[Snoop]

I worked it out today: I reckon I'm currently watering my patch 400 litres a day, all by 7 litre watering can. It's a labour of love, is how I see it. As I'm doing it all by watering can, you can see it's necessary rather than an extravagance. I'd stop watering like a shot if I could.

Where I am, the only things that do well at this time of year without watering are the brambles, vines and trees. Even the weeds are dying.

[gremlin]

I guess we have not had more than two light light drizzles here during the last two and a half months (yes, months).
The rain is hit and miss, but we have always been missed until an hour's worth on Sunday.

My soil is dust-dry to the full depth of the spade. Even digging in 6" of manure every year for the last six years cant help that.  Gives some idea what forum members from California and Spain have to put up with. 

At least there are no slugs this year, and not many weeds, and the grass is all brown and hasn't needed cutting at all.      But no worms either 

[LotuSeed]

Mulching can help considerably but best to put it down in the spring when the soil is wet or moist.

[snowdrops]

I sink 2 litre plastic bottles in around my climbing beans,sweetcorn,squashes & tomatoes & water directly in to those to get the water direct to the roots & help prevent run off & evaporation, might this work for you Muls around your brassicas? Alternatively plant pots if you haven't got  bottles. By the way neck side down,bottoms cut off on the bottles 😀

[Nobbie]

I'd endorse the mulching idea, I'm on clay and where there's no mulch the soil is dry and badly cracked, but under the mulch it's still lovely and moist. If you have access to lots of organic matter, then mulch with it rather than digging in at the start of the season and then just turn what's left in at the end of the year. I mulch with horse manure and woodchip which is nice and light, it also keeps the weeds down . Without mulch, you can reduce water loss by regular hoeing to create a fine dust on the surface which stops evaporation by capillarity action from deeper in the soil.

[snowdrops]

You create lasagne beds to trap moisture. For my brassicas I've been making mini lasagne beds, how the weeds off, lime if needed, cover with newspaper or cardboard, water well, then cover with homemade compost or whatever you can get hold of, then cover with membrane & plant through. It's worked well the last 2 years & ive done it again this year before netting the lot, plus no weeding to do under the netting. You could add the bottles next to each plant or strategically placed between plants depending on what they are.