[jingerpot]

Got to my lotty today and my beautifull early spuds looked a little droopy.  By 4pm they were lying all over the place.  We have had so little rain in Cambridge and we have no running water on the site (only groundwater pumps so keeping them watered has been a nightmare.
Will they be ok?

[John]

Sounds critical - can you not try and get a watering can full to each plant if you can. The longer they are thirsting the less chance of recovery.
Perhaps some sort of shade will help short term - reducing evaporation.
I thik rain is on the way for you tomorrow though. So good luck.

[supersprout]

Hi jingerpot, I'm quite close to you in Peterborough - dry here isn't it? Good luck for this year following John's advice with the watering cans. If you're not already doing it, I'd suggest extreme mulching  :shock:  - in mid-May when the soil is nice and damp, cover with whatever you have - straw, compost, spent hops, grass cuttings, even newspaper - to keep as much moisture in the soil as you can. Try it after you've watered this time? If your soil is anything like mine - light - I think you'll find it makes a big difference

[jingerpot]

oops

[jingerpot]

Thanks both of you .....we did get some rain and some of them picked up but i will do the mulching bit next year for sure...I planted them very early in April so luckily there are still quite a few good meals underground so not such a disaster, of course now everything is feeling the heat and keeping up with watering with only pump water is becoming a labour of love.