Having a fresh supply of squash from your garden is exciting, especially because you never really know how healthy the food on the market shelves is. You can figure out ways to have different squash varieties and keep a constant supply of fruits for your household. However, experts say you need to have a continuous water supply for your squash to grow and be fruitful.
Most squash varieties do not need a lot of water to grow. Each squash plant needs at least 1-2 cubic inches of water (0.004-0.009 gallons) every week. To keep the soil well moisturized, you need to water your plants 4 inches deep at least once every week.
Read on to learn how and when to water your squash. I’ll also explain whether there’s such a thing as overwatering your squash plants. And finally, you’ll also learn the dangers of overwatering squash plants.
Benefits of Watering Your Squash
While you could rely on rainfall to water your squash, it is unreliable. If it’s not raining as frequently to boost your squash’s water supply, you may need to water your squash manually.
Here are some benefits of watering your squash:
- Better yields from your plants. Squash plants thrive after getting a constant and reliable water supply. You’ll have more squash at the end of the growing season since every plant needs water to gain the energy necessary to produce fruits.
- Reduced rot in the fruit. If you have a constant water supply for your squash plants, there’ll be reduced cases of rotten fruits. Squash fruits usually rot when they don’t get enough water to support their full maturity.
- Regular shaped and healthy fruit. Watering your squash plants means that the fruit will have enough water to shape and grow into maturity. If you’ve been harvesting irregularly shaped fruits, you’ve not been watering your squash plants as required.
- Reduced insect attacks. Some pests and diseases that attack squash varieties thrive in poorly watered soil. When you water your squash correctly, you reduce the occurrence of such pests.
- Proper growth and maturity for your fruit. Your squash plants have a better chance at drawing nutrients from the soil and fertilizers when the soil is moist. Consequently, your fruit will bloom to full maturity and develop stringer leaves.
- A beautiful garden. Well-watered squash plants are always a feast to the eye. Watering your plants will leave your garden looking beautiful and well-tended.
How Do You Check if Your Squash Plants Need Watering?
While it is essential to keep your squash plants well-watered, you should only give them just enough water to stay alive and produce fruit. You need to check if the plants need water before you start watering them again. So, how do you do that?
To check if your squash plants need watering, dig in a bare area near one of the squash plants. Dig as deep as 4 inches (0.03feet) into the ground and feel the soil to see if it is moist. If the soil around the plant is dry, you need to water your squash plants.
Different Methods for Watering Squash
Whether you’re growing the summer or winter varieties of squash, one sure thing is that you need to water your squash carefully and plentifully.
Squash plants have both deep and shallow root systems, which help them draw water from the soil even when other plants can’t. All the same, you need to constantly water your plants if you want a bountiful harvest at the end of the season.
Some of the different methods you could use to water your squash plants are:
- Irrigation
- A hosepipe
- Watering can
- Rainfall
So, let’s walk through how you can use these methods to keep your soil moist and your squash fruitful:
How To Water Squash Plants Through Irrigation
There are three methods of irrigation you can use to water your squash plants. You can choose the most suitable method for your garden depending on the plot’s size and the tools you have. The methods include:
Step by Step Guide on How To Use Furrow Irrigation
Furrow irrigation depends on gravity to be effective, and you’ll need a sloped garden for this method to work. Here’s how to set up this type of irrigation:
- Make furrows in between your squash plants. You’ll need to make these furrows before planting your squash so that you don’t disturb the squashes’ root systems.
- Ensure the furrows follow the slope of the garden. Furrow irrigation relies on gravity to help the water flow down the trenches to all the plants in line.
- Place a watering pipe with holes directed on each furrow. The holes will ensure that the water flows from the pipe to the grooves.
- Connect the watering pipe to a source of water. You may want to use a hose attachment, standing water such as a pond, a rain barrel, or your home’s gutters as a water source.
- Let the water flow until all plants have at least 4 inches (0.33 feet) of water below the surface. This is enough water per plant for every week.
Then, simply repeat this process every time you need to water your plants.
Step by Step Guide on How To Use Sprinkler Irrigation
- Connect the sprinkler to a source of water with a hosepipe.
- Place the sprinkler strategically in the garden to ensure the water reaches all the plants.
- If the water from the sprinkler does not reach all corners of the garden, keep rotating the sprinkler to cover all areas.
- Repeat this process whenever you need to water your plants.
Step by Step Guide on How To Use Drip Irrigation
- Place the drip pipes strategically in all the furrows between the squash plants in your garden.
- Connect the drip pipes to a reliable source of water.
- Let your plants get watered until they’ve had at least 4 inches (0.33 feet) of water for each plant.
- Disconnect the water supply, and repeat the process whenever necessary.
How To Water Your Squash Plants With a Hosepipe
Irrigation is the most efficient way of watering your squash plants. However, if this is not an option for you, you can use a hosepipe to give your plants their weekly water supply. Here’s how:
- Connect the hosepipe to a reliable source of water.
- Water your plants, one at a time, until they’ve all had enough water to last them through the week.
- Repeat the process whenever necessary.
How To Water Your Squash Plants With a Watering Can
If your squash garden is not too big, you can water your plants using a watering can. Here’s a guide on how to do it:
- Fill your watering can with clean water.
- Water each plant until it has enough water for the week.
- Repeat the process whenever necessary.
How To Water Your Squash Plants With Rainfall
This one’s simple. If you’re experiencing adequate rainfall in your area, your plants will benefit from the rainwater to keep them well-nourished. However, if the rain is unreliable, you can take up either irrigation, use hosepipes, or grab some watering cans to keep your plants well-watered.
Can You Overwater Squash?
You can overwater squash. Water is good for the proper growth of your squash fruit. However, there is such a thing as overwatering squash, which happens when plants have more water than they can absorb through their roots.
The surest way to know if you’re overwatering your plants is to check their condition. If the plants are wilting, yet the soil is wet and moisturized, you’re most likely overwatering them. Some other signs to look out for include:
- The leaves start browning and wilting.
- Water pressure build-up causes the roots to swell.
- Stunted growth in your plants.
The Dangers of Overwatering Your Squash Plants
When you water your squash plants, you expect a bountiful harvest. However, overwatering them could derail the dream. Here are some dangers of overwatering your squash plants.
- Disease susceptibility. Too much water around your squash plants can be a perfect breeding ground for pests that cause diseases.
- Powdery mildew. The excess moisture around your squash plants can cause powdery mildew around the leaves and fruits. The mildew could cause rot, besides being quite unsightly.
- Nutrient leaching. Too much water in the soil can drown away valuable nutrients. It also creates a barrier for the roots to assimilate the nutrients for the plants.
- More rot in the fruits leads to poor yields. With too much water around the squash plants, your fruits are more susceptible to rot because of the excess moisture. Most squash plants grow on the ground, making them more vulnerable to sogginess and rot.
- Low water efficiency. Too much water around your plants means that you’re wasting water that you could otherwise use for productive ventures. In such cases, it is best to harvest excess water and turn off water sources when not watering plants.
Conclusion
All squash varieties need water to grow well and produce a bountiful harvest. Each squash plant needs at least 1-2 cubic inches (0.004-0.009 gallons) of water per week, which isn’t all that much.
You can water your plants using methods such as irrigation, hosepipes, and watering cans. You can also rely on rainfall if your area receives enough rain to grow your squash plants.
However, while you water your squash plants, don’t overdo it. Overwatering your plants could lead to low yields, rot, and diseases.
