Hosepipe ban due 5th April

With the announcement of a hosepipe ban due to start on the 5th April, my thoughts go to ways of preserving water.

One of my water butts is in place on the allotment and I must remember to reclaim it and initial it so that I can use it.

The water butt in the front garden still needs to be fixed by Bernie as he still hasn't fixed a diverter at the end of the downpipe that stops the water overflowing down the side of our house.

Another way to improve water efficiency is to mulch (after it has rained or you have watered) to keep water in the soil not block it out.

I will be following the example of my Turkish allotment neighbours this year and create little sunken beds for the plants so that plants create a reservoir of their own.  Perhaps for the more vulnerable plants I will also bury at time of planting water bottles to allow water to seep down to the roots.

I am also probably planning to install a water meter at home as apparently if you have more bedrooms than people then you can end up paying less per year - there is a handy Uswitch calculator that can help.

Consider using grey water ie water saved from baths, washing up, dehumidifiers to top up water levels in the garden.

Don't pander to plants and over water them as they will become dependent on you and not send roots down into the ground to find water for themselves. Like a disciplinarian parent you must allow them to stand on their own two feet. Or roots. Save watering for when they really need it ie when they are establishing themselves after being first planted and at fruiting times to help the fruit to swell.

Use gel crystals in pots for the most water hungry plants. Avoid terracotta pots that, though attractive, are porous and allow water to leach out. Don't use metal pots that heat up and fry the plants (sort of). Group plants together when watering so they all get the benefit. Water at the root where it will do the most good and so water doesn't evaporate off leaves and scorch them.

The importance of weather

Top tip:
Keep an eye on the weather report but don't rely on it.  Protect plants if frosts are predicted and keep watering in dry weather.

10.03.10

Never have I been so interested in the weather. Something that formerly only governed what I was going to wear, if we could entertain outside and if I could get a tan now was going to affect what I needed to do on the plot. It was going to dictate how easy it was going to be to prepare the ground, if it was the right time to sow, if things needed protection or watering and how quickly they needed harvesting (and how much there would be to harvest). It also meant that I found a positive side to formerly hated weather like rain – it just meant that it was good for the plants and I could delay an in depth watering session.

Every month I will be keeping a record of the weather courtesy of the Met Office so that year on year I will be able to build up a picture of seasonal changes and not be surprised when we get frosts. This year has been very dry and sunny even after the late frosts and cold weather that delayed a lot of planting out and sowing – there are even threats of water bans.

31.03.10
March – a month of two halves, weather wise.
The first two weeks were generally dry and fine, although it was rather cold with some night frosts. The second half saw more changeable weather with rain at times
Mostly fine and dry until mid-month, with some overnight frosts, then becoming more changeable with wind and rain at times. The monthly mean temperatures were close to the 1971-2000 normals across almost all areas. Rainfall was somewhat below average in most places. Sunshine totals were generally somewhat above average. 

30.04.10
April – where were the showers?
The first week was unsettled but after this high pressure over or close to the UK brought plenty of dry and fine weather until the last few days. Daily maximum temperatures were above average and reached 20 °C in places on several days. However, daily minimum temperatures were close to normal with some frosts. Overall, April was a dry month, with less than 50% of the monthly average rainfall recorded in many areas and only about 30% of average in parts of northern England and East Anglia.

Provisionally, it ranks thirteenth driest in a 100-year series, but was not as dry as April 2007. This does not bode well for a hosepipe ban and we can only hope the wet summers of the last two years will insulate us. The dry weather has hit particularly hard in the south where totals were over 150% of normal locally. Provisionally, it ranks fifth sunniest in a series from 1929, similar to April 1990 but not as sunny as April 2007.

31.05.10
May – showing the truth behind the saying never cast a clout before May is out
For all us blasé Southerners May was a bit of a shock – after an extremely cold winter we thought we had seen the last of the cold, especially as April was so nice. Halfway through the month, though, the frosts hit – damaging some vegetable plants and delaying planting out of tender seedlings.

The first half of May saw cool weather, with a mainly northerly or north-easterly airstream. After a showery first few days, there was plenty of fine weather but with some overnight frosts. Temperatures recovered during the second half of the month, with a very warm spell from 20th to 24th. Overall, mean temperatures were normal or slightly below the 1971–2000 normal, by about 1.0 °C in parts of south-east England. May was a dry month in all areas, with less than 50% of the average rainfall recorded in parts of central southern England. Provisionally, it ranks tenth driest in a 100-year series, and is the driest May since 1991. Sunshine totals were up to 10% above normal.