Raised garden beds offer an easy-to-manage way to concentrate planting in smaller spaces. It is a productive and easy way to grow fruits, flowers, and vegetables in your backyard. It sounds tempting, but having a healthy and thriving garden is no easy feat.
Assembling the raised bed, laying down the soil, and planting the seeds are just the beginning. Later maintenance will cost you a lot of energy. Especially the step of watering. Water is an essential but often overlooked part of a raised bed garden setup.
Consistent water is key to successful gardening
If you are still setting up your vegetable garden, I recommend making a water fixture plan now, even if watering is not required at this time. But when it doesn’t rain, you can supplement your garden with a steady flow of water in a few different ways.
- Watering by hand with a watering can. You may have imagined yourself walking from flower to flower smiling with a watering can in hand. It’s a nice image, but lugging a can to and from your garden every morning can get old quickly. This is indeed one of the easiest watering methods, but only suitable for small raised gardens.
- Watering by hand with a hose. Watering with a hose saves a lot of managers than watering with a can. Because there are so many handy garden hoses out there. You can install a wall-mount retractable hose reel. Its auto-retract system can help you solve the problem of hose organization and storage. Or equip your hose with a hose reel, which can also help you move, organise, and store your hose with ease. Giraffe Tools sells four different types of hose. Each hose reel is equipped with a hose organization system to help you solve the problem of hose kinks that are difficult to organise.
- Build a simple drip irrigation system. If you’re installing your garden near a faucet or rain barrel, then attach a timer and drip hose to the faucet. This is the closest you can get to automation without actually using a formal irrigation system. It’s also a great way to provide your plants with steady water. I think this option works best. Drip kits are available in most hardware stores. You can also use a Hose Splitter to connect to the faucet so you can still use the water pipe for other purposes.
Proper watering practices ensure that no harm is done to your plants
- Correct watering position. Aim water at the soil or hold the watering can tip or hose as close to the soil level as possible so the roots can absorb the water. Avoid spraying the foliage of the plant. If you water with a hose, use the spray attachment and switch to the softest spray. Your goal is to mimic a mild rainfall, not give your plants a good power wash. A gentle mist also keeps soil from washing off the top of the bed.
- Evenly and consistently watering raised bed gardens. Determine watering frequency based on rain and other weather conditions. Inconsistent watering can cause seeds and seedlings to dry out or drown. Don’t stress the growing plants, causing pests and diseases.
- Correct watering time. Plants absorb water more efficiently in the morning. Watering earlier in the day will rehydrate the plants before the high temperatures of the day. Watering in the morning will also help prevent water-borne diseases and pests that can occur with nighttime watering.
Takeaway
These are the building blocks that provide your plants with the vital resources they need to thrive and give you plenty of delicious returns. Check out Giraffe Tools to find the perfect watering tool for you.
Ellen Diamond, a psychology graduate from the University of Hertfordshire, has a keen interest in the fields of mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
