These Vegetables Require Less Water Than Most Other Vegetables
Everything has gone up in price this year, including utilities like your water bill. While growing vegetables in your backyard can be charming and empowering, it is not very efficient (compared to farms) in terms of water use. There are several ways to become more efficient and sustainable, including using drip irrigation, but another way is to only plant vegetables that don’t need too much water to begin with.
The main thing is to water at the root
Before we get into specific vegetables, it’s important to give some general watering tips.
Remember that vegetables get moisture through their roots, which live underground. Watering from above, for example from a hose or sprinkler, has problems: the plants become more wet than the roots, which creates conditions for the spread of disease; you water less accurately, so you waste water; and the action of water on dirt causes droplets to bounce back up along with fungi or viruses contained in the dirt, which also contributes to the spread of disease. Careful and consistent watering at ground level using drip irrigation is the best option for both the plant and your wallet.
To ensure efficient watering, group plants with similar watering needs in your garden so you can adjust the drip to water less.
But it’s even more important to remember that roots grow over time. A new seedling has shallow roots, while a late season plant has deep roots. More roots mean the plant can absorb more water from deeper layers of the soil. Fewer roots mean less soil moisture, so more water is needed at shallower depths. (Although some vegetables, such as corn and lettuce, always have shallow roots and therefore are not suitable for less water.)
Greenhouse plants
According to Oregon State University , tomato plants’ watering needs are negated by the deep roots the plants develop throughout the season. As stated above, water early enough in the season when the roots are taking root, but be careful not to overwater, which will leave the roots close to the surface.
If a plant needs water, the roots will grow deeper in search of moisture. Significantly reducing watering, if not cutting it off completely mid-season, should not harm your crop. Lack of surface water will reduce the spread of disease and tomatoes will ripen if watering is reduced. It’s not just tomatoes: zucchini, which includes squash, summer and winter squash, as well as melons, eggplants and hot peppers, behave similarly in terms of water requirements and roots.
Beans
Most legumes, especially legumes, have adapted to drought conditions over time. This way they can survive and produce flowers and fruits with minimal humidity. Beans require water to germinate, so if you are guiding a sow, make sure the seeds have a consistent level of moisture. After germination, you can reduce (but not eliminate) the amount of water. Because beans have such a short season (usually 60 days or less), they require less water, simply because they have been around for less time. Less moisture will reduce common bean problems such as powdery mildew, a fast-spreading surface fungus.
Chard and okra
Some heat-tolerant vegetables, such as chard and okra, still require water, but do so with weekly or biweekly deep watering rather than daily drip watering. Okra comes from drier climates and prefers less water. The plant’s deep roots allow it to draw enough water from the soil to support itself. Chard and kale can use their huge leaves to shade the ground, which is an effective form of moisture retention. Periodic heavy watering will be enough to keep the plant growing.
Blueberries prefer less moisture
I know blueberries are a fruit and not a vegetable, but I still felt obligated to include the tip here. Consider this a bonus tip.
A few years ago, Micah Geiselman, a blueberry farmer at Morning Shade Farm in Canby, came to inspect my many bushes and gave some surprising advice: “People overwater their blueberries,” he explained to me. They appreciate good drainage and cope better with less water.
I have since changed the blueberry planting height to allow for better drainage and moved the watering lines farther out – the results have been stunning. My yield was higher, but the berries themselves were plumper and tastier. Of course, this is not the final result as there are too many variables to consider, but I take the advice of a blueberry expert seriously.