I’ve expanded my raised beds this year and am wondering about the best way to provide these plants with water. I usually water by hand, but now that seems like a lot with this expansion. Any suggestions? WT

Water for our gardens is oftentimes one of the last things we think about. We are excited about our new or expanded garden beds and have now gotten most of the plants in the ground. And even though we haven’t had a lot of rain this spring, our plants are doing good because it’s not hot yet. But we know the heat is coming, so it’s time to give a little thought to how we provide our plants with the water they need.

Hand watering is a good option if your garden isn’t very large. By hand watering I mean a garden hose connected to a water wand of some type. Hand watering is great because it gets you out in the garden where you can keep an eye on how your plants are doing which helps you identify potential issues before they become big problems. However, not everyone has the time or the inclination to stand outside when it’s 95 degrees to hand water their plants. Because of this, most gardens will benefit from some type of irrigation system.

There are lots of different watering methods to consider. First up would be a soaker hose. Soaker hoses are porous hoses that let the water seep out into the garden. Soaker hoses are probably the easiest entry point into irrigating your garden. You just lay the hose down in the area it is needed and connect it to your water source. One challenge with these hoses is getting the water exactly where you need it since soaker hoses can sometimes be a bit unruly concerning where they want to be versus where you want them to be. Another downside to soaker hoses is that they tend to push out more water near the source end of the hose that the tail end of the hose. These are not deal-breakers, but just be aware.

Next up would be the micro-spray kits that are available. These kits provide all the connections you need to custom fit your watering system to your garden. Basically, using the tubing provided in the kit, you run water to where it’s needed and hook up a small emitter head for each of your plants. In this way you get water delivered exactly where you need it to be with very little waste. Timers are also available for these so the watering of your garden can be a hands-off process.

Next up from these would be a variety of drip tape and drip hose options which again will require some assembly to set up properly. However, drip tape is what we are using at our farm Seed to Supper Farm to water the plants and it works really well.

In any event, just remember that early morning is the best time to water. This gives your plants the water they need for the day and helps the leaves dry off which helps minimize the likelihood of disease. Good luck!

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo: OSU Ag. Communications