I am new to this forum and new to allotment gardening.
I think I am doing well so far, but there is one particularly striking problem with the site in which my plot has been allocated. There is no water. Not a tap anywhere to be seen! I was wondering if anyone had any tips for how this can be combatted? Is this something that I can pressure the Council about? Are they under any obligation?
There is a stream not too far away and I did wonder if some sort of solar pump and an elaborate system of underground hose might work? Otherwise I guess I just get loads of butts?
Any suggestions gratefully appreciated!
We don't have running water on our site, but the secretary assures me that the roots go down to find the water.
We have a few communal water troughs and I take water from that for seeds and seedlings, but other than that I will try to leave the plants to it :)
You could always set up a couple of waterbutts on your plot, they can be something as simple as a garbage bin.
Adding organic matter to the soil is supposed to help with water retention, and there are seaweed products available which are just for moisture retention.
See 'Babies' elsewhere. A common problem. We eventually talked the Council into providing.
Meanwhile, as many butts - with lids - as you can afford, or fit in. We have 7. And so many things prefer rain to tap water. You can water & water without result; then the rain comes & everything rushes on.
PS Forgot to add - funny how, mostly, the growers don't or can't water??
We have no water on site, except a little ditch, and our plot isn't a council site, so noone really to pressurise, but I do okay without it. Mother natures proves to be quite generous and I do have 3 waterbuts full to water seed drills and newly planted seedlings/plants, but other than that, mine have to do without. The only problem I had was all my fennel and first sowing of spinach bolted last year, but of course, that might have been my transplanting roughly rather than lack of water.
Collect what you can, plenty of organic matter in the ground, and talk to the plants a lot! ;D
We're on a private site too so no chance of piped water but we do have a lot of wells that people have dug in the past. Also if you connect your shed guttering into your water butt (or several in a row connected together) then you can collect a huge amount of rainwater.