Author Topic: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé  (Read 5471 times)

trailrated

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Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« on: August 23, 2016, 08:40:06 PM »
Needless to say we all have our little quirks some make life more interesting, some are funny, and some lead you to post about watering a garden on the MMM forums.

My fiancé has brought so many wonderful things to my life that I would have never explored on my own. The most recent endeavor is 3 large raised garden beds.

I thought it sounded like a lot of work and a waste of time but it has become so much more. Fresh produce, lowered costs, quality time together, and a sense of pride from accomplishment. It also lead to one argument which hopefully you all can settle. (Bonus points if it's in my favor)

The other day while I was out watering our garden she told me I was "watering the plants wrong" I laughed... Call me simple but using the watering can to pour water on plants sounded pretty basic to me. She said I have to pour water under the leaves at the base of each plant only. While I kind of just dump it all over the top of each. My logic is... It's hard to beat nature and when rain falls it hits all the leaves too. Why mess with nature?

Am I crazy or is she? Please help settle this once and for all.

LeRainDrop

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2016, 08:48:16 PM »
Neither of you is crazy, but your fiance is right:

Quote from: https://bonnieplants.com/library/hot-summer-watering/
Avoid wetting plant leaves when you can. Of course, if you use a sprinkler, it is impossible not to wet the leaves when watering the garden, so in that case, water early in the morning so that the foliage will dry early and quickly to minimize disease risk. You can put the sprinkler on a timer so that it comes on just before daybreak, when the leaves may already be wet with dew. The gardening principle here is to avoid adding to the length of time that the leaves stay wet because many diseases need moisture to thrive.

Frankies Girl

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2016, 08:48:40 PM »
Just what I read when I was starting out gardening, but depending on the type of plants, dumping water over the leaves can cause mold/rot/mildew. I had tomatoes that were especially picky about not watering the leaves (not sure if it was just hybrids that had been crossbred into being special little snowflakes or what).

It also wastes water since plants take in water through their root system.

Sorry, man.

trailrated

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2016, 08:55:05 PM »
Ahhhhh damn lol I have to mentally prepare myself before I tell her. She's going to be dancing laps around the kitchen saying "told you!"

LeRainDrop

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #4 on: August 23, 2016, 08:57:04 PM »
Ahhhhh damn lol I have to mentally prepare myself before I tell her. She's going to be dancing laps around the kitchen saying "told you!"

Hehe, glad you can at least laugh about it!  :-)

G-dog

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #5 on: August 23, 2016, 09:04:04 PM »
Yep, dogma is that it is best to water at the bottom. But like you said, that's not how rain works.

How bad is it to water from above? I've never seen any data, and I haven't looked.

You can offset this by watering in the morning so that the foliage can dry.

Fresh Bread

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #6 on: August 23, 2016, 09:50:24 PM »
We've had the same debate if that helps. He still waters the leaves...

ender

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #7 on: August 23, 2016, 10:02:50 PM »
Yep, dogma is that it is best to water at the bottom. But like you said, that's not how rain works.

Course in most places it doesn't rain every single day (or as often as you water). Or... you wouldn't be watering.

PFHC

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #8 on: August 23, 2016, 10:07:44 PM »
It is bad to water from the top because you are likely doing it when the sun is out and hot. This causes rapid evaporation which damages the plant. When ma nature makes it rain, it is usually cloudy and the rapid evaporation doesn't happen.

The best way to water is a slow soak around the base in the early morning (before sunrise) or late evening (after sunset).

Telecaster

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #9 on: August 23, 2016, 11:13:21 PM »
The other day while I was out watering our garden she told me I was "watering the plants wrong" I laughed... Call me simple but using the watering can to pour water on plants sounded pretty basic to me. She said I have to pour water under the leaves at the base of each plant only. While I kind of just dump it all over the top of each. My logic is... It's hard to beat nature and when rain falls it hits all the leaves too. Why mess with nature?

Am I crazy or is she? Please help settle this once and for all.

You're crazy for having the argument.   Let your fiance win this one.  You can thank me later. 

Tom Bri

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #10 on: August 24, 2016, 12:01:15 AM »
Everyone above is right, except...
Watering from above can help wash off some bugs, like aphids.
Watering from below will save you a lot of water, since it doesn't evaporate away as fast.

Fishindude

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #11 on: August 24, 2016, 05:20:50 AM »
Lot's of theories here, but the long and short of it is, if you're plants are thirsty, you are not going to screw up giving them water, regardless of your method, time of day, etc.

Ishmael

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #12 on: August 24, 2016, 05:26:10 AM »
My Dad ran a greenhouse for years, and is an avid gardener. His advice to me is that you should avoid watering leaves if you water in the evening, because the water doesn't evaporate and sits to potentially cause rot. In the morning, it's not as important.

However, it depends on the type of plant - some types of plants it's really important for (like tomatoes and young cucumbers/other melons), and others it doesn't really matter at all (carrots).

The rapid evaporation point that PFHC made is an interesting one I had not heard of before.

Bottom line, from my understanding, is that your SO is more right than you :)

PFHC

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #13 on: August 24, 2016, 05:33:28 AM »
I was pulling that bit about rapid evaporation causing damage from my memory. Since it is incorrect, I may have pulled it from somewhere else.

The rapid evaporation just wastes water. Also just read that hot sun on wet leaves can cause damage, but not from rapid evaporation.

Kansas Terri

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #14 on: August 24, 2016, 05:36:30 AM »
*IF* you live in a humid area then pouring water on the leaves can set you up for mildew diseases. *IF* you live in a dry area, then it does not.

The only area that tends to be humid in the bay area (I think) is in the San Francisco area. So I guess who is right would depend on how near San Francisco you are. Because, in an area of low humidity, the leaves will dry off quickly and mildew diseases are not common

Basenji

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #15 on: August 24, 2016, 05:47:47 AM »
Overhead on greens like kale or chard it's not a big deal, but beans, melons, toms, eggplant, it causes some powdery mildew. I've noticed it makes a difference.

flyAway

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #16 on: August 24, 2016, 07:47:05 AM »
However, it depends on the type of plant - some types of plants it's really important for (like tomatoes and young cucumbers/other melons), and others it doesn't really matter at all (carrots).

As usual, the MMM forum is a wealth of knowledge.  Now I know why my cucumbers wilted away and the carrots are fine.  I water in the evening, because it fits best with my schedule but obviously I need to change the when or technique of how I water.  Thanks for asking the question I never thought to ask, OP.

trailrated

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #17 on: August 24, 2016, 08:48:02 AM »
However, it depends on the type of plant - some types of plants it's really important for (like tomatoes and young cucumbers/other melons), and others it doesn't really matter at all (carrots).

As usual, the MMM forum is a wealth of knowledge.  Now I know why my cucumbers wilted away and the carrots are fine.  I water in the evening, because it fits best with my schedule but obviously I need to change the when or technique of how I water.  Thanks for asking the question I never thought to ask, OP.

Seriously, the well thought out responses with explained reasoning makes me not even feel that bad that I was wrong. Lost the argument with the fiance but I'm getting better at gardening in the process. MMM forums rock!

Goldielocks

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Re: Settle my gardening argument w fiancé
« Reply #18 on: August 24, 2016, 03:16:24 PM »
If you add fertilizer to the water, many plants (tomatoes) actually like to take in fertilizer through their leaves...   Obviously I would not do this with lettuce or greens.  So - you could be right, too.