To insure success in the cultivation of plants in frames it is
necessary to provide some means of applying water to the soil.
Occasionally the supply of water can be obtained from the system of
some city, but more often it must be pumped from a well or stream and
stored for use in an elevated tank. Watering is generally done during
the late afternoon, but should be completed early enough to permit the
foliage to become reasonably dry before closing the frames for the
night. If the plants are young and very tender it will be important to
avoid too great a degree of moisture. Serious losses from "damping-off"
often result from excessive moisture, especially at night, when
evaporation is not so rapid as during the day. Many gardeners make
the mistake of watering too often and not doing the work thoroughly.
Under ordinary conditions twice a week will be often enough to apply
water, and in winter, when evaporation is at its lowest point, once
a week will be sufficient. In watering the sash-covered frames it is
necessary either to remove the sash or to prop them up high enough to
permit working under them. As a rule the sash are taken off early in
the morning of a bright day, the soil is stirred, sometimes a little
fertilizer is added, later in the day the bed is watered, and toward
night the sash are replaced.