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I have a 2'x10' raised garden bed and I have planted tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumber, and herbs. I'm in zone 10 (southern California) and the garden gets at least 6 hours of direct sun. I do not plan on installing an irrigation system any time soon.

How often and for how long should I water the garden to ensure the entire root system is watered but isn't being overwatered? How do I know if I'm overwatering?

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  • Is the raised bed sitting on soil and open at the base, or raised up on legs? Is it wooden construction (if its on legs)? When you say 2' x 10', is that the length and width? If so, what's the depth? A photo might be useful...
    – Bamboo
    Jun 17, 2020 at 15:23
  • @Bamboo it's sitting on hard soil that has some rocks/gravel (I tried removing as much as I could). I laid a weed barrier on the ground and stapled hardwire cloth to the bottom of the bed. The bed is made of Douglas Fir wood. Yes, 2x10 is the length and width. Depth is 18"
    – Afrodeezy
    Jun 17, 2020 at 15:52
  • I don't know what hardwire cloth is - just trying to ascertain whether whatever's underneath is water permeable, meaning water can go through it?
    – Bamboo
    Jun 17, 2020 at 16:08
  • @Bamboo that's right. Hardwire cloth is a mesh made of wire so it will allow water to drain but will keep animals from burrowing their way in. I added a pic to the post as well.
    – Afrodeezy
    Jun 17, 2020 at 17:02

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Thanks for the extra information. Given your bed is sitting on soil and is able to drain, over watering shouldn't be an issue. Water when the surface of the soil feels just about dry to the touch; water well with a few litres (I would probably use 5, maybe 6 litres). Any excess will drain away. You will need to water more often as the plants grow larger, so later, you should check the dryness of the soil probably daily.

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  • This is helpful, thank you.
    – Afrodeezy
    Jun 17, 2020 at 18:28

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