In article ,
(Pete) wrote:

In article ,
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Pete" wrote in message
...
I live in a 5-apartment building in the Bay Area which has quite a nice
garden. Though the owner has little interest in maintaining it, a woman
in another apartment likes to turn the hose on.

However, her scheme is to put the hose end at the base of a bush or tree,
and let it run for 24 hours or so... Afte I've heard it running that
long, *I* usually go and turn it off.

Yesterday I put a measuring cup under the running water, and got a pint
in about 15 seconds. [....]

Am I right in thinking this is way too much, or are my assumptions wrong
somewhere?

Without knowing what types and sizes of plants she's watering, it's hard to
say.
Mostly some rose bushes about 4ft high, and a 5ft Meyer lemon tree.
That alone is enough to say that in general, her plan is a bad one and
she should stop. Would it be correct to guess that the women is 4000 years
old?
Thanks. That's what I thought.
She's not quite that ancient, but let's just say I wouldn't want to
date her... (:-/) [And she's one of those "greens" who doesn't really
uderstand what being green means, and doesn't care as long as she can
complain about something... Which of course means she's actually unlikely
to listen to any expert advice!]

I just went and turned off the hose *again*, after putting my hand on
the ground a few feet away and finding it not just wet, but waterlogged.

-- Pete --
http://home.earthlink.net/~jchristensen/tips.html

WATERING ROSES-- If you live in an area where irrigation is necessary,
here is the general information you need regarding watering. Keep the
ground around your roses damp, but not soggy. That may require
irrigating 2-4 times per week during hot or windy weather in some
climates. Consider using a "weeping hose" on a time clock -- it's easy
to install, promotes optimal watering levels, and often saves money on
water bills. Remember to mulch your plants; this also conserves moisture
and reduces both work and expense. Watering roses, especially the
foliage, in early morning hours reduces diseases (with the major
exception of black spot). But never sprinkle rose foliage in the
afternoon or evening, since this promotes diseases and ruins your
enjoyment of roses.

http://www.ehow.com/how_3638_grow-lemon-trees.html

Water (Meyer Lemons) deeply once every 7 to 10 days in midsummer (newly
planted trees may need more frequent watering until established). Water
less often if it rains or if the weather is cool.

- Bill
Coloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)