Well the promised storms by the weather forecasters have finally arrived and we've had a few heavy showers to keep the garden ticking over. It had been been 8 weeks since we had any rain in the Kitchen Garden and the temperatures over the past week has been in the 30's every day so these showers are very welcome.
This is probably not the best time to be leaving the garden and going on holiday but unfortunately plans were made many months ago and that is precisely what I will be doing this week. Normally I have plenty of willing volunteers to come in and water for me whilst I am away, in return for keeping all the produce they can pick. But this year many of them have been burdened with the mammoth task of watering their own gardens during the heatwave and drought and were not so keen to take on further watering responsibilities. So, I have taken a range of measures to reduce the watering required if the heatwave resumes.
All pots that can be moved have been placed in the shade and stood in trays that will hold water at their feet and stop them from drying out. The shades have been pulled down on the greenhouse and the windows have all been left open. Capillary matting and watering trays are keeping the conditions inside the greenhouse humid. Sprinklers and soaker hoses have been set up with automatic timers to come on overnight on all the vulnerable crops and plants.
Fingers crossed I will return to a healthy productive garden!
