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.

Mangetout - the perfect crop for greedy growers

Today is a rare day of rain among amazingly sunny days. In fact the are predicting 21 degrees tomorrow.

In the mean time I hope it rains enough to penetrate the ground today. Sometimes rain showers can mean the earth looks wet but it isn't where it matters - at the roots of plants. In periods of dry weather and if you water little and often rather than giving it a good long soak, plants will send their roots to seek water in the shallow soil (and become unstable) rather than anchor itself deep into the earth with strong roots.

On the windowsill at home the plants are doing well. The mange tout (purple flowered) are looking spectacular. They are so big that I am considering planting them out. First I will harden then off with a couple of days in the cold frame. Then I will pinch out the tops to encourage side shoots.

Use some twiggy sticks as support and off you go.

Question: do pea sticks become mangetout sticks if you change the plants?

Sowing: the waiting game

Top tip: 
Prepare the ground well, water in and follow spacing guidelines. Don't avoid thinning seedlings out - it's a false economy. Be patient (or at least, sow fast growing plants next to slower growing plants.) If you can't grow seedlings at home because of space or you can't be bothered - cheat and buy plug plants. Label sowings unless you have an amazing memory.

25.07.10
Sowing seems to be some form of magic or alchemy. From such tiny things, amazing plants appear and grow. You create drills and water them on a wet and cold day in spring, drop seeds in at the right spacing. And then wait. And wait.
Then, once you've almost forgotten what you sowed (a learning for next time is a more rigorous labelling system – marking variety & sowing date) a tiny shoot pops up. This is an important time and you need to water them, keep them weed free and generally cosset them. Sometimes it is tough to recognise them from weeds and in some instances they are so tiny it is best to wait till they grow up a bit so that you can spot the difference and thin them properly.

Another learning is to believe the books when they say not to sow things all at once otherwise you will end up with a glut. Successional planting allows for you to plan ahead and spread the harvest. Some plants, such as Swiss Chard, just keep on giving and you don't need many of them to get a good crop from them. Others, such as french beans, need more plants to get a really good continuous crop in sufficient amounts.

Of course, some seeds, such as radish and salads appear (and grow) faster than others and they are perfect to sow along with slower maturing plants but it's worth keeping an eye out that the other plants don't start to need more room or overshadow the seedlings.

Finally, think ahead to when gaps will start appearing. Having harvested the early potatoes, I have a cleared space that is begging for plants while in another area my courgettes are squashed (pardon the pun) in too close. If I had prepared some french beans, sweetcorn and more squash then I could have planted things up there. As it is I think I may have left it too late and will have to concentrate on beetroot, salad and radishes.

Before....








And after.....