[TomatoDon]

b54red, the way I handled the water problem was to take 2 or 3 inch PVC pipe and cut it into 24 -30 inch lengths. I put one end in the planting hole. Put it just deep enough to anchor the pipe firmly. You don't want it too deep where you are watering under the main root zone. Just deep enough to anchor it (4-6 inches usually for me), and this will also cause the water to seep in more slowly.

I cut one section out of my CRW cage and tilt the other end of the pipe through it. the CRW also helps to anchor the PVC pipe and you can even tie the pipe to the wire if you need to for more stability. Tilting them away from the bed and out toward the walkway makes them easy to see and use when the plants are big and full of foliage. I just walk down the row with a hose and fill up each pipe. Takes maybe 10 seconds each. All the water goes to the root zone with no waste and no water run off from the top of the beds, and no water on top for the weeds.

If you need to fertilize with water soluable fertilize you can mix up your fertilizer and pour it in the pipes with a bucket or whatever you want to use, then go back and fill the pipes with water to dilute it more and get it on to the roots. If it's dry fertilizer you can just pour a little in the pipe and water it.

You use a fraction of the water and I can't find anything that works better.

DS

If roots and the width of your beds is getting to be a problem, now is the time to take up the old system and put in a new one. I did that last winter. A 24 - 36 inch wide bed is usually ideal for maintaining with having to do all the stretching. One trick I learned when I went to 60" beds with corn or "row" crops, was not to plant the rows down the length of the bed, but instead put small rows from side to side, on the width. This way you can walk down the side of the beds and reach from one side to the other with a hoe, rake, etc. If this is still a bit of a stretch, you can easily reach to the center of the row from one side, and then tend the other side by walking down the walkway beside it on the opposite side. Going side to side like this, you never have to reach far with a hoe or stretch much with your arm to pick your harvest.