rain

[bennettsleg]

I heard tell that this is probably going to be a dry year. 

Having just discovered that my beloved celeriac is a marsh plant and knowing fully that beans are thirsty unless you actually like them stringy, what is the best way to try and forstall any damage that the dry weather may inflict?

Yours, a little tiddly and somewhat wailing at the thought of a lost year... :'(

[bennettsleg]

[Jesse]

Last year was a dry year, my allotment neighbour didn't water his beans and cabbages at all apart from the first few weeks after planting out. He said that by not watering it encouraged the roots to grow deep in search of moisture, when you water it encourages the roots to stay at the surface where it gets dry quickly. I struggled with the wateringcan whilst he did nothing and his veg looked very good and no worse off for not being watered. He digs in lots of manure and adds a thick mulch around everything. I will probably try his method this year. But, he did say celery and celeriac needs watering so you'll have to manage with that being watered. And we're on clay so it is more moisture retentative than if you're on a sandy soil.

[windygale]

hi, when my dad planted his plants he allway pulled a trench out with a hoe and then watered well, then made a hole with a dibber placed in plant ,covered then left the plant for two weeks before watering again but he said the same as jess, water to much the roots will stay at the top of the soil, dont water root grow down for the water,
BUT mulch as much as you can,
all the best
windy

[flowerlady]

I have read on other threads that adding lots of moisture retentive goodies into the bottom of the trench also helps - ripped up newspapers, and compost and the like.

It certainly won't hurt anyway  ;)

[busy_lizzie]

Yes I have heard this too Jesse.  We only used our waterbutts with the watering can sparingly last year, apart from soaking our squash, and we couldn't see any difference from the year before when we used a hosepipe, -  and last year wasn't that good for rain either.

I hope there will be more rain in the South this year as I know it has been a problem. My sister lives in London as she says people are seriously worried about the state of the reservoirs.  It must concern people, especially gardeners, and thinking of conserving water is a good idea.  We don't have any problems up here and thankfully our reservoirs are quite full but it is still a good idea not to be wasetful and let the plants work harder and get a deeper root structure. busy_lizzie

[Jesse]

Wheyhey! it's raining this morning, not enough but it's something at least. :)

[Amazin]

Been raining non-stop since last night -

Happy dance here in Camden!

[MrsKP]

Wheyhey! it's raining this morning, not enough but it's something at least. :)

Tell me about it.   :'(

I wish i could think of a way to redirect our rain to those people who need it more than us (West Coast of Scotland).

Rain stopped play for me today and I've got mud everywhere.

:-X

[Robert_Brenchley]

It always rains up there when it's not snowing. It's been raining here as well, but I managed a good couple of hours digging, and the bees were flying, showing how much milder it's got overninght.

[MrsKP]

hardly seen any snow this year at all tbh.  a couple of days at most and not very significant.  i could do with a couple of frozen nights now just to help me break up that mud.

i've even started looking at the weather forecast nowadays watching for spell where the soil might actually dry out a bit.

:o

[flowerlady]

Seems we might be in for a damp week after all.  Piddled all day here today  ;)

Did lots of indoor seed sowing instead of playing outside  ;D

[amphibian]

Dank here today, but our local reservoir is nearly empty and our soil is very dry. Unless we get a lot of rain soon I'll be growing cactii.

[moonbells]

I just bought a rain gauge because of the lack of it (all of £4.59 plus P&P) and found we'd had half an inch just last night.  If we get half an inch every other day for the next few weeks it will go a long way to refilling our poor water table (the local river's winterbourne section never came back this winter)

moonbells

[joji]

I would just love to send you some of our rain.

It never bloody stops here. >:( :( ;D

[kenkew]

Rained all night and all this morning. Was going to go to the coast this weekend. No-way. Nothing worse than a miserable stretch of sand. Got my onion sets, shallots and spuds instead. Going to be a weekend of chitting and whittling.

[Robert_Brenchley]

We had rain last night, but it can't have been that much since there's no lake in the road outside. It's brighter again today, but the clouds are growing steadily and we're probably in for showers again later.

[myrtle]

We've had stair-rods down here in Devon, today, much needed, but I forgot to leave the lid off the butt at the lottie! Darn it! I shall have to make a special trip tomorrow to do it. :)

[loulou]

its rained here for 3 days on and off today was cold dark but dry plot was too wet to dig ( :'( ) weather forcast says only good day will be Thursday ( i hope ) so fingers crossed i need to get more digging done my house is like a greenhouse pots, seeds soil every where my other half says hes going to sleep in the garden ( not as many plants out there )

[MrsKP]

bluddy HUGE hail stones here today  :o   no obvious damage to any plants left out, apart from a few squished yellow crocus.  i found some tiny purple crocus buds poking through though while i was tidying up  ;D

what is it about the west coast that gets the wet ?  there must be a good obvious answer here somewhere  .... gulf stream ??

:'(

[Robert_Brenchley]

The air comes straight off the Atlantic, and the West Coast is the first thing to force it to rise. As air rises it cools, and as it cools it becomes unable to hold so much water vapour, so some of it condenses and forms rain.