Polytunnel watering regime?

[HeatheryWalesParticipant]

Should I water the areas that have no plants in them? Wondering whether all the soil needs to be wet in order to support a healthy population of worms & microscopic life in it. The soil is very dry to quite a depth because it is an old polytunnel. This is my first season with one. I did soak it before mulching but it dried out very quickly.

[charlesModerator]

Sounds like it needs more soaking.
Once soil is dry to depth, you cannot moisten it in one go, it needs time to absorb moisture, say 20 minutes per day for a week, depending on the area.
The push a bamboo in to see.
Once fully moist to considerable depth, you can leave it unwatered (and in our UK climate uncovered) until it’s time to sow and plant, because the damp soil will hold the moisture under a drying mulch.

[RandAParticipant]

Hi I have just been up to our polytunnel and the soil was very dry, so I have made 22 holes abut 30 cm diameter and filled with water and like Charles says it takes some time to saturate the area, so every day I will poor water into each hole let it drain out then fill again and by the end of the week or longer the soil will be lovely to work with. Good luck

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