You will need to become familiar with how your soil dries out in relation to temperature, humidity, and type of soil.

Actively growing vegetable plants use a lot of water. As they grow, they'll use more and more.

I judge watering needs by what my soil feels like. My garden is in native soil, so requires far less water than yours will need. You'll simply have to get your hands dirty and feel the soil.

- Is there an amount of water or number of times per week I should be watering the garden when we don't get rain?

No, watering isn't something that can be scheduled or given a set number of times. You water only when the plants need it. They determine the need. The only guidelines are:

- different plants need different amounts and frequency so it isn't a matter of watering the entire garden at the same time

- you water deeply and less frequently rather than shallow and often

- the need for water will change as the plants mature and as the weather changes

- you water the base of the plants, not the leaves

- most all new gardeners OVER water and kill plants as a result

So as rhizo said, first you learn about the soil - how well it drains and how long it retains moisture. The only way to do that is to get your hands dirty deep in the soil. Second, you learn about the individual needs for each type of plant. Some prefer to dry out between watering, some require consistent soil moisture levels, some use a lot of water, some use very little, etc. Third, you learn to read the plants. Learn to recognize when the appearance of their stems and leaves are telling you they need water and when they do not.

Dave

A very general rule of thumb is to stick your finger deep in the soil and if it is dry all the way down, then water. But it does depend on the plant and what their needs are. Some like lots of water (like squashes), and some like to really dry out (like peppers).

One of the first things a gardener needs to learn is how to recognize suitably moist soil. In general, plants like soil that is moist, but not sopping wet. You can recognize that kind of soil by feel (moist soil feels noticeably cooler than dry soil) and by color (moist soil is noticeably darker than dry soil). You sure don't want to be routinely squeezing water drops out of your soil. I think "finger deep" is too deep for dry soil. The rule I've hear is "first knuckle deep". Definitely NOT good to keep the surface moist. That just invites fungus and bacteria.

Of course, you can also just look at your plants. They'll tell you if they're thirsty by drooping. But if you're going to go that route, you'd better be looking at your plants every day. Once they droop, they're at risk. Some plants are more tolerant of dehydration drooping (e.g. squash) than others (e.g. peppers, tomatoes).

Bottom line is that you can't water by calendar or by volume. It's going to depend on temperature, sunlight, wind, and to some extent how much plant you've got sucking water. Don't assume Mother Nature will do most of the work for you. Mother Nature is very tolerant of a dead garden.

I live 18 miles from my garden, in Spring I water once a week, about 5 gallons of water per plant.

I do this by tilling my sandy loam soil(if you have heavy/clay soil, do NOT water as much as I do) the I dig a 12-24 inch hole, 12 - 24 inches deep according to the plant.

Tomatoes 24 X 24 with compost in the bottom of the hole.

Peppers,squash,collards 12 X 12 with a little compost in the bottom of hole.

I plant the plant in a dish 3-4 inches deep, add 1 inch more compost, water then mulch.

Each week I fill the dish up, in hot Summer & Fall I water 2 or 3 times a week.

Remember I travel 18 miles after an 12 hour day just to water my plants & harvest my fruit.

If you can walk out back to your garden then you can check,water,weed,mulch everyday.

I have not lost one plant to this system in 5 years.

And my orchard is doing great too.