Author: Miles Conway

Watering helps to keep our plants alive but not necessarily to thrive as they would with decent rains. Water use on both sites has obviously increased considerably but I remind you of some steps that can help ‘stem the flow’.

• Ideally water early morning or late evening
• Concentrate on crops that really need water – those newly sown or planted and top up when needed.
• Mulch around plants to help prevent evaporation
• Dig a hole a spade’s width and depth, fill it with manure or other organic matter, place a little soil on top, and water well before planting out tomatoes, courgettes etc., similarly, a trench for beans etc., leaving a shallow depression around plants to keep the water where it is needed.
• Overwatering can be counterproductive. Plants can become lazy spreading their roots near the surface where watering supplies them rather down to find moisture to make a stronger root system and plant.
• When watering is necessary, better to give a soaking once a week rather than a dribble each day.

Affinity Water recently sent an email to inform us that they’re seeing above-average water use. They pleading customers to use less water to reduce the demand to make sure there’s enough water for essential use throughout the summer period. They advised customers to use a watering can to water plants instead of a hose saving 80 litres of water at a time.