Author Topic: New Allotment  (Read 5575 times)

Digeroo

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  • Cotswolds - Gravel - Alkaline
Re: New Allotment
« Reply #20 on: October 12, 2017, 08:00:19 »
Hopefully you will get enough rain up north, but it can be very sparse here.  Though I do admit some people seem to do a lot of watering.  I reckon one allotment on our site uses more water than everyone else put together.   
I do think plants need a bit to get going, though I do try and plan my sowing with the weather forecast. 
How much rain did you have yesterday?  We had just enough to wet the ground.  And how much rain have you had this week?  We have had three showers each enough just to wet the ground.   Our next forecast rain is next Wednesday. 


Vinlander

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  • North London - heavy but fertile clay
Re: New Allotment
« Reply #21 on: October 12, 2017, 09:24:39 »
I often gasp with disbelief when I see people watering large sections of their plot (not just seedbeds) using a fine spray on their hose in dry weather - I'd guess 90% evaporates and the roots only get 10% - there may be a bit of foliar "feeding" too but it's tiny. It's a waste of water exactly when water is short.

It's also a massive waste of time - any spray attachment reduces the flow - I'd guess by 2 on coarse or 3-4 on fine? (and in dry weather everyone else's watering is reducing the pressure by 10 or more) so you feel sorry for the plants and the dozy sod with the hose - actually satisfying their plants is taking 10x as long as using an open hose.

I do keep a trigger sprayer in the shed, they can be very convenient for controlling the flow (on coarse) eg, to avoid washing the soil away on the rare occasions when I want to water the ridges (usually just after planting) instead of soaking between them  - though I often just reach for the can...

Cheers.

With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

johhnyco15

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Re: New Allotment
« Reply #22 on: October 12, 2017, 14:06:21 »
here on the sunshine coast we have drought conditions every summer and very sandy soil however with good soil maintenance ie plenty of organic matter every autumn after seedling are away i dont water at all except for greenhouse crops and runner beans once a week
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

 

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