This is the place to discuss not just allotments but all general gardening problems and queries which don't fit into the specific categories below.
(formerly allotments and tips, hints and problems)
I find I'm being rather more reactive with my watering than proactive. I hear that watering very well once or twice a week is best and to water in the early morning...
What are your watering habits? Do you have any tips to share? Best method / worst? Length of time to water?
I'd love to hear them.. I want to get it just right so that I'm not impersonating a headless chicken every time my brocolli begins to wilt....
Oh gawd, I seemed to spend all last summer watering.......
Hopefully in the next few years there will be enough horse manure incorporated into my rather dusty soil to hold a bit more moisture.
I also have a couple of lengths of seep hose (it's sooooo horribly expensive though) which I may well put amongst my spuds and/or onions as these suffered a lot last summer.
Also - water butts, water butts and lots more water butts - still need to do the watering but free water makes a huge difference!!!
My veg plot is on a slope so this year my rows are going to run along the slope and not down it like last year, thus I can earth up mounds along the rows here and there to hold in the water. I hope!
The most important thing I learnt last year is that it doesn't always rain in Brittany, like everyone told me it does!
A deep watering for established plants a couple of times a week is better than a little often. The first way encourages deep roots, the second, shallow and if you get a really hot day you can be in trouble. Seedlings need to be watered more often to help them establish though.
I agree with M3s Waterbutts, waterbutts waterbutts, but will add mulch mulch mulch. It helps to conserve the water that you use by preventing evaporation. Also by watering early morning or late evening evaporation is cut down too, so your plants get the use of the water you put on them!
Are you allowed to take water from a stream that runs on your land??
We will have waterbutts too and will mulch mulch mulch (thanks Nev!) and will also plant across the slope with our veggies (thanks MMM!)
Don't really want to have to use any of our tap water to water any of our garden as we have to have it pumped from a well so obviously it costs both in terms of water usage (should there be a shortage) and it will have been filtered too - not really necessary.
We'll also use the water from any washing up/bath water (although we tend to have showers) and if we end up having to use the tumble drier (sorry for swearing) due to bad weather we'll use the water from that to water too.
Some tumble driers have a big wide hose that evacuates the steam and moisture outside (through a hole in the wall or whatever), others like mine can either have a small hose put into the outlet where your washing machine water goes, OR, it has a removable plastic unit within it which collects the water and you just pour this water down the sink (or whatever else you want to do with it!) when it is full. It's not a huge amount of water though (few litres)!
Ours just vents to air.........um, that is we had one..............................which we don't...................................but it would vent to air if we did..............................................if you know what I mean (nervous giggle).
agree with Nev mulch mulch and just a bit more mulch. having a bit of hay around the place, have found that a 'biscuit' is a good layer to put around plants. just be aware that silverbeet doesn't like a close mulch or it dies plants such as tomatoes and corn put out 'feeder roots' and will gain from having a good mulch, even aged manure put in close to the stalk. brocolli loves a mulch and a much stronger root system will develop.
when watering, put a rain gauge under the sprinkler. keep in mind that you will need 8mm before you get to the grass roots. If the weather isn't too hot, I water once a week but keep an eye on anything with a bit of moisture stress. seedlings need a bit more tlc
I bought a new hose and stuck a load of holes in the old one (to add to the ones already there), plugged up the end and used that on my garden for the last few years. Some of the holes squirted in the wrong direction, but the effort was there - I would probably put the holes in just one side next time.
I've now bought one of those hoses with holes in that gives a "rain shower" effect and am using that in the evenings (or mornings if I ever get up early enough ).
The rain gauge idea is FAB
The area of NZ we live in is pretty dry, especially during summer with the warm nor'wester (which can strip your top soil off if it blows long and hard enough ).... the garden does have a big above ground irrigation system but it's only as good as it's operator
Magpie wrote:Silly question time - what is a water butt?
It's like a big barrel type thing that collects water from your roof via a downpipe - often (sensibly) with a tap at the bottom so you can fill your watering can.
Over the last couple of days I have been using an elcheapo moisture meter to see when my plants need watering. It has worked like a ripper and saved me watering when it was not necessary. I would recommend getting one as a help to saving water .
plants such as tomatoes and corn put out 'feeder roots' and will gain from having a good mulch, even aged manure put in close to the stalk. brocolli loves a mulch and a much stronger root system will develop.
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).... the garden does have a big above ground irrigation system but it's only as good as it's operator 
