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Originally Posted by Antithesis
Thanks for the tips everyone, I'm going to be printing this off for future use ... seems like my first garden may not be too successful but hey, I've never done it before! Gotta learn some how I guess.
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Oh I am sure you will get some stuff for your labors, don't be discouraged.
You mentioned that the water pools quickly. That is one clue that the ground is too dense and compacted, you should add something to loosen up the soil like compost. And regularily loosen the surface with that 3 pronged hand rake. That should prevent a crust forming on the surface and then the water can soak through easier.
Also, I know it is south facing, but do a test for moisture before you just water on rote. Take a hand shovel, dig down, see how the moisture is for the first 6 inches or so. It should be evenly moist, not saturated.
And it is best to give your bed a good soaking and then just water dry spots if they appear, or the tomatoes which might require more water than the rest of your stuff.
A sweat hose or a soaker hose would work great in a bed your size. Just coil the hose evenly throughout your bed, and then turn on the water until the bed gets a good soaking. Not saturated, just a good soak through. Then test the soil before you water again. And just leave the hose there all season, just hook it up and water when needed. No need to remove the hose every time you use it.
And keep in mind, that your plants might need more little waterings now, because their roots are small. But once they start to grow bigger roots, then soakings are better than little waterings.