We went through the whole of June with very little rain. In the last 12 years only June 2018 had less rain. By the end of the month, the allotment was in need of some proper rain. No amount of watering seems to make up for a good day's rainfall.
Of course, May was a very wet month so it took a while for the allotment to dry out but, after a couple of warm weeks the ground did dry out and the allotment needed watering. In contrast to June, July has started off wet and only a few days into the month we’ve had as much rainfall as in the whole of June. We’ll get a rest from watering for a while at least.
June finished up towards the top of the temperature charts for the last 12 years and finished fourth warmest over that time period.
At the allotment it was a catching up month. April and May were both unusually cold months and, with May turning out wet as well, we were about 3 to 4 weeks behind. It’s true to say that we’ve caught up with sowing seeds and getting other crops planted out but, I’m expecting most crops to be ready for harvesting later than normal.
This year, we picked our first Regency cabbage this week compared to the first week in June last year.
I think the early July rainfall has arrived just in time to give our potatoes the boost that they needed. It's one crop we don't water if at all possible. The early July showers were enough to wet the surface but left a dry shadow beneath the potato plants.
However, Tuesday morning has brought plenty of rain, some of it heavy, so I'm sure the potatoes along with the rest of the plot will have had a good watering.
It’s now a case of keeping crops weed-free and harvesting as and
when necessary. With a bit of luck, our early brassicas should keep us supplied
with cabbages, cauliflowers, and calabrese for the next few weeks.
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