… and soon we will all start getting busy on our plots it is very important that we start thinking about what we can do to save water over the coming season  – when water shortages are forecast  – and hopefully stop our water bills creeping up, as they have been doing every year.    Jane, our treasurer, has kindly supplied these useful tips.

‘Harvest’ Rainwater  

Whether you cultivate organically or not rainwater is much better for your crops than tap water, with the additional bonus that is free!

The annoying thing about our rainfall is that most of it falls in the winter, when we don’t need it for our crops. So,  plan ahead and collect as much as possible in the rainy winter months to help you through the drier summer ones.

If you have any sort of structure on your plot (shed or greenhouse) then please make sure you have guttering in place and at least one water butt to collect the rainwater. Your systems need not be complicated but we all need to make an effort to reduce our water bills. Not everyone has a shed or greenhouse, of course, but here are some other things you can do to help conserve water:

Water in the right way at the right time

If you do decide to water your allotment, the best time of day is during the cool of the morning or evening. Water the roots of the plant and concentrate the watering to once or twice a week, as opposed to giving your plants frequent light showers, otherwise you’ll encourage the roots of the plant to seek water near the surface of the soil, as opposed to deep down in the earth.

Use Manure and Mulches

There is something that all gardeners can do to help prepare themselves for drought conditions and hosepipe bans and that is to ensure that your soil is fertile and contains plenty of organic material, which will help it to retain moisture. The condition of your soil is of paramount importance to your crops, and the easiest way of ensuring your plants have a good start in life is by ensuring that the four main growing chemicals needed – calcium, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous, are present in your soil. You can check this by buying a good quality soil testing kit form the garden centre but as a rule of thumb, add back into the soil whatever was taken out by the last crop grown. One of the quickest ways of adding these nutrients is through the addition of farmyard manure (well-rotted over a twelve month period), green manure (crops high in nitrogen, grown specifically to be dug into the soil e.g. clover) and good quality homemade compost (garden and food waste, not cooked meat, well-rotted and turned over a twelve month- two year period). Not only will these products improve the quality of the soil, but also the soil’s ability to retain moisture, meaning you won’t need to water your plants so frequently (and in some cases not at all). Dig the manure into the soil during a dormant period – end of summer or early spring are ideal times.

Ensuring that your soil is always covered with a layer of mulch will help to retain moisture and suppress weeds; the mulch could be garden compost, composted manure, leaf- mould or a geo-textile etc.

Plant out with care

When planting out your young plants it is always recommended that you water the hole or trench very well, before putting in your seedlings. This means the root system of your young plant will have instant access to water, also encouraging them to grow downwards to seek new water supplies, as opposed to waiting for you to come along with a watering can. Once the plant is well established, reduce or cease watering all together depending on the plant.

Choose good plants for dry conditions

When choosing plants for your allotment it is a good idea to go for those that originate in a hot climate and so have evolved not needing very much water, or ones where the edible part of the plant grows below the soil – meaning its roots (and the crops) all benefit from deep water.

For example –

• Carrots – never water , it will lower the yield
• Potatoes – water only when the flowers have just opened, but otherwise there should be enough moisture in the soil to sustain the plants
• Parsnips – watering doesn’t benefit the crop
• Jerusalem artichoke – never water, otherwise you encourage the formation of leaves and not tubers
• Rosemary and Thyme – woody herbs which can withstand dry seasons
• Beetroot – don’t over water as this will increase leaf size not root size, but don’t allow the soil to dry out completely
• Brussels sprouts – established plants will only require watering during exceptionally dry weather
• Kohlrabi – the root system of this is plant is well developed for sourcing water and so can withstand very dry seasons
• Onions – after the plant has been established, they require little watering and never after mid-July as this will delay ripening

There are some plants which require a lot of watering during a drought. Therefore it is best to avoid the following – celery, courgettes, marrows, pumpkins, squash, rhubarb and spinach.

HAPPY GARDENING IN 2017 🙂

A message from Barnet Allotment Federation to all Barnet Allotment Societies

The Ted Green Memorial Award 2016

Every year the water bill is the biggest cost our Society has to budget for, so now when the weather appears to be warming up again is probably a good time to remind every one of the need to use water carefully. The very useful advice below was recently provided by John O’R on P Field – some of you may have already seen it on our Facebook page   (Thanks John!)

Allotment Watering Tips

Before you start to water, consider the state of your ground. If it is hard packed around the stems, the water will not penetrate the soil round the plants but will run off. Go down the rows with a hoe; I use a hand held device with 3 sharp tines which rips out weeds and breaks the soil up nicely. Do this regularly and you will notice the difference in days.

Remember the roots spread out in a circular fashion round the plant, so water both sides of the rows and all around large plants like courgettes or tomatoes.

The best time to water is evening, when it is cooler and the loss through transpiration is reduced. If you have to water in the heat of the day, it is better to water the ground and not the leaves in most cases, as wet leaves, especially on beans and cucurbits (marrow family) will scorch in strong sunlight. Wet leaves also encourages blight in tomatoes.

Do not give all the plants on the plot the same quantity of water; their requirements differ.

Start POTATOES in moist soil, then leave them until they show. Too much water may rot the tubers. Earlies require lots of water in their shorter lives. You can begin to dig when the flowers open, or use a trowel to check the size first.

Maincrop should be watered in a drought, but don’t flood them on a regular basis, especially in our normal wet summers.

PEAS & BEANS require lots of water once they are beginning to swell after flowering (sweet peas included). Don’t let peas dry out and give French and Runner beans a soaking about every three days. Broad beans should hardly need watering at all until the pods set, then give them plenty.

CLIMBING PEAS & BEANS are best grown in a trench to facilitate watering, and if you are growing up canes in a ‘teepee’ scoop out the centre to hold the water. If leaves are turning yellow you are probably overdoing it and watering nutrients out of the soil.

Don’t let CARROT & PARSNIP seedlings dry out and shrivel, but once established water only in a drought and sparingly. Overwatering will dilute the flavour, and worse, split the roots longitudinally making them useless.

ONIONS & SHALLOTS do not require much watering. Do not water them in the last 3 weeks before harvesting.

LEEKS are thirstier – water them regularly if it is dry.

CELERY – difficult to overwater this, give it plenty or it will turn leathery.

LETTUCE require regular moderate watering; they may bolt if kept dry. Water the ground, not the leaves.

CELERIAC – water regularly but do not flood like celery.

BRASSICAS vary in their requirements. CAULIFLOWERS need the most water, don’t let them dry right out.

CABBAGE are less thirsty but water regularly. Treat SPRING HEADING BROCCOLI like cabbage, but increase the supply if spring is dry. BRUSSEL SPROUTS need even less water but you can increase the watering when sprouts are forming.

BEETROOT don’t require a lot of water but once a week is necessary or they will be dry and not sweet.

Do not allow OUTDOOR CUCUMBERS to dry right out. COURGETTES, MARROW, PUMPKIN & SQUASH like plenty of water but not wet feet, plant them on a low mound to help drainage; waterlogging will cause fruitlets to shrivel, too little water will encourage powdery mildew on the leaves. You have to get the balance right.

KALE & KHOL RABI– water when young but they will get by on very little water after that.

SWEETCORN needs plenty of water once the male flowers at the top & the silk on the cobs (the female flowers) appear, but not much while they are growing up.

TOMATOES inside & out need regular watering, especially once fruit has formed. Lack of water is one cause of blossom end rot. After a dry spell (no water from you or God)) heavy watering will cause the fruit to split. Seriously avoid watering the leaves of tomatoes plants as latest research suggest the blight spoors develop in the moist leaves then spread blight through out the plant.

Established FRUIT TREES & BUSHES shouldn’t require any watering except in very dry conditions when the fruit is beginning to swell. Standard APPLES have deep roots, PEARS less so. If your trees are on dwarfing stocks they will have shallower roots – the smaller they are the smaller the roots. Newly planted fruit must be watered in dry conditions, even in Winter, for the first year. If you need to water trees, give each at least 5 gallons (22 litres) per week, pausing when puddling occurs.

Remember that too much water can cause as many problems as not enough. If you can get the right balance your crops will be better for it!

Finally, a few general points to remember please:

• Hosepipes: As it says in the Society handbook, only hand-held hoses are allowed, eg. with a spray gun attachment. (No sprinkler systems please, or just letting  your hose run unattended. )
• Try to save as much rainwater as possible, e.g with gutters on your shed or greenhouse, and water butts. If you need advice or help with installing a simple rain collecting system please ask a member of the committee.
• Be considerate to your neighbouring plotholders – don’t hog the water tap!