10 Common Watering Mistakes (to Avoid)

Watering is a basic gardening task that can lead to problems if not done correctly. Gardener Scott offers 10 common watering mistakes that most gardeners make, presents how to fix problems, and water your garden for more success. (Video #383)
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[@eayers1178]

As an emeritus master gardener, I thank you for telling everyone that their mileage will vary. People think if someone says to do "this" that is what they should do. No! Growing zones is part of it. Every area is unique. Soil type, temperature, humidity, drought, rainfall, etc. changes everything. My front side garden is totally different from my backside gardens. Plus I'm growing in containers. A friend lives about 15 miles from me and is growing in the ground, but she put a few plants in pots. That's not the same as growing in ground. I water my containers lightly and then go back 20 mins later and drench them. That's because the first watering will often slip through the pot without moistening the soil. The second watering will do more for the plant. Hanging baskets often do better being submerged in a bucket of water until they have stopped bubbling. My growing season in Virginia is twice as long as Colorado's and it's also hotter and more humid here. I'm getting ready to plant my fall crops as I harvest my garden. You'd think I'd know every trick of the trade. No, I don't. Maybe I just know how to hide my mistakes. It's called replant!

[@LauraEilers]

I desperately wish many many gardening videos would mention somewhere in the video, preferably early and even better in the thumbnail WHERE THE CREATOR LIVES. I live in Chicago. If I'm looking to see what I can overwinter, what season extention techniques I can use, if a worm bin would survive if I bury it, etc... and I watch a whole video about cold season gardening, I can see a lot of statements like, "with a double sheet of plastic, I can keep this bed alive through the whole WINTER." And I'm always shouting at the screen, "WHOSE WINTER?! WHERE ARE YOU?" One of the reasons I love Gardener Scott. I know his Colorado climate gets cold like mine. And he mentions it often enough that I didn't need to hire a PI to figure out where he is.

[@amyk6028]

So true. I’m in zone 7b in Georgia, but my very humid zone 7b needs a lot less water than the midwesterners in the same zone

[@cindytracy4554]

@@LauraEilers AGREE...I live in Chicago also...UGH

[@coewhat]

In our area in NWI, 45 mins from you, the frost line is about 3.5’. So, worms need to go below frost line for the winter. You can reduce the depth by insulating your surface. Thick layer of grass clippings or straw should help your bin

[@priestesslucy3299]

​​​@@LauraEilershe's probably in a milder climate than you up in Maine, but I imagine you would get a lot of value out of Elliot Coleman's winter gardening content. Worth a shot 🤷‍♀️

[@simplifygardening]

I always say to water deeply and less frequently. It forces roots to drive down lower which protects them from fluctuations in temps and humidity. Help prevents plant stress and disease

[@ayoungtricknamedjim5498]

This is how we've learned too. Our neighbor is a botanist and master gardener and she recommended that we don't water every day. She said watering every day (or twice a day) trains the plants to only have shallow roots. But by watering every two or three days, it trains the plants to dig their roots deep, which creates more robust plants and also helps fix the soil more.

[@VictoriousGardenosaurus]

Dealing with daytime temps well over 100 degrees, and we haven't seen rain in weeks. I have combatted my situation in a number of ways. 1) i grow a very tight garden, where it is quite difficult to maneuver. Heavily composted and regular feedings to avoid nutrient deficiencies. 2) I have planted mammoth sunflowers at the south and west ends of my garden to provide shade. 3) Lots and lots of straw mulch. 4) I use milk jugs as ollas, to provide a short term drip. 5) I aquired used 55 gallon barrels and poked a small hole near the bottom of each. I fill them up in the mornings, and they help to slowly soak the soil. 6) I grow my salads in near full shade

[@francesbatycki404]

Great ideas! 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦👍👍👍👍❤️👍👍🥕🌱👩‍🌾

[@brownsonarebojie7802]

Absolutely amazing reading this. I’m wishing you the best during your growing season.

[@nickthegardener.1120]

I've been filling my daughter's paddling pool with hot hosewater.👍

[@beckyjo0207]

I definitely started off over-watering. I got very comfortable with putting my finger in the soil. I also didn't mulch my bed. Man, I'm glad I know now. Next spring is going to be awesome!

[@PalmaColantuono-rz1pt]

This dude Scott definitely Abides

[@jwstanley2645]

Thanks Scott. As always, organized, on topic, clear and accurate. Gardening can get awfully complicated, and you really help to give me, and so many others, the encouragement we need to keep gardening, and not give up. So, thanks much.

[@beau91395]

I didnt know Jeff Bridges knew so much about gardening!

[@PalmaColantuono-rz1pt]

🐰thought I was the only 1. the dude Abides

[@TheTrock121]

I've noticed I have to water more since I built raised beds. Would never go back though.

[@ttb1513]

I lined the inside of the sides of my beds with plastic. This was so the wooden sides do not rot as quickly. The bottom of the beds is still open, allowing for drainage. I think the plastic lined sides of the beds reduces water loss through wicking and evaporation through the otherwise exposed sides. That coupled with shredded leaf mulch helps maintain a good moisture level longer.

[@heidiclark6612]

That was a great video on watering! I love the thorough explanations. After all these years of garden long I still learn a lot from your videos. I never mulched my beds before I started watching your videos. Now every bed is mulched. I have read that stressed plants cells in their leaves make a noise that insects can hear and it directs those insects to those plants.

[@thedukeofagita3730]

So many spot-on points. Everything you hit on are exactly the unique CO conditions we face in our garden. Now if we could only get a good soaking rain. We’ve really had no substantial moisture since the late-May snowstorm. Storms tend to pass around us, we’re in a weird dry donut. I think Mt. Evan’s bisects the storms coming from the west and they don’t realign until just east of us. It’ll rain well a mile north, east and south of us, while the sun shines above us and to the west. Not always, obviously, but often enough to see the pattern.

[@dustyflats3832]

This happens to us also on the flat plain in Midwest. The cloud will look like it's headed our way and Poof! It splits.

[@sunnyseacat6857]

Hoses: to cool my hose down: I keep it submerged in a big plastic tub filled with enough water to cover it. Also, placing white sheets or another type of covering on the hose might keep it cooler than not doing that... Great video! Thanks.

[@gardeningwithcaitlin]

And watering leaves on some plants can cause disease especially in evening waterings

[@kjrchannel1480]

Then there are those who can be fined for watering between 10am and 6pm. In addition to being guided to water a maximum of 2 days a week. That includes reducing indoor water use 10% or more. As a result I have used grey water for trees and decorative plants. That is a topic that will become normal for those that are rain deprived.

[@Combat_Pyro]

Anywhere it’s “illegal” to water you vegetable garden, you need to move away from!

[@ahmadghosheh3104]

I believe those laws are aimed at lawn watering. Honestly, for a modest garden I have about 4 beds, I use less water than a morning shower and with a Hose and sprayer it's not blasting everywhere like a lawn sprinkler.

[@kjrchannel1480]

@@ahmadghosheh3104 The one reservoir that feeds my area is down to 56% of capacity and it isn't a huge one. They keep building though.

[@alreynolds4152]

Your information on incorrect information for my zone is great. I never gave that a thought. I’m in central Illinois and will pay more attention to where my information is coming from. Keep the information coming.

[@frankbarnwell____]

Had to chime in about the hot water from the hose. I work at a Lowes garden center. I wait, and feel the hot water from 200ft of hose before applying it. Even if the hose had been shaded. Hose stored near concrete or brick can make it too hot.

[@apiecemaker1163]

Please everyone warn young mothers about this. The water first coming out of the hose is so hot. When little kids play in the water, they can scald themselves. Run it til cool before letting them have it or squirting them please!!

[@karinchristensen220]

I run the water from a hot hose into a five gallon bucket so I don't waste the water then use it later in the evening or the next morning when it's cool.

[@flatsville1]

@@karinchristensen220 Yes . I run the hot hose water in into a 35 gal barrel in the shade then use it to water fruit bearing shrubs in the eve. I was able to get the barrel up on a platform on the side of a builing (shade) so with the additional height & natural slope down to the berry bushes it acts like a drip system under pressure with emitters. Took me a year to figure this out...Duh...

[@karinchristensen220]

@@flatsville1 It's amazing how much you use when running the hose until you get cool water. I didn't realize it until I started running it into a bucket. I also try to keep a few watering cans full and in the shade for a few of my small potted plants that need an emergency watering instead of running the hose to get cool water for them.

[@thespiritualgardenhomestea8329]

If you water when the water is hot... raise the hose to a higher level so that as the water falls, it gets air cooled when falling towards the plants. This is why greenhouses have their irrigation further up towards the ceiling.

[@leslienichols5268]

Thanks Gardener Scott. A period of really hot weather in Colorado for sure.

[@DahVoozel]

The bed with my tomatoes is mulched and is a deeper bed than the ones around it. I don't water it as much as the shallow, unmulched beds.

[@bradseward8342]

Thanks for the timely info as we've had quite a stretch of hot weather here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

[@johnjude2685]

Best Gardener I've met except for planting almost never water. Believe in deep roots if watering roots are shallow. He had a beautiful garden 😍

[@sharondwhite47]

When and how to water has been my biggest question since I began gardening last summer. This is the best watering video i have seen. Also, to address the water on the leaves issue burning them. Couldn’t it be that rain doesn’t burn the leaves even when hotter is because the air is humid? However when water from a hose, etc. hits the leaves in lower humidity conditions, maybe the leaves can burn with that dryer air. I’ve never heard anyone address this concept of leaf burn. Yes I have had scalding water come out of my hose even early in the day so I have learned to check. My Bermuda grass doesn’t care. Ha.

[@austintrees]

That thick mulch around a tree section is great info.... I'll have to check mine

[@dannmann777]

Here's an additional tip..... watering mid-day can be bad in the sun. In my early gardening career I observed what looked like a spotted disease on my vegetables. It was prevalent on the lower leaves of my tomatoes, peppers, zacinni, squash, etc. What the issue was, was my watering schedule. Water would drip on the leaves and create a magnifying effect..... equivalent to holding a magnifying glass between the sun and leaves thus burning the leaves. No disease. Just a hot sun.

[@kjrchannel1480]

I have never had that problem. I however am mindful of the incredibly hot water that can come out of a hose heated by the sun.

[@Nat2uDragneel]

I've experienced this as well when I was first gardening. I couldn't understand what was happening until I had this thought and tried a little experiment on some leaves. Definitely "burned" them

[@iwenive3390]

Sometimes when it’s 110 and no humidity overhead watering is the only thing that will stop the wilting

[@GardenerScott]

Wilting is normal and may not be a problem. Here's my video with more about it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHa6YaWejqujY9U

[@rsjohns08]

Thank you for an excellent presentation on watering, and all of the problems that come with not doing it properly! Very helpful...

[@groussac]

Great run down on watering do's and dont's. Definitely worth a rewatch, but I've got to get out there and do some watering before the sun goes down.

[@bleak4456]

Educational channels and videos like this are so important. Thank you!

[@susanjordan2130]

Thank you.

[@Sparrow420]

Hey Scott, love your videos. About burning the plants because of water on the leaves (14:00 ish), I don't know how hot the water needs to be to burn the leaves as you said, but I think the main difference between water on the leaves from rain to water on the leaves from human-watering is the lighting conditions. When it rains the sun is usually covered by clouds and not very bright in general. But when you water it's never raining (or you need to get mentally checked), and if the sun happens to shine bright at that time you can have a lensing effect from the water drop, concentrating the sunlight on one spot and burning it like you would with a magnifying glass.

[@sandideak4125]

Really appreciate your information! Thank you! 😊

[@brianramsey3824]

Great point about watering mulch.

[@stephaniefrazee3955]

Great video from start to finish. Best video on watering I've seen. Thank you.

[@Inpreesme]

Thank you

[@garynorcal4269]

Glad I watched again .. in particular I enjoyed the very end with the lesson on watering in a mulched area. The moist soil below the dry mulch was enlightening.

[@patrickwalsh2361]

I also use an inexpensive moisture meter to get a better idea of moisture level at different depths, and you’ll get a good feel for the watering needs for a given crop at its current size. 👨‍🌾👩‍🌾🍅

[@JonathanIsrael708]

O.G. Gardener Scott!!!

[@ohno248]

Excellent. I've watched lots of videos on watering. This one is probably the most comprehensive. Thank you!

[@Luv2Garden2]

Very informative. You made a couple very important points I never took into consideration.

[@stephenmoberg8807]

Excellent per usual - ty !

[@sunnyseacat6857]

Leaves can burn from hot sunlight. Burlap 1) is a natural cover, 2) can water through it.

[@sunnyseacat6857]

Covering hoses with white sheets or tarps helps prevent hot hoses and therefore water. I let my heavy duty hose soak in a tub of water to keep it cool, too.

[@detectivemikevarnado7515]

thank you

[@wilma6181]

One of the videos I listened to stated to water cucumbers warm water. When watering as a child we used straight from the hose.

[@LeverActionLarry]

Thanks GS! I am having a tough few weeks with all of the heat we are getting here. We are in the 2nd week of high 90s-100° weather. 🌞 I definitely need some shade cloth.

[@paulsvictorygarden5387]

My biggest mistake with watering is living in Florida where it rains everyday during the summer. I can hear my tomatoes cracking from inside the house...

[@fel944]

Hi Scott how are you doing today iam doing fine today thank you for sharing stay safe 🎉😂🎉

[@2000rpascual]

Hi from Chile, excellent videos, many thanks!

[@MarkDMoore-rr1rv]

Thanks!

[@tradewinds2319]

Man, my quinoa grow keeps getting better each year. 4 years in. Just north of you in Centennial. The biggest one has greater than 2" dia stalk and the main kola is huge. Edit: using our own slow compost as a thin topping.

[@amymorales4622]

Terrific recommendations here! I would like to hear more of your thoughts about gardening in drought afflicted areas. I have switched to container gardening for many of my vegetables because I can collect gray water from inside the house and apply it in a more localized area without challenging any codes about its use. I don’t have the $ for drip irrigation at this time, and mandates can kill a garden fast.

[@GardenerScott]

Here's my video about gardening in a drought: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHy4pH2wod93bKM

[@racebiketuner]

Thanks for another great vid. You bring up a good point about high water temps in the summer. When that happens, I fill containers in the shade to cool it down. Then fill watering cans by submerging them. I prefer a small watering cans with a long spout and very small holes on the rosebud. That type of discharge pattern allows me to water very precisely and close to the soil surface with minimal splashing.

[@Chris-op7yt]

raised bed boxes make it very difficult to water veggies well. the water tends to run off and it becomes almost impossible to re-wet the soil mix in hot and dry conditions. secondly, it is more expensive and difficult to set up drip irrigation, which soaks soil much better than daily standing there and watering taking up whole time to tend to garden.

[@rootedinjoy8821]

I’ve recently found your channel, am going into season 2 in my new suburban homestead in Thornton, CO and so appreciate all you do. Also, thank you for having some weeds in your pathways…I can’t keep up! Lol….

[@davepoulton7530]

Very informative mate from Australia

[@todd9453]

Another great video

[@trishferrer8209]

I have never put hot water on my plants. I have a mommy's instinct to spray it on the soft side (underbelly) of my arm and wrist until it cools off. It starts out scalding. One thing you can do is spray the dust off your car while the water is still hot, instead of wasting it. 7b, W. TN.

[@Jamescityboygardening]

I have started using deep root watering. I am using 1-1/4 inch pvc pipe 24 inch long drove into soil 9 inches. Fill the pipe 4 times slow early in the morning that is after I have watered the surface. The heat here in NC has been off the charts. I'm getting fair results.

[@debbiethompson9853]

Why are moisture gages only 4-8" long when tomatoes have roots that are deeper?

[@toosense]

Thanks for all your words of wisdom. Some of my plants died including my carrots and I just realized that the water was not absorbing into the soil. Only the top inch or two was wet, then completely bone dry underneath. I used a bagged organic soil.

[@dustyflats3832]

Yes, that's what happens here. Once the soil and organic matter dries out it is a heck of a time to get it rehydrated as the water passes either right through or beads on top of first quarter inch or so. It takes me so long to water and I have to watch the areas that are more shaded as I could over water them.

[@cindytracy4554]

Hi Scott....you never mention where you live...(zone) I think that would help us small gardeners.

[@kansascityonline]

shared this video on Gab in the Gardening Group..

[@Randy_Smith]

Great video! I'm glad that you mentioned carrots and their water needs compared to other plants. I'm growing carrots and parsnips this year for the first time and am wondering how to tell when they need water?

[@GardenerScott]

Do the same finger test of soil. They should grow long and straight in consistently moist soil.

[@Randy_Smith]

@@GardenerScott Many thanks. Will do

[@Power_Prawnstar]

Boiling water is a really good week killer.

[@namitanarang1437]

Very informative video.when buying the wooden mulch is there some type to avoid? Thanks

[@GardenerScott]

I avoid chips with dye added. It usually costs more and the dye fades quickly.

[@j.b.6855]

A great way to avoid watering problems is to grow in sip's. It takes most of the guess work out. Evaporation is less of a problem. But if your growing tomatoes in sips or any container, and dont add calcium you will get blossom end rot. Sips use potting soil, calcium is missing it all the potting soils I have used.

[@amymorales4622]

Could you explain a sip, please?

[@j.b.6855]

@@amymorales4622 A SIP is a Sub Irrigated Planter. The most common are made from five gallon buckets or totes. But they can really be any shape as long as they hold water. YT is full of videos on how to make them.

[@amymorales4622]

@@j.b.6855 Thanks!

[@zackmcmahon8421]

@GardenerScott my tomatoes have good green leaves but the tips curl or claw way down I'm not sure if it's nitrogen excess or overwatering

[@Jamescityboygardening]

Now for a little farm humor. Q. What kind of vest should you wear in fall? A. Har- vest. Q. What is a tree's least favorite month? A. Sep-timber. Q. What is a pumpkin's favorite sport.? A. Squash. Q. What falls but never gets hurt? A. Leaves.

[@MichaelJosephJr934]

Thanks for this Scott. Love these videos. QUESTION: My garlic is getting close to finished and I need to stop watering. However it's in the middle of a 4x8 raised bed jam packed with crops. I should of planned better. The soaker hose is also an inch or so under soil and mulch now. Can I cure the garlic without discontinuing the watering?

[@GardenerScott]

You can cure after digging up the garlic. Stopping the water helps the outer skin dry. Just be a little careful when harvesting garlic with moist skin because it can damage easier.

[@judyvance1556]

I used a pig panel for a chicken coop. Same method of bending into a hoop.

[@user-rr1gg6es8c]

I wonder if straw mulch has any effects on soil ph cos its on top of the soil, and would be good to see soil tensiometer in action day by day video like when is right time to water by looking at the meter. over all, thanks for everything Scott. greetings from South Korea here.

[@GardenerScott]

Straw should have no effect on pH. Greetings to you!

[@Gkrissy]

Thanks for the video Gardner Scott. How many inches of mulch do you put in your mini orchard area. I have 2 apple trees and I think I need 6-8 inches to choke out weeds.

[@GardenerScott]

I started with about six inches and it has settled to about four. At six there were no weeds and at four a few weeds are starting to appear so I'll add more chips.

[@jennifereidebibler4358]

One of the things I actually have considered all along, is the temperature of the water coming out of a garden hose. I had also wondered why rain doesn't burn the leaves, but hadn't put the two together, haha! However you made several other things clearer for me regarding watering so I think I will have a better grasp on it this season. THANK YOU!

[@dustyflats3832]

Excellent watering video. My sand is just as dry a half inch down even after I watered heavy. The hose drags across and it peels up the wet layer to reveal the Dust. Once it dries out its hard to get that sponge (soil/compost) rehydrated. Glass is made using sand and I see why when water rolls off. And that's why it takes me so long to water. I haven't figured out a system that works yet. Soaker hoses just wet one small area and I think the plant needs water all around the roots. Plus it would take a lot of winding around and there is a limit of how many can be connected. Drip irrigation is equally confusing to me as my plants are not always in the same place each year. It must take a lot of assembly each year? It's true we hear all different techniques that are not true for each of us. Some advise watering in the morning, some at night. I prefer the morning in hopes to keep mildew away. Some say water sand lightly because it drains through quickly and I think that varies depend the different amendments in various parts of my garden. Young plants/seedlings, as you say with the tree example, would not need as much, but maybe more frequent watering. Now if I could only figure out how not to knock all the plants over dragging that bleeping hose.😄

[@justgivemethetruth]

Don't they say add in some clay and organic matter to sand? Not much you can do with just sand.

[@patrickgniech7873]

Thats all nice and good, however, those of us that work away from home and cannot check our crop throughout the day have no choice but to water at certain times, so when its going to be 90° during the day I water in th early mornings otherwise I come home and find whithered leaves and stressed out plants. If its between 70 & 80° I can hold off until evening.

[@debbiethompson9853]

QUESTION: I have a moisture gage so when on the gage do you water?

[@GardenerScott]

I don't use gauges because I don't find them to be accurate. Put your gauge in the soil and monitor its reading with a physical test to determine when to water.

[@andykyriakides2144]

When my plants need water i give it to them , if it rains then that will be a bonus .

[@MrRKWRIGHT]

We've had lots of rain where I am. Unfortunately, it's led to many of the cardboard boxes on people's doorsteps from deliver to your doorstep online places like Hello Fresh, Amazon Prime, Freshly, Farmer's Dog , etc. to get all soggy and wet, which ruined the content of the boxes, spoiling all the food inside. Better to support your local farmers, gardeners and merchants.

[@justgivemethetruth]

What about the difference between watering, and deep watering. I've heard people say that if you do a shallow watering all the time your plants will not send roots deep down into the soil, so you should not water every day, but water a lot less frequently so the water seeps down and the roots have to go after it. This sound logical, but also a little hokey. I can say one thing I've learned this year is to mulch around my cherry trees. I had some cherry trees in different areas, but one of them that got a lot of sun and son on the ground around it was just about dead before I decides to see if there was something I could do about it. When I put a plastic edging strip around it and filled it with 2-3 inches of mulch I was amazed at how happy those trees looked. Every summer they used to be so dehydrated and droopy. Not so any more. The difference is amazing.

[@tranthiduyen615]

Xin chào bạn Scott, lời chào từ Vietnam, chúc bạn ngày thứ bảy vui vẻ và nhiều nhiều sức khỏe nhé

[@ayoungtricknamedjim5498]

Question: You said if it's overcast and raining, that you still water once a day? Also, the last couple of seasons, we were watering twice a day on hot days but were told by our botanist and master gardener neighbor that because we were watering twice a day, it was training our plants to only have shallow roots, which therefore made watering twice a day necessary but by moving to once per day or once every two or three days, it encourages deeper root growth and more robust plants that require far less watering. What are your thoughts on these things? We're also in Colorado.

[@GardenerScott]

It depends on the soil moisture and how much more water is needed. In a dry place like Colorado, a sprinkling of rain is rarely enough for the plants and can lead to the problem with shallow roots. Watering when the surface is moist from a light rain can help the water penetrate deeper into soil so that it encourages longer roots. One deep watering is better than two shallow waterings. Adding mulch can help retain that water and lead to less frequent watering.

[@nicholasnarcowich9163]

In Sacramento, CA, I check the water temp. in a bucket & use the water later if it is too hot. When it runs cool, then I water. On my day off, I can do that several times. I often get home to wilted plants, & they spring back after an evening water. I have considered an automatic system, but have not green lighted it because I like to be there & inspect, check the plants out when watering. . . I am sure that if everything was automatic, I would not do that as much... yep, 3rd generation American, getting lazy. :-) So, I just keep it simple.

[@johnchadwell2675]

What are your thoughts on using a moisture meter?

[@GardenerScott]

They can be okay, but I find they often lose their effectiveness quickly with faulty readings.

[@justgivemethetruth]

What about those watering stakes, of hose-fittings that are like a syringe that inject water into the soil while you drill it down into the ground? Are those good or not?

[@GardenerScott]

Much depends on the type of soil. They can help get water into the ground but in sandy soil it can drain quickly and not spread evenly.

[@mikesimms2250]

What about too cold of water? like using a sump pump off a river/stream? Will this hurt? Everything seems amazing this year though!

[@GardenerScott]

It's possible very cold water can stress the plants when overhead watering.

[@rosedillon6645]

When you say to check for moisture, what am I looking for? Like what is wet enough to skip watering vs dry enough that it needs more?

[@GardenerScott]

As I show in the video, if you can squeeze some of the soil and it holds its shape it is moist. If it falls apart it is too dry. If water drips out it is too wet.

[@maegancamp]

Do you use shad cloth on all your tomato plants? We grow ours in 20 gallon buckets in our garden and then put cages around them to grow them vertically to keep them off the garden floor. We grown cherry tomato varieties and roma tomato varieties. Also would you recommend a moisture reader to see if you should water or do you recommend getting down in the soil with your hands to check to see how moist the soil is?

[@GardenerScott]

I do. Many moisture meters lose their effectiveness in time. I prefer using my finger to determine soil moisture. Here's how I protect my plants: kzbin.info/www/bejne/goXQnqGbisedpK8

[@evanor1296]

What do you think about wickingbeds? Im going to try it out this year and put som garden soil and worms in it. Like the idea of wicking except that the micro organisms cant get in i closed system so easily

[@GardenerScott]

They can be good in some situations but not all. My humidity is so low and my wind is so regular that the top of the soil is always dry. A wicking bed ends up being very saturated at the bottom and dry at the top and only the middle is evenly moist.

[@tafmi7]

Hey Scott I wanted to start to grow my own garden and start making my very own food! I'm very excited but as a beginner I simply don't know where to start. There is so much information on gardening but none and simply how to make it as you BARELY begin. Everyone has the tools and work all layed out that I'm at a loss. I'm a Colorado native so maybe if you have a chance I'd love to know. Thank you!

[@GardenerScott]

I suggest starting small and learning with just a few plants. As you develop experience and knowledge you can expand to the point that growing food is possible. Here's a video that might help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGeml2OlnbF6o8k

[@garynorcal4269]

Suggestion... 1. Start small 2. Choose 2-4 plants to do in the 1st year. 3. Plant them where you can see them every day. 4. Mulch and water to keep the soil moist. The plants will do better when you take care of the soil. 5. Enjoy your time in your garden.

[@slycooper3938]

Speaking of watering, do you have a cheap diy way to make a watering ring to plant seedlings inside? I tried cutting plastic pots in half and burying them in the soil with only 2 inches remaining above ground. Works great because as I water, there is NO runoff. The water goes straight down deep to the roots. The rings are already degrading though so I'm hoping you have a better idea for them..

[@GardenerScott]

I don't have a cheap DIY ring suggestion. I've used old hoses and punched holes to make soaker hoses, so a similar idea might work.

[@Power_Prawnstar]

Hi Scott, what's your thoughts on using mains water, chlorinated, direct on the garden? Does it decimate the biology?

[@GardenerScott]

I don't worry about it. The chlorine dissipates quickly and has minimal impact on soil biology. I've never gardened in an area without chlorinated water and had very successful gardens.

[@markmickenberg1313]

Can I use red mulch by Scott for tomato plants?

[@GardenerScott]

You can.

[@barbaraengle768]

What kind of mulch do you recommend for raised beds in zone 8,ga

[@GardenerScott]

I would use the same straw, grass, and leaves in my beds in zone 8.

[@royalwoolsey2443]

I am considering catching rain water in a rain barrel. I recently heard you can only use the water for 2 days, because it goes bad. What is your opinion?

[@GardenerScott]

The water doesn't go bad, but bacteria multiplies quickly and can affect to quality of the water.

[@laurabartoletti6412]

Excellent information Gardener Scott, thank you! Love to learn from you. 💙🍀🥦🌶🍅🍄🧄🧅🐝🐞🪰🦟🪱🐜🐛

[@garynorcal4269]

Question ... Should I avoid overhead watering at the time of day that I see pollinator insects in my garden?

[@GardenerScott]

It shouldn't be an issue if you water at the base of the plant when the plants need water.

[@debbybrady1246]

What do you think of moisture meters?

[@GardenerScott]

I'm not a big fan. Most I've tried became unreliable in just a few days.

[@francesbatycki404]

Is garden straw a decent mulch? It’s clean. I bought two bags/bales from our village hardware store.

[@GardenerScott]

It can be a good mulch. I use it a lot.

[@francesbatycki404]

Thanks for such a quick answer. Greatly appreciated.

[@marvinmulford2536]

I watched your wartering video an enjoyed it. However, my question is “can I water with beaver / muskrat enfested water? I have a stream of water next to, inreach of the garden that could be used to water but about a half mile up stream is a beaver / musktat living area. I don’t want to harm the garden or me as I eat the vegetables.

[@GardenerScott]

It's probably okay, but if you're concerned you might want to avoid using it directly on vegetables you plan to eat.

[@soulfirexit351]

Is it not better to use room temperature water? Cold water from the hose?

[@GardenerScott]

Watering the soil can help moderate differences in temp. Air temperature water should avoid shock if sprayed on leaves.

[@mrsmc2612]

What type of mulch is that? Is that wheat straw?

[@GardenerScott]

It is straw.

[@apiecemaker1163]

Does the amount of water in the beds have anything to do with the distance from the water source? Meaning does the ones at the end of the line get more or less water than the ones closest to the source? Also, do metal beds retain more water than the wood ones? Seems like metal would do that. Just some curious questions rolling around in my head.

[@GardenerScott]

Depending on your water pressure, a long hose may supply less water than a shorter one in the same amount of time. I haven't noticed a difference in soil moisture by bed type, but a wood bed might absorb some of the water.

[@apiecemaker1163]

@@GardenerScott thank you sir for responding. Hope you have a beautiful and blessed Sunday.