Overhead view of the battery-operated water timer
The tank on the right is the water supply for the pumpkins.
So far, so good!
Good evening, Pumpkinistas!
At a Still Undisclosed Location Somewhere in Southern California-The boxes are off the plants and mounds, and the automatic, 500-gallon, gravity-fed watering system is in place!
I am very encouraged to report that the giant pumpkin seedlings have survived their first week. The rather upright geometry of the seedlings can be directly attributed to me for not removing the boxes that were sheltering the newly planted seedlings until this afternoon. The saying that the best fertilizer is the shadow of the gardener/giant pumpkin grower is so true. (In a few days, the leaves will grow more horizontal/descend, I hope!)
Because the soil is so sandy, it absorbs water like a sponge with a leak. So, the current watering program will be 2 hours/day, starting at 6:00 a.m.. The watering time would be normally 15-20 minutes/day this time of the season. But, since I am relying on gravity for water pressure, the water flow is much more gentle than in previous seasons and locations. One of the features of the system is there some algae growth in the tank. So, I am hoping that watering with some plant material will help combat the very sandy soil.
Good luck!
