Drip irrigation under the mulch

Here is a link (2005) to how I water my garden ...
Deep watering for heavy feeders growing on upright trellises

I should add the nowadays I also use those rather large plastic pots you get when you buy large plants - fill about half-way with leaves and compost (just enuff so the water just ooozes out the pot holes) then dump in rain water from a 5 gal bucket. So the nutrients leak out of the pot with the water.

This keeps the plant leaves from getting wet when sprayed from above and allows the water to soak deeply in one area and not be wicked away by the hot summer air.

At times I will add coffee grounds to these pots too. Also anything so the water leaks out slowly and soaks in deeply close to the bucket/pot.

Keep in mind the plants feed from the root tips and the root tips may be a long way from where the plant stem enters the soil. That is where I place the pots/buckets.

Check your root depth/length here...ROOT DEVELOPMENT OF VEGETABLE CROPS

Get a moisture meter. It's real hard to gauge moisture levels with heavily mulched plants. This takes the guesswork out of it. Only $10 bucks or so.

What to use as mulch depends on where you are and what is readily, and inexpensively, available. Straw or hay (different materials) are good as is pine straw, grass clippings, shredded leaves, shredded bark, wood chips, etc., or newspaper or cardboard covered with something to hide them. It just depends on what is out there.

Any mulch material can make it more difficult to get water from a spray nozzle to the soil, because you need to saturate the mulch first, so the suggestion that a soaker hose be placed under the mulch is good. I have not found a need to spend money on a moisture meter,
I use my index finger to judge if the soil is getting too dry and that has worked quite well for me.

In a recent issue of Fine Gardening magazine two researchers from Michigan State University wrote about their 9 year study of mulched and unmulched planting beds and concluded that mulching is much better. Plants grew better and produced better in mulched beds. Putting mulches down on planting beds where seeds are scattered is a bit difficult but can be done, with care. Maintaining an evenly moist soil is much better for the plants, which need that moisture to uptake soil nutrients.

kimmq is kimmsr

I will take all this advice into consideration. I have finely chopped woodchips for mulch. I only have two 2-liter bottles. I am going to see if can get the plant water spikes.

Thank You

Gumby_Ct, Kokopellifivea and Kimmq.

Cordially,

Avis M.