Watering by Hand

I really enjoy hand watering.

Water droplets on a leaf of Russian Red Kale

Certainly there are more efficient ways to water your garden and we do have drip hoses in some of our raised beds.  Since our irrigation water comes from a pond, we use drip hoses which have drippers every 10" as weeping hoses clog up with algae.  These lines are in beds which have crops needing more and consistent water needs such as the tomatoes, onions and the Three Sisters beds.

Drip hose running through the onion bed

But there's something about watering by hand that is just so satisfying - indeed necessary.  I spend some of my best thinking time directing water to the bases of plants.  It's a good time to plan next year's garden.  Decide what has worked and what has not.  Think of other ways to improve crops and possibly what new plant you might want to try.  It also allows you time to have a good look at your crops while they're growing.  You can spot problems while they're still small such as aphids on a rosebud and monitor changes in plants like onions prematurely going to seed.

Hand watering is a peaceful occupation, a great stress reducer and a time to observe in depth the changes at work in my garden.  To me, it's not just a pleasant luxury - it's a necessity!