Watering pumpkins outdoors. How often to water?
Content:
Watering pumpkins in the open field should be carried out according to the regimen. Namely: at the right time for the growth of culture. Watering rules are quite simple.
Watering pumpkin outdoors: water for irrigation
Not every water is suitable for watering pumpkins outdoors. It must be clean. And most importantly - not cold for pumpkins. The temperature for irrigation should be about 20 degrees. In order for the plant to grow and develop correctly, in no case should it be watered with ice water. If the water is dirty, then the plant may develop fungal diseases.
There are several groups of irrigation water:
- tap water;
- water from a well or key;
- rain watering;
- water from rivers and lakes.
The best water for watering pumpkins outdoors is rainwater. Unless, of course, there are no chemical enterprises not far from the vegetable garden. Rain water can be collected in a bucket in advance. So she will have time to settle a little. Then, using a hose or a watering can, water the pumpkin in the open field.
Tap water is considered the most affordable. Because for irrigation, you just need to collect tap water in a container. The only negative is that it is cold enough for crops. Therefore, it needs to be warmed in the sun so as not to drive the pumpkin into a stressful state.
The good thing about water from a spring or a well is that it is very clean. And also contains useful trace elements. The plant grows faster from such water. Such water is also worth warming in the sun.
Water from rivers, lakes and ponds can only be used if no film appears on it after settling the water. Because such a film indicates toxic substances.
Watering pumpkin outdoors: types of watering
There are several methods for watering pumpkin outdoors:
- manual watering;
- semi-automatic watering;
- automatic watering.
Manual watering
The most common irrigation method is hand watering the pumpkin outdoors. In this case, use a hose. Thanks to which the water is sprayed, as it were. In no case should you water the pumpkin with a strong stream. Because it will damage the young seedlings. As well as rhizomes. You can use a hose attachment. It can be used to spray water. It will be more convenient. This method is mainly suitable for small areas.
Semi-automatic watering
In larger areas, it will be more convenient to use semi-automatic irrigation. For such watering, pipes or hoses with cut holes are placed between the bushes. Thanks to which water flows to the pumpkins in a small trickle. For such watering, you just need to turn on the tap. And also make sure that the pumpkin rhizomes are not washed out of the soil.
Automatic watering
The most energy efficient, but the most costly method is automatic watering of the pumpkin in the open field. There is a timer in it, according to which the water itself turns on and off. Which is very convenient.
On a note! Today there are automatic systems that set the irrigation time themselves. They are guided by soil moisture and weather conditions.
Watering a pumpkin during a drought
In extreme heat and lack of moisture, the pumpkin most badly needs abundant watering. And also during a drought period, you should pay attention to the pumpkin tops.If the leaves become lifeless and dry, it means that the pumpkin is not getting enough water.
During periods of severe drought and heat, the crop should be irrigated once every couple of days. After sunset. This should be done in order to prevent the vegetables from drying out. During the night, the pumpkin manages to absorb moisture. And also to cheer up well.
Watering pumpkins outdoors during flowering
During the formation of the ovaries, the pumpkin should be given special care. As well as proper irrigation. If at this moment you do not give the vegetable sufficient moisture, this can provoke the flowers and ovaries to fall off. Which will lead to the death of the fruit. During this period, the pumpkin becomes more whimsical in irrigation.
What should be the water for watering pumpkin in the open field?
- in no case should the water be ice cold;
- before irrigation, you need to pull out weeds. And also carry out the first loosening around each bush;
- water should not be spared and the pumpkins should be abundantly irrigated.
During the flowering period, the first fertilization of the bushes is carried out. And also cut off weak ovaries. If it rains, then watering is not worth it. Because the pumpkin is oversaturated with moisture.
Important! It is advisable to fertilize the topsoil before irrigation.
Watering pumpkin in the open field during the period of crop formation
During this period, the pumpkin also needs volumetric irrigation. This irrigation is carried out once every seven days. When it is too hot outside, irrigation should be carried out more often, depending on the condition of the pumpkins and soil. Such irrigation has been carried out since the beginning of August.
When the pumpkin fruit is fully formed, then it is worth stopping irrigation. Basically, this time falls in mid-August. During this period, the fruit should be saturated with useful components and sugar, as well as the formation of a thick crust, which significantly increases the storage time of the fruit.
Regularity of watering
To calculate the number of watering pumpkin in the open field, you need to take into account the weather and climatic conditions. If the weather is mostly rainy, then the culture is watered when the soil is completely dry. It is not often worth irrigating the soil under the vegetables, but with an abundant amount of water, since the rhizomes of the fruit reach about three hundred centimeters, and the leaves, due to their rather large diameter, evaporate a lot of moisture.
How to water the culture
An approximate scheme for watering pumpkin in the open field:
- After planting the pumpkin for the first fifteen days, it is not worth watering it, in order for it to better take root and form rhizomes.
- After this irrigation should be carried out once a week, about eight liters for each bush, observing the moisture content of the soil.
- During flowering and fruit formation, the pumpkin should be irrigated with a sufficient amount of water, increasing its volume to ten liters under one bush. In this case, you need to water so that the vegetable does not oversaturate with water. From an excess of moisture, rhizomes and stems can rot.
- Fifteen to twenty days before harvesting the fruits, irrigation is no longer worthwhile to allow the fruits to be nourished with useful microelements. One has only to loosen the soil around the bushes.
Important! Pumpkin requires different amounts of water at different stages of growth.
Suitable time of day for irrigation
Vegetables should be watered in the morning or in the evening, in the afternoon the sun with its rays can burn the wet leaves of the vegetable. Also, water from the soil can evaporate too quickly without saturating the culture.
When it's hot outside, vegetables should be irrigated only in the evening. Indeed, in the coming night, vegetables will be able to get enough moisture. If the crop is irrigated in the morning in hot weather, there will be too little time left for saturation. There is a risk that when watering the pumpkin in the morning in hot weather, the sun's rays can also burn the leaves and evaporate all moisture from the soil.
Proper watering of pumpkin outdoors
There are two most common methods for watering, but each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Hole irrigation. When each plant grows in its own hole, water is poured under each bush.Then the rhizomes will receive all the moisture intended specifically for them. But this method is quite energy-intensive for gardeners.
Furrow irrigation. In this case, the bushes are seated in one line. Water is directed along furrows through which vegetables are fed. The disadvantage of such watering is that some bushes receive more moisture, while others receive less. But this method of watering will save you a lot of time.
If the plot has a slope, then you should not use the furrows for irrigation, since the water will quickly flow down very quickly, without having time to moisten the roots.
What you need to pay attention to
During watering, you should pay attention to the fact that the water must go under the bush and feed it, however, it is important not to allow the rhizomes to be exposed. Irrigating the leaves is also undesirable. Watering the entire bush, including those with leaves, can be done only in the evening so that the sun's rays do not burn the plant.
Watering pumpkin outdoors: irrigation errors
When you grow a pumpkin in your area, it is worthwhile to properly irrigate it. Because your mistakes can lead to her complete death.
- Irrigation during the day when exposed to sunlight can burn the plant.
- The use of dirty or icy water slows down the development of the fruit.
- Too little or too much water can cause the plant to rot.
- A strong pressure of water can expose the rhizomes and injure the crop, which can lead to its death.
- If you water the pumpkin before the harvest itself, then it will not be sweet and will not have time to take for itself a sufficient amount of useful components. At the same time, it will not form a thick crust, without which the fruits cannot be stored for a long time.
Outcome
When growing a pumpkin, you need to look not only at the condition of the bushes, but also at the condition of the soil. It should not be dehydrated or covered with weeds. Weed grass attracts moisture and useful trace elements, so they need to be removed in a timely manner.
When watering pumpkin outdoors, it is worth following some watering systems and rules; this is quite easy, since getting tasty fruits is worth it. May you succeed and may your fruits be the most delicious!