So here we go again....

[Trailoftears]

Third year running now-just hitting peak growing season on the traditionally mild,wet west coast of Wales,and BANG,game over,no rain for 25 days,horribly dusty conditions,cant even dig a decent hole whilst planting.Putting young plants out becomes an act of cruelty.Crazy,crazy times and climate.

[Trailoftears]

What was a useful technique a few years ago,now becomes a must -do imo.If you have large deep borders to maintain,or veg patches/raised beds.Mulching after watering.Use your grass clippings to mulch over the areas to a depth of an inch odd,and replenish as much as poss.A huge difference to water loss-solar radition/evaporation is taken out of the equation.However,running out of useful grass here now apart from deeply shaded lawns ☹️

[sime42]

Yes, mulching makes a huge difference to water loss. Not only evaporation but also run off; I find the water soaks straight into areas that have been mulched for a while, instead of running straight off very dry, unmulched soil. The mulch keeps the surface porous, maybe due to worm and creepy crawly activity. We use manure, but it amounts to the same thing.

 

And still no rain. And non in the forecast either, here in the west midlands. The temperatures are all to cock as well. It's like summer in the afternoons, but winter at night and in the mornings.

 

It's great, this climate change thing!

 

 

 

[sandspider]

In theory, we in the South East Wales should get a bit of rain this weekend / next week. We shall see. It would be good as I'm tired of watering my small trees by hand.

 

I mulch them with sheets of cardboard sometimes, but then I wonder if this makes run off worse unless the rain is heavy enough to really wet the cardboard and soak through to the soil.

[Stere]

Was just thinking of trying the same on all the bare earth on the veg plots between plants. Probabably should of done it already

 

Never can remember another yr like this one without any rain for over a month now and still none forcast...

 

 

Bet alot tree  saplings planted on schemes eariler this yr are gonna be toast and the apples & fruit will be dropping of trees etc.

 

 

Edited June 6, 2023 by Stere

[Trailoftears]

Leaving aside the physical discomfort,it really sucks the joy out of planting out-fretting about watering as soon as a plant is in.Also planting out trays/cell packs of bedding into tubs/pots/h.baskets is a complete nightmare-half the stuff is dry as bones before you start using it.Also most of my last lawns mown (gently) just burn immediately.Its like gardening in Barcelona or something. ☹️

[Dan Maynard]

I was looking at the cracks in the ground in the fields round us, they look like it should be the end of August but it's only June.

[Stere]

Chance of rain but also gonna be hot 25c plus on Saturday....

 

 

 

[sime42]

Yep, seen that. Fingers crossed we actually get some rain, water butts at the ready! I won't be surprised if nothing happens though, and it's just another nice hot sunny day.

 

[sime42]

On 06/06/2023 at 19:03, Trailoftears said:

Leaving aside the physical discomfort,it really sucks the joy out of planting out-fretting about watering as soon as a plant is in.Also planting out trays/cell packs of bedding into tubs/pots/h.baskets is a complete nightmare-half the stuff is dry as bones before you start using it.Also most of my last lawns mown (gently) just burn immediately.Its like gardening in Barcelona or something. ☹️

 

It's only gonna get worse as well by all accounts. Don't think anyone was expecting climate change to happen this rapidly, and we've not quite got into the negative feedback loops yet either.

 

Do you have to use bedding plants? I don't bother with them or annuals generally, (apart from vegetables), as I can't be bothered with the faff they entail, planting every year and then watering all the time. Perennials are much easier. Regarding grass - maybe it's time to swap to that grass that they seem to use in southern Europe, Barcelona etc. It's not as nice, very course, but must be more drought tolerant.