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| Drip Systems are best for watering vegetables. Photo courtesy of University of Mississippi |
As if growing vegetables in Colorado weren't hard enough, did you know each vegetable has different water needs? Watering your vegetables properly during the growing
season is directly related to produce quality and yields. Most vegetables use around quarter-inch of water per day
during typical summer weather. If the garden is watered every four
days, apply one inch of water per irrigation. Hot, windy weather will
increase water demand significantly. Many
vegetables become strong-flavored or stringy with water stress.
CSU provides this list of some critical watering needs for selected vegetables:
- Asparagus needs water most
critically during spear production and fern (foliage) development.
Less water is needed after ferns reach full size.
- Cole crops (broccoli, cabbage,
cauliflower, collards, Brussels sprouts, kale, and kohlrabi) need
consistent moisture during their entire life span. The quality of
cole crops is significantly reduced if the plants get dry anytime
during the growing season. Water use is highest and most critical
during head development.
- Beans have the highest water use
of any common garden vegetable. During blossoming and fruit
development, beans use one-quarter to over one-half inch of water per
day. Blossoms drop with inadequate moisture levels and pods fail to
fill. On hot, windy days, blossom drop is common. When moisture
levels are adequate, the bean plant is a bright, dark, grass-green. As
plants experience water stress, leaf color takes on a slight grayish
cast. Water is needed at this point to prevent blossom drop.
- Carrot and other root crops require consistent moisture. Cracking, knobby and hot flavored root crops are symptoms of water stress.
- Corn water demand peaks during
tasseling, silking, and ear development. Water stress delays the
silking period, but not tasseling. Under mild water stress, the crop
may tassel and shed pollen before silks on ears are ready for
pollination. The lack of pollination may result in missing rows of
kernels, reduced yields, or even eliminate ear production. Yield is
directly related to quantities of water, nitrogen, and spacing.
- Lettuce and other leaf vegetables
need water most critically during head (leaf) development. For quality
produce, these crops require a constant supply of moisture.
- Onion family crops require consistent moisture and frequent irrigation due to their small, inefficient root system.
- Peas need water most critically during pod filling.
- Potatoes tubers will be knobby if they become overly dry during tuber development.
- Tomato family (tomatoes,
peppers, and eggplant) needs water most critically during flowering and
fruiting. Blossom end rot (a black sunken area on the bottom of the
fruit) is often a symptom of too much or too little water. The tomato
family has a lower water requirement than many vegetables and plants
are often over-watered in the typical home garden.
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| Avoid overhead watering. Photo courtesy of Laura Berman |
- Vine crops: cucumbers, summer
and winter squash, and assorted melons need water most critically
during flowering and fruiting. Vine crops use less water than many
vegetables and are often over-watered in the typical home garden.
Here's a complete guide to proper vegetable watering.
