drought affecting crops

[adrianhumph]

Hi all,
          Just wondering how other people have been affected by the continuing drought. Here in the south east it is particularly arid. :(  Personally, my beetroot crop has been poor , with beets only half the size of last year (detroit 2)  My spinach went to seed  almost instantly, and  getting any thing to germinate in the last 3 weeks has been impossible. :(

                                                    Adrian.

[adrianhumph]

[westsussexlottie]

the same for us in West Sussex.
Everything looks very sad.
Fortunately we are forecast RAIN!

[jennym]

Can't remember when we last had rain here. Vegetables like beetroot suffering too. Fruit not too bad, but raspberries are a bit small. No lettuce (slugs eat it as soon as I plant it out).

[wardy]

My toms and runners are showing no signs of any fruit  :(   Radish seedlings look fine as do the dwarf french beans.  Aubs look a bit poorly and no sign of fruit.  Picked spuds, massive bulb fennel, carrots and french bean "Sonesta" for tea and they looked fine eating  :)  Still plenty of onions and garlic, carrots, beetroots (north derbyshire by the way)

I bet you it will rain tomorrow evening as I'm going to an outdoor proms concert  ;D

[ina]

The rain came just in time here in Holland but sadly, also strong wind.

[Mrs Ava]

Carrots are struggling.  Beetroots are small, but perfectly formed, however, later sowings have hardly germinated!  Radish and turnips didn't germinate.  Spring onions are slow at bulking up.  Runner beans are struggling, altho some of my french are doing okay, but others aren't!  Toms however, on the plot, starting to redden up!  Charlotte spuds have really done well, and the raspberries haven't minded the lack of water at all!

Us Essex girls and boys really could do with a good 24 hours of the wet stuff though, before all of my topsoil blows away in this wind!

[Icyberjunkie]

Likewise -  as also in west sussex.  The other allotmenteers say thisis the worst harvest in 8 years.  I'm struggling to get my calabrese to form properly without the flowers opening first and my late cauliflowers are hardly growing.

The only good thing about it is very clean potatoes with the soil so dry its like pulling them out of sand...

[kelso]

Although it was very dry the year before last, I think this year it's hit earlier in the growing season. :(

[BAGGY]

Me and sis were on the plot for 5 hours today and did nothing but weed and comiserate about dead stuff.  Rain please.  Preferably from 11pm to 6am solid or am I asking too much ??

[Robert_Brenchley]

The only crop I have that's looking good is honey, which is brilliant so far. Bees like heatwaves, but if it goes on too long the nectar dries up as the plants run out of water. The honey I'm getting looks like pretty pure bramble, which is deep rooting and reliable in dry weather, but not my favourite by any means (light coloured, bland, extremely runny; when it crystallises, it does so rather coarsely). Other plants I usually see bees on are being ignored.

[sandersj89]

Well we seem to be getting a good soaking here is West Sussex at the moment, raining since 4am and faorcast until early afternoon. Should help no end!

Jerry

[carloso]

Poor old Fennel made a bolt for the door unfortunatly but look pretty anyway !!

carl

[mark_h]

Well we seem to be getting a good soaking here is West Sussex at the moment,

Same here in Hampshire- when was the last time we actually had a decent amount of rain- I've forgotten!

Mark

[Marianne]

The wet stuff is really coming down here in Hertfordshire !

Who is it who sang "Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face" - ?? 

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Merlins Mum]

I must be lucky as all mine is doing really quite well although I don't water, except for puddling in when I plant out.  Granted I don't have a lot as this is my first year and at the moment we are not sure if any of us are going to be allowed to stay next year. :(
But my runner and french beans are producing quite well, have courgettes, beetroot and that much lettuce, if we had salad twice a day we still wouldn't eat it all.  Carrots a bit small but coming along and have picked two cucumber (outdoor variety).  And my little sweetcorn field is fantastic.
Hence I'm on a high, sorry  :)
MM