Irregular watering, i.e letting the soil in your veg garden go from very very dry to suddenly well watered, causes several issues that can be easily avoided if you aim instead for consistent moisture levels. Below are a few of these issues for you to peruse. Prevention is better than cure, so keep an eye on the moisture levels in your plot, and try not to let soil dry out completely before you get things watered.
Splitting
One of the more common issues caused is known as splitting. This can affect a variety of different crops in different ways…
- Tomato skins can crack open
- Cabbages can reach near-maturity and suddenly split down the middle
- Carrots and beetroots can split right down the root
Leaf Curl
Most frequently seen in tomato plants, some plants will reflexively curl in their leaves as a self-defense mechanism if they are being subjected to very dry and then very wet conditions.
Poor Crop/Yield
Especially true of fruit plants (and fruiting vegetable plants, like peas, beans, tomatoes etc) – you may find that the plants do not produce such an abundant crop when they are suffering from irregular watering.
Premature Bolting
Whist this is often seen during hot spells, it can also be seen as a result of irregular watering. The plant may flower far too early and go to seed, due to stress. In effect, the plant believes it is better to put out new seeds asap rather than continuing to hope that conditions improve.