How to Grow More Vegetables

Watering tomato plants using a wand

To determine how much water to give a bed each day,
strive for a ½- to 15-second “shiny.”^5 When you 9rst
begin to water, a shiny layer of excess water will appear
on top of the soil. If you stop watering immediately, the
shiny layer will disappear quickly. You should water
until the shiny layer remains for ½ to 15 seconds after
you have stopped watering. The actual time involved
will di<er depending on your soil’s texture. The more
clayey the texture, the longer the time will be. A newly
prepared bed with good texture and structure will
probably have enough water when a ½- to 3-second
shiny is reached. A newly prepared clayey bed may
indicate that it has enough water with a 3- to 5-second
shiny, since a clayey soil both retains more moisture and
lets the water in less rapidly. A month-old bed (which
has compacted somewhat due to the watering process)
may require a 5- to 8-second shiny, and beds 2 to 3