When it gets drier, you will need a watering strategy
Winter has been wet and grey. Spring bulbs are flowering cheerfully now but summer still seems some way off. Meteorologists are predicting that summers will bring more frequent heatwaves to Scotland. Now is the time to think about the practicalities of coping with prolonged dry weather on the plot, particularly for those on sites without a water supply.
I’m a fan of planting as much as possible directly in the soil. Growbags and pots may seem like a good idea, but the plants will always need more attention than those with their roots in the soil. You need to make a regular daily commitment to their watering. It even becomes difficult to take a summer holiday for fear the plants may suffer. Friendly though your neighbouring plotholders may be, they may not want to take on this responsibility in your absence. Tomatoes are particularly sensitive to erratic watering and can develop blossom end rot or fruit splitting when conditions are not quite right.
After germinating some seeds inside, I wait for the right moment to get them outside with their roots in the earth. At the moment, I am warming up some patches of soil with recycled transparent plastic sheets in readiness for planting out early peas and beans. Later young courgette and tomato plants will go straight in the soil, covered with cut-off plastic bottles for protection until they’ve acclimatised. If there’s a drought, their roots should go deeper to seek out water.
Our soil in Musselburgh is particularly light and free-draining. To help it retain moisture, without the need for frequent watering in times of drought, I use as much organic matter as I can. The contents of the compost heaps and leaf mould get spread on the surface. Eventually
I am warming up some patches of soil with recycled plastic sheets
worms will take it down into the soil.
The art of watering, when it is needed, starts with a good watering can. I like my traditional metal cans with long spouts. A can with a rose is occasionally needed for gentle watering of seedlings. The rest of the time, water needs directing down to the roots of the plant and not sprinkled on the foliage. Squashes are particularly thirsty plants. If you invert a large cut-off plastic bottle, or better still bury a length of drain pipe next to each plant, you can fill it with water which then filters slowly down to the roots where it’s most needed. ■