Digging holes and filling them with water?? Uh, why? That will irrigate a few square inches around those holes. Water mainly goes down. Just sprinkle the whole bed uniformly for a half-hour or more. Getting soil uniformly moist isn't hard. It takes water, and some time. Digging holes around plants just disturbs root systems.

The water on surface doesn't drain quickly so when I water a lot it just puddles on the surface and runs off the beds. I suppose I can try 30 minutes of watering.

Some sort of drip system might help. Maybe a 5-gallon bucket with a tiny hole in the bottom. Drip hose is pretty cheap and effective. I leave my pressurized, leaky garden hose end on my blackberries and move it around once or twice a day. The water spreads quite wide and deep and my blackberries no longer wilt in the summer heat.

That's a good point. Drip systems spread water *at depth*. Not near the surface. So if you have plants with roots near the surface, I'm afraid a drip system won't be adequate. But next year, if you have deep roots, it's a good strategy.

What problem is shallow roots creating? I'm in NH zone 5. Peppers are ripening. Tomatoes, too. My garden might only have 2 more weeks before a light frost. With temps below 50 at night, I imagine blossom drop is occurring but at this point, that's not a problem. The fruit already on the plants needs to ripen. I have a potted tomato in what is probably a 10 gallon pot (large plastic pot bought at Christmas Tree Shoppe). It needs 1 1/2 gallons of water almost daily or I see some wilting. Tomatoes and peppers in the ground are in pretty good shape and only get watered once, maybe twice a week for one hour with an oscillating sprinkler. I set it so it mostly just waters the bed, not the lawn.

good explanation, dan, thanks. I wonder what the symptoms are because in MA tomato plants might be doing the usual end of season dismal changes. I have never kept track of which plants do best and grow different varieties of tomatoes each year plus repeats of a couple of favorites. I have some plants that look great (Principe Borghese i.e.) but some that are mostly dying off. A recent local newspaper article on a community garden said potato plants were dead but gardener didn't know why. I bet it was simply end of season for the potato plants. Hope OP posts a photo.

The OP wasn't specific about any particular problems with shallow roots, and sure, shallow roots aren't going to deny you some kind of harvest. But in general, encouraging roots to grow deeply is in the interest of the plant. Water puddling on the surface suggests that some soil amendments are in order to improve the soil structure.

Thanks everyone for the responses. The plants in question are tomato and peppers. There should be some deep roots because each transplant was planted deep. However the water just doesn't seem to be getting there. Only the surface roots are getting water. This seems to be causing slow fruit growth on the peppers and the tomatoes. Since this is the end of the season I was wondering if I could speed that up.

I agree the soil structure needs some work.

Well, deep roots are 12-18 inches deep. I doubt if you planted that deeply. But your analysis sounds right. There won't be deep roots if it is dry down there. Seems to me that, until you get the soil more permeable, the only way to speed up high water- content fruit growth by making more water available is just to water more frequently. Of course, continually wet surface soil is a fungus hazard. Sounds like at the end of the season, you need to dig in a lot of organics deeply, and things will look great next year. That's a shovel-job, not a tiller-job. If your bed is large, at least do this for part of it, and compare performance next year.

I should add that in your area, a handy near-term source of organics is fallen leaves. If you grind them up and dig them in, four or five months later it'll be pretty sweet.

Dan my original plan was to plant them that deep. However my transplants got started late so they weren't big enough. I maybe for the root ball down 6 inches.

I am hoping to check out the big box stores for some end of year deals on manure and compost. I usually put my ground leaves on top on the beds for protection but I will dig some in too.

Digging holes in a growing garden will only damage roots which may be smaller than you can see with the naked eye.

Come back to this but it may help to give you an idea just how deep and far away from the plant stem roots do grow. Could it be you are watering in the wrong spot? Plants do feed from their root tips. ROOT DEVELOPMENT OF VEGETABLE CROPS circa 1925

IF you have not done a professional soil test then it is time to get one done so you can then amend what is lacking in the soil. Certainly is it water that carries the nutrients to and thru the plants but if the nutrients aren't present no amount of water will help.

Feed the soil which will feed the plants.

<This seems to be causing slow fruit growth on the peppers and the tomatoes.>

While this does suggest that something is wrong or missing from the soil you have not mentioned just how much water you are applying, or how you are applying it. You also mention that you planted late, right?

<The water on surface doesn't drain quickly so when I water a lot it just puddles on the surface and runs off the beds.> When the soil is extremely dry (or powdery) the first application of water will be absorbed. It will take additional or longer water applications to get water to soak down.

I may be the only person on this planet that feels that watering daily can help reach the deep roots but there are many, many variables to gardening that most just don't want to accept. Only one of which is this 2016 hot n dry summer with below normal rainfall.

Here is an example of how I have been watering my plants YMMV Deep watering for heavy feeders aka Gumbys Watering Style aka GWS

I've never understood why folks pile stuff on top of beds for "protection" during the winter. What are you protecting? Are there perennial roots underneath? Or maybe you're worried about erosion because of that impermeability? I'd just dig it all in. For ground up leaves, it's called in situ composting. That is, after many months underground, the leaves are composting right there underground in the bed. I wouldn't dig uncomposted organics within a few weeks of planting, though.

Gumby is right about a professional soil test, but that soil test isn't going to tell you much about soil structure. You can SEE that, and it's pretty clear what you need to put in to loosen it up.

I get my soil test locally and this is what they report back. I think "Soil Texture" And "Organic Matter" would be the soil structure. On the report they also give "Suggested Treatments" with an "Explanation of the Results" on the back.

Here is a link to what is pasted below from page 2. Soil Testing Brochure

<TESTS PERFORMED
Soil samples are tested for texture, organic matter,
pH, nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, phosphorus,
potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Except for pH
and texture, all results are expressed as high, medium,
and low. A nutrient is classified as excessive when it
is likely to damage plants. If necessary, we can
perform tests for salts, percent organic matter, and
particle size.
Texture: Texture of the soil influences the amount
of water and nutrients a soil can hold. Sands, loamy
sands, and sandy loams require more frequent
watering and fertilizing than do fine sandy loams,
loams and silt loams. Silty clay loams and clay loams
drain poorly.
pH: Soil pH affects the availability of plant
nutrients. When interpreted with texture and organic
matter, pH indicates the lime needs of the soil. Acidic
soils have a pH below 7.0 and alkaline soils have a pH
above 7.0. Most plants grow best at a soil pH between
6.0
and 7.0. A small number of plants such as azalea,
rhododendron, and blueberry prefer a soil pH between
4.5 and 5.5.
Nitrate and Ammonium Nitrogen
tests indicate nitrogen immediately available to plants, but do not
necessarily indicate how much nitrogen m
ay later be liberated from the soil. Proper interpretation of these
results is essential. Nitrogen favors leaf growth and
imparts a deep green color to plant foliage. Excessive
ammonium nitrogen can damage plants and is often an
indication of over fertilization
. Very high nitrate nitrogen levels may increase the risk of nitrate
contamination of surface and groundwater.

Phosphorus binds strongly in soil and is often
unavailable to plants. Deficiencies in phosphorus are
often indicated by poor root, fruit or vegetable growth
and purpling of the older leaves. Excessive
phosphorus can move to rivers, ponds and lakes and
promote the growth of algae and weeds.

Potassium is supplied by the clay and organic
matter. Improved plant growth is often obtained by the
addition of potassium fertilizer. Sufficient potassium
improves flowering, disease resistance, cold hardiness,
and drought survival. Potassium leaches readily from
soil.

Calcium deficiencies are usually corrected by
the application of limestone. This also neutralizes soil
acidity. When the pH is correct and the calcium level
is low, addition of gypsum (calcium sulfate) is often
suggested.

Magnesium tests identify soils where dolomitic
limestone or epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) are
likely to be beneficial. A low magnesium level is
usually associated with acidic soil.

Other Elements. Plants require small amounts of
other elements including iron, copper, zinc, sulfur, and
boron. Soil tests have been devised for these elements
but they are neither quick nor infallible. Iron, copper,
and zinc are affected by soil acidity and their
availability can usually be inferred from the pH test.
Sulfur is rarely deficient. Boron deficiency is usually
encountered only where soils have a pH over 7.0. >

HTH

That is what I mean when I say professional soil test. I am sure MA has something equally professional.

fwiw I do not recommend the local garden centers who normally only check the pH level of the soil and are in business to "sell" products so have a vested interest in making a sale when the professional labs (most of which are colleges or Govt Agriculture Depts) do NOT sell products and have nothing to gain by giving you advise.

IF all you need is a pH test and need it fast then by all means use a garden center.

It is best to test the soil this time of year so you can apply any amendments before the winter freeze. Making changes to the soil takes time.

All true, but I wouldn't want to rely on a soil structure assessment based on a small scoop of soil. My point simply was that you don't need a professional to assess soil structure. Just look at it. Impermeability is a major clue. Also, let's not get too far off topic. The issue was how to water, and it would take a lot more info than the OP provided to get suspicious about possible nutrient deficiencies.

It's always a good idea to get a professional soil analysis done at least once but the answer to the problem originally posed here isn't that.

Certainly the watering style and amount of water, where, and how applied all come into play here.

While the subject line said <Watering Advice needed> the reason given was <This seems to be causing slow fruit growth on the peppers and the tomatoes.> which may or may not be a watering problem.

I only asked <IF you have not done a professional soil test then it is time to get one
done so you can then amend what is lacking in the soil. Certainly is it
water that carries the nutrients to and thru the plants but if the
nutrients aren't present no amount of water will help.>

That reminds me of a friend who wanted me to bring his truck to the shop for a valve job. I asked do you want a valve job or do you want it fixed? Turns out the mechanic diagnosed it with worn piston rings so a valve job wouldn't have fixed the problem. The point is people are not always sure what they are asking for and rarely does a forum subject line define the problem or the help needed.

The OP clearly had a problem, and it was that water wasn't percolating through the soil adequately. That may or may not have been responsible for slow fruit growth, but it was a clear problem nonetheless. I was trying to answer that problem. If I bring my truck in for a valve job because I can see a valve stem is bent, I sure want that valve fixed. That may not be the whole problem with my car, but it's a good place to start.

One approach to any gardening problem is to get a soil analysis. But if the issue here is really insufficient water, such an analysis wouldn't show it.

I am hopeful that coltranem understood the points I made.

Dan and Gumby. Thanks for the spirited answers. There are many reasons behind some of the slower growth. I get that. I was just interested in the watering issue. In general this has not been a problem in past seasons. So seeing it this dry was different.

Each season certainly is different. You gave no background or whether you have gardened there before.

You didn't say how you watered but pointed out you might increase that time to 30 min., so I knew it was something less. Just not how it was applied nor how much was applied.

I (who waters my plants daily) found it hard to believe that someone could "overwater" their plants to the point of causing a problem during this very dry and below normal rainfall period of 2016 in less than 30 min which is why I asked questions like <While this does suggest that something is wrong or missing from the soil
you have not mentioned just how much water you are applying, or how you
are applying it. You also mention that you planted late, right?>

I would also question that IF you thought you were overwatering why the soil would be so dry? <The next day I dig a year hope next to one of these watering holes and everything is still dry in that new hole.>

<There are many reasons behind some of the slower growth. I get that. I was just interested in the watering issue.>

O before I forget "Just add water" but where you add water matters, <smile>

Dan, I pile stuff on top of my beds for "protection" from the horrible weeds that blow in from the horse fields next door! At least if they sprout in the leaves, they are easier to uproot! Nancy

Gumby I have been watering by hand. Typically every other day. It is hard to specify exactly because it is not the same as turning on a sprinkler (which I have done in the past). This bed is maybe 15 ft by 3 ft. I would guess 2- 3 gallons over that area every few days.

I do try to water the bed not just where the stems are.

What surprised me was how dry the soil was all season. This particular bed was not used until tomato planting time and it was clearly dry then. I thought I had caught up but this week I tested the soil 4 inch down an noticed it was still dry. I suspect I need more organic matter to help hold the moisture.

I guess that's a fair reason for piling stuff on top. I don't have that problem. In fact for me, surrounded by lawns, weeds really aren't a problem in the least.

If your soil isn't permeable, you can water every ten minutes and still have it dry underneath. Concrete and asphalt do that pretty well.

I would consider the way I water "by hand". Do you mean with a hose? Spraying?

I am surprised no one has mentioned "mulch". Either wait for a soaking rain or soak heavily with the hose if that is what you use then mulch, mulch, mulch and soak again.

Guess its time to review your technique and come up with something that works for you and your soil.

Good Luck

Mulch is always good, but not for getting water to depth. Mulch reduces surface evaporation, but it also absorbs a lot of water and prevents that water from penetrating the soil. That is, with a heavy mulch you need a lot of water just to wet the mulch, and then more water to penetrate the soil. Sure, mulch abundantly, but before you do, dig a lot of it in to loosen the soil. Composted mulch, underground, is the ticket here. Mulch laid on top of hardpan won't do a lot of good.

I should add this from the soil forum FAQs ... THE FUNCTION OF MULCHES Proper usage of the right kind of mulch can eliminate or at least significantly reduce weeding, lower the amount of water required, and generally helps to maintain a healthy garden. Mulch retains moisture and protects your soil from drying out, slowly releasing it into the soil for use by your plants. A steady, gradual supply of moisture provides a stable growing environment and supports a healthy variety of soil organisms. Mulches also protect the soil from temperature variations and help to insulate the root zone from extremes of heat or cold. Another benefit is the mulch protects the soil from erosion and crusting over. This allows for better air and water penetration creating a looser soil.

I prefer natural rather than colored mulch. https://www.google.com/search?q=using+mulch+in+vegetable+garden&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

coltranem, I assume that you mean that you fear that you're watering too frequently and not deeply enough?

When I want to water a very dry area deeply, I snake a soaker hose over the area in question, turn on the water to a level that produces a steady but not too-rapid drip, and come back several hours later. That's what I would suggest, instead of digging holes. If one treatment doesn't do the job, you may want to try it several times, with each watering a day or two apart.

Of course, that's in my garden, with my soil. But that's my idea.

I do have mulch down on this bed (approximately 1-2" of compost). I did this to prevent weeds and hold in moisture. However since there was not much moisture to hold in it has also acted as a barrier when watering. As Dan mentioned it seems to absorb most of the water and prevent it from getting deep. I don't think I compensated for this well early on. Over the weekend I did hook up a soaker hose to help build back the soil moisture as a few suggested (of course today it is raining).

< (of course today it is raining)> Not complaining are you?

Definitely not complaining.

Oh you must be getting the remnants of **HERMINE**. I doubt it will amount to much.

None of the forecasted rain has amounted to much this season. It seems even the typical afternoon thundershowers go just north or just south of my town. Honestly I am please with how well the garden is growing despite the drought. The tomatoes have been my biggest issue this year. That and my beans the succumbed to rust very early. Cukes, Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Cime di Rapa, Kale, and the new asparagus plants have been doing just fine.

Getting some rain now here north of Concord NH. I water some beds yesterday and day before because most of the storms have bypassed us this summer. I've always thought bean rust was aggravated by working/picking in the plants when they were wet. Most of my tomato plants look terrible at this point. I have two Principe Borghese plants (large cherry tomato supposedly good for drying). One got to tall for the cage, bent over and some main stems were badly damaged but it's still producing. The other plant is in a different bed and still looks pretty good. Probably hasn't gotten as much watering.

Ignoring every other response and focusing on the watering. Each crop is selective and does not depend apon the amount of water but how deep the water penatration goes.. as in how deep.

As a rule of thumb, the deeper the water penatration the better but deep water penatration is not needed for all crops

Here are two ideas based on what has been described.

You say the water is pooling on the ground. I have seen that happen when the soil becomes compacted - the air pockets have been squeezed out. The usual cause for this is walking in the bed. Roots need oxygen; feet decimate the ecosystem. Establish paths and stick to them. (This is the #1 advantage of raised beds: you don't walk on them.)

Second symptom is that you water today, and tomorrow the soil is bone dry. Organic matter like compost holds moisture in the soil like a sponge. It sounds like you need more. Not much you can do about that for the summer veggies since they are already established. But this fall work in some compost and shredded leaves. That should help out next year. Keep doing that along with the mulching and you'll be in a much better place next year.

Well, making soil permeable isn't just a matter of filling it with organic sponges. Anaerobic digestion of organics, which is largely what happens at depth, produces gas -- methane. To the extent oxygen is available, microorganisms will convert that methane into another gas -- carbon dioxide. It's that gas that renders the soil permeable to water. It pushes the minerals in the soil apart. That is, the organic solids you bury eventually go away. That's why adding compost to soil isn't something you do just once. It gets used up. That's why a bed rich in organics doesn't just settle into hardpan (which it would do even if you didn't walk on it).

When I said water puddles up I did not mean like it does on hard pan. I mean it puddles then and runs all over the bed when I first start watering. I think this is more a function of it being dry and not being able to absorb water fast enough. I think the soaker hoses setup will fix this.

The soil feels plenty loose. I do not walk on it. The beds are raise but with out borders so they site about 4-6" above the walkways in the garden.

This bed was the last to be planted this summer so it had a lot of time exposed to the hot sun (without me watering it). Whatever organic matter was there dried up with the soil I suspect. This was probably compounded but not adding enough organics in the fall. The problem is this bed held Kale and Swiss Chard until late December last year so it did get any additions like the other beds. Once these plants are done I will add more.

Ironically the tomatoes plants have been looking good lately with healthy leaves and no yellow leaves...the only problem is the fruit are still very small and the plants didn't grow as high as they usually do.

Dryness adds to impermeability. Because if the soil dries out, the active microbes that make the gas out of organics die. As a result, the soil will settle and not welcome water percolation. But yes, dry soil isn't easily wettable. Soil surfactants are major agricultural products that are produced to fix this. One simple home surfactant is dish soap. A few drops per quart. Might try to spray that on your soil surface and see if it makes a difference.

I thought about soap too but I would worry that soap would also kill the beneficial bacteria.

A few drops per quart won't.

Just thought I'd mention it.

Re: "I think this is more a function of it being dry and not being able to absorb water fast enough. I think the soaker hoses setup will fix this."

Yes--this is why I use a soaker hose on a bone-dry bed. Hand-watering just runs off and down the paths. After the bed is moist, hand-watering works just fine.