On 11/26/2013 1:58 PM, SteveB wrote:
I live in a basically high desert community of 3500' elevation. We get
our ag water for $100 a year. I have a sprinkler system, but the garden
is off one station, the rest go to trees and the yard. I can't really
program a lot of separate times on these timers, so I think that my
garden perhaps gets watered more than it should.

I am not a morning person. Nor am I heat tolerant. So, sometimes my
garden gets neglected. I know that a big key of gardening is frequent
checking to catch things before they get bad.

What are some insights into basic watering? Spray, or ditch? Top
water? Water just those that need it with a hose? Let it get dry
between watering? What is the trick?

Steve sw utah, 5a zone


If your climate is somewhat arid, see my "Gardening During a Drought" at
http://www.rossde.com/garden/drought.html. Where I live, it's almost
permanent drought.

If you are serius about gardening in the U.S. in or west of the Rocky
Mountains, invest in a copy of Sunset's "Western Garden Book". Unlike
the US Department of Agriculture, which only considers winter low
temperatures, Sunset's climate zones take into account summer high
temperatures, persistent cloud cover, prevailing winds, humidity,
lengths of growing seasons, and other factors. For south-western Utah,
Sunset indicates three different climate zones, with a significant
difference between Cedar City and St. George.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary