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May 2020
2:36pm, 26 May 2020
16,204 posts
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Rosehip
I'm struggling to keep everything watered. We had a bit of rain at the end of last week, but nowhere near enough. I've emptied all the water butts. Seeedlings in pots are all sitting on a capillary mat in a big plastic tray in light shade, but still wilting 
We have no rain forecast for a fortnight and a water meter. These are going to be very expensive vegetables - if I can keep them alive!
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May 2020
2:55pm, 26 May 2020
1,709 posts
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Flatlander
My 13 water butts are less than 1/2 full. No rain last weekend except for 3 five minute "showers" with about 10 spots of rain per minute per sq. m.! Where I have been digging ground to plant brassicas there is no moisture in the top 15-20cm.
Living where I do, I practice water conservation - water late evening, move plant pots into the shade, and put cut down plastic bottle "collars" around brassica seedlings in the ground so that all the water goes concentrated straight to the roots rather than running away (the collars also act as slug deterrents).
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May 2020
2:57pm, 26 May 2020
6,451 posts
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sallykate
Luckily there's a hose at the allotment just two plots away from mine. Last year I was absent for three weeks due to illness and expected things to have shrivelled up and died but it was all fine.
At home most things (small garden) are plugged into an irrigation system which comes on early in the morning for 15 mins - no water meter yet, and TBH I'm not sure where the garden water supply pipe comes from; we're the ground floor of a big Victorian conversion and the plumbing is a bit...interesting.
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May 2020
3:02pm, 26 May 2020
16,205 posts
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Rosehip
I've been watering the flowers in pots in the front garden with the water used from washing spuds etc. I have a big jug by the kitchen tap to catch lukewarm cold water that would normally go down the sink - or cold hot water. I also have collars around the brassicas a think layer of mulch on everything and use part burried cut off pop bottles or plastic plant puts to direct water in to.
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May 2020
4:35pm, 26 May 2020
11,623 posts
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Markymarkmark
Also from memory the re-used soapy water is a pretty good organic insecticide/discouragement to whitefly, aphids and the like.
Just have to remember to not get stray bits in the watering can rose.....
I'd forgotten about the bottle collars - thanks. I shall dig out the mini-cloches I made out of pop bottles and re-purpose them.
Annoyed with self - I was hoeing out weeds and snicked the stem of a young broccolli plant, which has now died down.
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May 2020
4:49pm, 26 May 2020
3,056 posts
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jacdaw
Hosta and Alliums in the sunshine today:
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May 2020
6:15pm, 26 May 2020
12,595 posts
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Cerrertonia
Very nice.
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May 2020
7:37pm, 26 May 2020
11,692 posts
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D2
Wow!
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May 2020
8:07pm, 26 May 2020
12,822 posts
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Garfield
Hostas, that so takes me back as my mother had some planted just outside our kitchen door. The leaves are so distinctive in appearance.
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May 2020
8:45pm, 26 May 2020
30,105 posts
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Mrs Jigs (Luverlylegs)
I love hostas
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