Water Requirements

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stephanietx Fort Worth, TX(Zone 8a) Apr 22, 2009

This is the first time I've ever grown veggies in my life, so I'm a bit clueless when it comes to which plants need more water than others. I do have a water meter, though, because I've done lots of flower gardening. Can someone tell me what plants need more water and which plants like it a little drier? I have planted tomatoes, okra, onions, squash, bell peppers, cukes, beans (& more beans!), peas, watermelon, and cantaloupe. Thanks!

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Wulfsden Riverdale, NJ(Zone 6a) Apr 23, 2009

I grow almost exclusively in pots, so I have to pay a lot of attention to watering.

My moisture meter (Rapitest) was (it died) rated from 1 (driest) to 4 (wettest). You were supposed to plant when you got a reading on or below the right number. It stated that most veggies were a 2 or 3. It then gave a listing of about 30 plants per number as examples, but very few of them were veggies. However, it does list tomatoes and watermelon (and hence presumably cantaloupe) as being rating 4, the wettest. Peppers were listed as a 3, the second wettest. No other veggie got its own, rating. From experience, cukes seem to be between a pepper and a tomato. Radish and lettuce seem to like water too, say about a 3. Hope this helps some.

What I have found is that where and when you water seems to be almost as important as how much. Popular theory was that the best time to water was early in the morning, although there is new evidence that around noon is better for veggies. For tomatoes in pots in high summer, early and around noon may be needed. No plant should be watered in the evening, especially not basil. It hates to go to bed with wet feet. It also seems important to keep water on the roots, not the foliage whenever possible. That is particularly true for zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, and, to a lesser extent, peppers.

Ed

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