How to be a drought dodger without a hosepipe
There’s no single way of coping with the kind of drought we’ve had recently. Using a hose is a really wasteful and ineffective way of watering. I was surprised to find that it uses a staggering 170 litres of water every ten minutes. Although the plotholder may not be paying for water, I think it’s worth remembering that it has been expensively filtered and purified fit for drinking and is of far higher quality than needed to sustain our plants. Not all allotment sites have piped mains water. Most new allotment sites will rely on waterharvesting techniques such as storing rain water in butts so using it carefully is important.
The key to successful watering is to make sure that plants that need it get it and they get it where it’s useful. Water sprinkled onto leaves in the heat of the day isn’t the best way to water. Water needs to get to the roots. I much prefer to use a watering can and preferably after the sun has gone off the plot in the evening or in the early morning when evaporation will be minimised.
Supermarkets, gardening catalogues and garden centres sell a range of different cans. I like the traditional galvanised iron ones with a long spout and an optional brass rose for watering seedlings. Metal cans will outlive plastic ones but plastic cans are lighter to carry. Design is important too. Some decorative cans are difficult to fill or awkward to carry. It’s a good idea to make sure that your choice can fit
Try using a watering can after the sun has set
under the tap or into your trough for filling.
Retaining moisture in the soil is important too and there is no time like the present to start doing this. One of my favourite implements at this time of year is a little onion hoe. It’s useful for weeding close to plants and making sure that the soil doesn’t become baked and compacted and therefore less able to absorb water.
Mulching keeps moisture in the soil. At the National Trust for Scotland’s Inverewe Gardens in the far northwest and Broughton House in Kirkcudbright I noticed they were using a commercial product made from chopped mineralised straw in a thick layer round perennial fruit bushes. Cheaper home-made alternatives are comfrey leaves, compost, grass mowings or seaweed. Cardboard or permeable landscape fabric will also keep moisture in the soil but doesn’t look very attractive. n