Watering Your Shimo

Watering your Shimo is probably the most important activity you'll undertake in order to get a bountiful harvest. 

Depending on where you live, and how much water you get in that region, and the time of year, will really determine how frequently you will need to water your Shimo. 

To get your Shimo growing quickly, you'll need to water a little bit each day. This will help you your seeds germinate, and sprout. 

A good rule of thumb for watering is, if you stick your finger into the soil 1-inch and it feels like you've stuck your finger into a piece of moist cake, you've got the right amount of moisture. If your finger feels dry, you have to add more water. 

If you have access to a hose, adjust the nozzle to a mist setting in order to water.

It's very important to make sure that you don't disturb the soil surface when watering as it may displace the seeds. 

If you don't have access to a hose, then use a spray bottle to water your seeds. 

When your seeds germinate and start to sprout, it will be even more important to be gentle when watering your seedlings. If you put too much water on them, with too much force, you may damage them. So be gentle! 

As your vegetables grow their stalks will get stronger and then you'll be able to use the regular setting on your hose, or a watering can to water your Shimo. 

Tomatoes love water! peppers like water, but just a little less than tomatoes. You will most likely need to water these every day or every other day, in the height of the summer, depending on where you are. It's not uncommon to give them a little drink of water during the morning and one more at night at the hottest point of the summer.

You'll have to be your best judge. But again, think "moist cake" 

Leafy greens like lettuce, mesclun and mustards, love water too, but less than tomatoes. They absorb a lot of the water through the surfaces of their leaves as well, and their leaves are gentle.

We suggest misting your greens daily, and give them a thorough watering every couple of days. Be mindful though, you want to make sure that you're not water too much as you'll get mold forming. 

Basil, and other herbs like some water, probably even less than leafy greens. 

Because carrots grow below the surface of the soil, they tend to get away with longer periods of time between watering, but definitely keep the soil moist! 

In general, in the early spring and fall, you'll probably water your Shimo less, than you would in the middle of the summer!  And you'll even water your Shimo less in the fall than you will in the spring. 

To learn more about how to feed your Shimo, read the blog titled "Feeding your Shimo."