Great tips, I’m in south wales where prolonged dry spells like this are very unusual! We had some heavy downpours around Easter (which filled up the water butts) but nothing since. No rain today despite thunderstorm warning. My water saving tip is a bucket in the shower mostly to catch water you run whilst waiting for it to warm up! We’re lucky enough to have a porch with waterbutt below the upstairs window so can just chuck it out onto the roof - so easy!
I put a layer of mulch on my beds to protect the soil surface from drying out. We have hens so have plenty of waste bedding (mainly straw infused with chicken poop) which I use for this purpose. I discovered using by accident when using it as top layer compost in my greenhouse in a no dig manner because I’d run out of the homemade compost. Lifted a bit of the straw and it was lovely and moist underneath. Been using it for this purpose ever since!
Thanks for this article. I live in east anglia where we are used to dry weather, but this spring has been really tough and we are not forecast anymore rain until the 25th now! A lot of the growers at our allotments have given up on staples like potatoes and onions because early spring is just too dry now. We are having to learn to be more creative and experimental .
Absolutely, it's all very unexpected - it makes it hard to plan, but perhaps if that's what nature is telling us, to stop planning so much, we need to listen and learn for a time. It's challenging that's for sure.
Great tips. There are also some long term solutions gardeners need to think about as this situation might continue. When I first got my garden nearly 12 years ago I started with planting a mixture of evergreen and deciduous trees to provide shade. Now with this year's drought I've got nice pockets of shade for smaller plants to grow under and also for my pots to be moved to. The temperature in the whole garden is also remarkably lower. Some people also say that trees soak up extra rain in winter preventing excess wet but personally I don't know if this is the case as most trees would be dormant then unless they are trees that are actively growing in winter like acacia.
I’m with you and think trees soaking up water in winter is a myth - though the improved organic layer beneath them from fallen leaves might act as a better sponge?
I was forking over my Dad's prize rose border at the weekend and the clay soil was already baked hard and cracked on the surface, which had no weeds as he'd sprayed them off. It came up in huge clumps as I turned it over. I couldn't help but think that a nice ground cover of geraniums or something would help a lot there, tradition be damned! I kept my thoughts to myself, he's 90 and been gardening longer than I've been alive, what do I know 😛
ha, yes, definitely - we’re on clay and where it’s bare it cracks and compacts. Where there’s ground cover, the roots naturally break up the soil and add organic matter. Also, geraniums would cover the bare stems of roses. But you’re right, you can only suggest at 90!
Don't be stressed :) (says I who am stressed but I have plants growing for work) I think the key point is, treat it as an experiment and opportunity to see what does and doesn't survive. There's no point stressing about the whole garden because, if this continues, we can't water the whole thing.
Great tips, I’m in south wales where prolonged dry spells like this are very unusual! We had some heavy downpours around Easter (which filled up the water butts) but nothing since. No rain today despite thunderstorm warning. My water saving tip is a bucket in the shower mostly to catch water you run whilst waiting for it to warm up! We’re lucky enough to have a porch with waterbutt below the upstairs window so can just chuck it out onto the roof - so easy!
What a genius idea! Thanks Helen, I’m taking a bucket to the shower tomorrow 😄
I stole it from Kate Bradbury - although chucking it out the window was my idea! (After several weeks of carrying buckets of water downstairs 😂)
😂
I put a layer of mulch on my beds to protect the soil surface from drying out. We have hens so have plenty of waste bedding (mainly straw infused with chicken poop) which I use for this purpose. I discovered using by accident when using it as top layer compost in my greenhouse in a no dig manner because I’d run out of the homemade compost. Lifted a bit of the straw and it was lovely and moist underneath. Been using it for this purpose ever since!
Great tip, chicken poo is a fantastic fertiliser too
Thanks for this article. I live in east anglia where we are used to dry weather, but this spring has been really tough and we are not forecast anymore rain until the 25th now! A lot of the growers at our allotments have given up on staples like potatoes and onions because early spring is just too dry now. We are having to learn to be more creative and experimental .
Absolutely, it's all very unexpected - it makes it hard to plan, but perhaps if that's what nature is telling us, to stop planning so much, we need to listen and learn for a time. It's challenging that's for sure.
Great tips. There are also some long term solutions gardeners need to think about as this situation might continue. When I first got my garden nearly 12 years ago I started with planting a mixture of evergreen and deciduous trees to provide shade. Now with this year's drought I've got nice pockets of shade for smaller plants to grow under and also for my pots to be moved to. The temperature in the whole garden is also remarkably lower. Some people also say that trees soak up extra rain in winter preventing excess wet but personally I don't know if this is the case as most trees would be dormant then unless they are trees that are actively growing in winter like acacia.
I’m with you and think trees soaking up water in winter is a myth - though the improved organic layer beneath them from fallen leaves might act as a better sponge?
Could be. Although most leaves are usually dragged underground by worms by the time the ground is saturated
Thank you SO helpful 💚
I was forking over my Dad's prize rose border at the weekend and the clay soil was already baked hard and cracked on the surface, which had no weeds as he'd sprayed them off. It came up in huge clumps as I turned it over. I couldn't help but think that a nice ground cover of geraniums or something would help a lot there, tradition be damned! I kept my thoughts to myself, he's 90 and been gardening longer than I've been alive, what do I know 😛
ha, yes, definitely - we’re on clay and where it’s bare it cracks and compacts. Where there’s ground cover, the roots naturally break up the soil and add organic matter. Also, geraniums would cover the bare stems of roses. But you’re right, you can only suggest at 90!
Thanks for sharing this drought wisdom.
I needed this article! As a new gardener, I was starting to get as stressed as my plants! 😂
Don't be stressed :) (says I who am stressed but I have plants growing for work) I think the key point is, treat it as an experiment and opportunity to see what does and doesn't survive. There's no point stressing about the whole garden because, if this continues, we can't water the whole thing.