watering and their
> preferences to leaf moisture?
>
> I have also noticed that the ground seems too dry only a couple of days
> after watering by hand. Should I water more than Mel suggests?
>
> Drip irrigation seems like a great concept but I do not feel like digging up
> the ground and wrestling with little threaded parts and hoses at this time.
>
> Ideally I would like to collect rainwater and run a hose from it, any
> suggestions on building such a system would be greatly appreciated.
>
> In the 2 days I have been on this list, I have learned a great deal.  Much
> thanks!
>
> Take care,
> Susan
>
> _____________________________________________
> Susan Humphries                 (919) 832-4124 Ext. 129
> Sales Pariah                           (919) 832-4065 Fax
> susanh@alienskin.com        www.alienskin.com
> _____________________________________________
> Please Saturate The Industry With Freaks
>
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