By  Grady Sampson
A good many gardeners in Dillon County haven’t had to worry about it in recent days, but there is more than one way to water the vegetables when skies shower down nothing but sunlight.
The watering can, the garden hose, the portable lawn sprinkler, the soaker hose and drip systems will all do the basic job of getting water to where it is needed, but they are not all equally efficient.
“Drip, also called trickle irrigation, requires special equipment, but it is the best method for conserving water. With drip the gardener can replace water lost on a daily basis.
The watering can and garden hose are fine for small gardens. The overhead sprinklers are convenient, but not very water-efficient.  On hot, windy days, especially with small droplets, a considerable amount of water is lost to evaporation.
Many sprinklers do not provide a uniform application pattern, which makes it necessary to move the sprinkler around to provide adequate overlap.
Oscillating sprinklers apply water more evenly than overhead sprinklers and can be easily adjusted to cover square or rectangular areas. The soaker hose is an inexpensive, easy watering tool. It conserves water because the flow is directed into the ground near the plant with little loss to runoff or evaporation.
Whatever method you use to water your garden, keep in mind that a plant goes through stages of growth when it needs more water.