From Waterlogged to Watering In 6 Weeks

The weather has been pretty good over the last few days and if the forecast is correct it’s going to stay like it for the next week or so. However, as you know I’m a gardener so it’s unlike me to be happy about the weather and now is no exception. A month or so ago, after a very wet March followed by a wet start to April,  our plot was too wet to dig. Now it's too dry, well at least the top few inches are, but deeper down in a few spots it’s still quite wet.

Rainfall & Temperature Records April 2018

Rainfall & Temperature Records 01-15 May 2018

So far May has produced only 9mm of rainfall in several small spells so its done nothing of any use on the plots. It’s now a case of undertaking serious watering, especially where we have newly sown seeds. Our peas, carrots, parsnips and flower seeds all require regular watering as the surface of the soil soon dries out in the warm sunny weather.

Peas - Onward

The year's runner bean and climbing French bean bed which was dug last week had to be turned over using a fork first and the resulting clods of soil broken up with the tiller.

 Newly Dug Over Runner Bean and Climbing French Bean Bed

Until we get a sensible amount of rain that’s the only way I’m going to get anymore beds dug without having to dig them with a fork first. I'd like to get another brassica bed dug over but looking at the state of the ground it's going to be hard going.

There are some seriously wide cracks forming in the soil and the surface is baked hard. I might have to consider watering the bed first before I even consider trying to dig it over. 

There's not much rain forecast over the next week but who knows the forecast has been wrong before.

Copyright: Original post from A Gardener's Weather Diary http://ossettweather.blogspot.co.uk/ author M Garrett