Water, soils, and plants.

Abstract In food gardens, water carries plant nutrients from the roots upward, and carbohydrates from photosynthesis throughout the plant. Water is also a medium for chemical reactions, cools the plant by evaporating from the leaves, and is essential for photosynthesis. The immediate goal of garden water management is to provide plants with enough water to produce a harvest and other benefits for a reasonable investment of time, money, and other resources, and without creating salinity or waterlogging problems. Another important goal of garden water management is strengthening equitable access to good quality water for people, while providing adequate water for food production and natural ecosystems, now and in the future. This chapter looks at some concepts of water-soil-plant relationships that are key to achieving these goals as water becomes scarcer.