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How often to water little veggie garden?

I LOVE to make my own salsa and thought it would be cheaper and better to plant my own organic garden of hot peppers. Anyway, most seeds I received from family and some I bought at the store and made sure the package said organic seeds. Right now, a few of each seeds are planted in 4 inch clay pots. I did that because I live in a townhouse and have no real backyard or gardening area. As of now, I'm watering them at night because that's when my kids are asleep and aren't trying to try and 'help' by pouring more water on my seeds. I need to know what time of day is best to water and how often to water? Thanks for your help.

Public Comments

1. If the seeds have not sprouted yet, it doesn't matter what time of day you water but you need to keep the soil moist at all times. Clay pots tend to let the soil dry out. You might want to enclose the pots in a little plastic bag until the seeds sprout. I sprout seeds in a plastic tray with a lid to keep it humid. Once they sprout, then you would just water as needed. You will want to move the plants to bigger pots when there are a few leaves on each plant. I would recommend something that holds water better than clay, but with a drainage hole in the bottom.
2. It's best not to water during the hottest part of the day, because the water is more likely to evaporate then. And since they're members of the nightshade family, like tomatoes and eggplant, they're probably going to be water hogs, but how often you need to water will depend on how hot it's been and how much rain you've had lately. It's best to tell how often to water them by sticking your finger into the pot about 1". If the soil is moist, they're fine, but if it's dry, they need water.
3. You are best off to water early in the morning before the sun gets up high, watering at night can cause other problems. Letting your kids *help* isn't a bad idea, btw. Give them a container with a limited amount of water and a plant each and let them care for their own plant. Bean seeds in large pots or clear jars (plant the beans right against the jar side) will grow and the kids can watch them sprout and see the root growth. We've done this in large peanut butter jars with some stones in the bottom for drainage quite successfully.
4. I know I'm flying in the face of accepted wisdom here, but I usually water my garden and veg patch at night - mainly because I'm out at work by 6.30 am and don't get home until 7.30 in the evening so the only time I have to water is at night. I really haven't noticed a problem with watering at night but them I live in the UK which is a really temperate climate. Maybe if you live somewhere hotter then it would be better to water in the morning.