A Gardener's Weather Diary: After A Frost The Rain Continues To Fall

Thursday 7 November 2019

After A Frost The Rain Continues To Fall

Wednesday morning saw our first below zero (Celsius) temperature of the autumn as the early morning temperature fell to -0.4°C or 31.3°F.

Temperature Records for 04-06 November 2019

However, it's the amount of rain that keeps on falling that is preventing us from doing any gardening. After a very wet September and October the rain has kept on coming through the first week or so of November. It's being raining for most of Thursday and by the middle of the afternoon the day's rainfall total is up to 21.0mm (0.83in) bringing November's total up to 41.0mm (1.61in) not far short of an average November's total amount.

Today's rain shows no signs of abating and it has already moved into the table of top twenty wettest days over the last 10 years.

Temperature & Rainfall Records Thursday, 07 November 2019

I think that it's fair to assume that autumn activities in the garden and allotment can be put off until spring. Hopefully, we'll get to the allotment to harvest fresh vegetables but any thoughts of autumn and winter digging are now out of the question. The ground will certainly be too wet and soggy and digging it over will do more harm than good.

I wonder how those dahlia tubers are getting on in the plot greenhouse. They were left there on Sunday in the hope that they would dry out a little bit before they go into potato sacks for winter storage.

I thought with a little bit of sunshine the temperature in the greenhouse would be high enough for them to dry out but with all the wet weather about sunshine has been almost non existent. At least I think they are better lifted and in the greenhouse than remaining in cold wet soggy ground.