Your garden needs lots of water deep down into the soil in order to produce a rich and lush garden. We don’t always have time to water our gardens and that can cause problems with their growth and the production of fruit. Here are a 
few suggestions that will help you keep your garden watered without the hassle of lugging around a garden hose and then having to reel it back in.
Soaker Hoses Work Great
Many people purchase soaker hoses to irrigate their gardens and for good reason. Soaker hoses help keep the soil moist and all you have to do is turn them on. If you have a very large garden you can actually run a water line to your garden with PVC and a spigot for each soaker hose you use. When your garden needs watering, simply turn on the spigot and voile you have easy irrigation. Do not bury the hose because they will collapse under the weight of the soil and will not irrigate your garden at all.
Milk Jug Olla
An olla is a vessel that is used to water specific areas of your garden. They are traditionally terracotta in extremely arid climates but you can fashion one out of plastic milk jugs that work just as well.
- Empty your milk jug and wash it with warm soapy water making sure you have rinsed it well after washing.
- Puncture holes in the jug. You want a large quantity of holes so use something that will puncture the holes easily about an inch apart all over the jug. You don’t need holes in the bottom or the top two inches. A drill and small drill bit is ideal for the job.
- Dig a hole in the garden as deep as the jug so that only the top inch or two is exposed. Cover the jug with soil and you are ready to begin your irrigation
- This should be done before planting your garden so that you do not disturb the roots. Check it regularly to see if it needs topping and do so when needed.
Irrigation Lines
Before planting your garden, consider placing PVC in the ground between rows to allow for irrigation. You will have to drill holes in the PVC about every inch or so on two sides and cap one end. Run another line from your water spigot to the garden with as many spigots as you need for your lines. Placing the holes only on the sides of the PVC waters two rows at a time so lines are only needed every third row. For instance place one between rows one and two, then one between three and four and so on. Once you get your irrigation lines placed, you can begin planting. After you have planted your garden, simply walk out on a regular basis and turn the water to the irrigation lines on and walk away for a while. Don’t forget to turn the water off though or your garden will literally rot.
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