Pumpkin Patch Update June 4, 2016

So this is the latest from the patch. Good growth so far. I originally had my doubts about how much water the soaker hose was getting to the pumpkins. I have to rebury it regularly because of soil erosion caused by the wind and rain. It has dried out and heated up a bit here and that has helped growth. I will be watering about every other day from here on out but maybe a little less than that depending on rain. The forecast will be upper 80s to low 90s this week and dry as a bone, so I will water for about fifteen to twenty minutes with the soaker hose going.

As you can see, the hose is buried and water is slowly soaking into the roots below. Be careful to watch for soil erosion because the earth will be less compact because the soaker hose is buried. Only turn your water on to about 5 psi. That is a steady flow, but not much pressure. The water will take a minute to reach the end of the hose, so I would leave it on for fifteen minutes or so. Because I worry a bit too much, I probably left it on for twenty minutes or a bit more today. If you want to check ground saturation, just dig into the mound with your hand. Underneath the surface will be exceedingly muddy. You will be amazed. Using the hose will maximize the amount of water getting into the root system of your pumpkins. As you can see, the hose is only watering underneath the mounds, which is saving you water, money, and limiting the amount of weed growth to other areas of the garden. In a few weeks, these plants will be huge. I will add fertilizer again next week, and hopefully a little rain after this dry week will really get them rolling! Any questions, just comment below.

The Tempest