[Greendream]

Hi!
I am new to allotments and 7 mnths pregnant too. My main problem is that my plot is about 300yrds from the tap, is on a South facing slope and vunerable to South easterly and South westerly winds. Making it very hard to grow anything that likes a lot of water!

The water butt I have got is great but it hasnt rained in 2 weeks and its empty even though I make at least three trips a day to the allotment tap, filling up 2 watering cans and have only used the butt in emergencies!.

Any suggestions from you lovely people on what to grow that doesnt need much watering?
Please help before I end up with arms down to my ankles!!! 

[gobs]

What is your soil like?

There are a lot of things that I never water or nearly, but with the last 2 summers anybody could say that.

Try mulching after a period of rain, under planting for ground cover, hoing frequently, using a windbreak and you can never have enough water butts... Collect rain water from the roof of a shed/gh into several butts connected  and get a hose to fill them up from the tap in dry periods.

[celjaci]

Very good advice from Gobs
IMO most watering is unnecessary particularly light watering which all evapourates before it gets to the root zone, but see people doing it every day!

[Greendream]

Hose!!! I wish! the bloke next door reckons that he tried a hose and by the time the water got to him it came out as a drip! Plus even though hes next door I have to go twice as far to access my plot!  
I have had the water butt for 2 months and my dad filled it twice using 2 40 litre canisters and it still hasnt overflowed enough to get another one! Rain dancing is not helping either!
The soil is good sandy/loamy stuff though.
I am erecting windbreaks at the mo to help the situation. Dont have any ground cover as such as when I took over it was full of weeds and spuds so dug it all over. Theres a lot of filling in needed!!  

[barney rubble]

asparagus likes it sandy, but will still need watering, and you can't crop it in the first year.... Guess you'll have to get your anticipated new arrival in training asap with their junior watering can

[blackbob]

Hi!
I am new to allotments and 7 mnths pregnant too. My main problem is that my plot is about 300yrds from the tap, is on a South facing slope and vunerable to South easterly and South westerly winds. Making it very hard to grow anything that likes a lot of water!

The water butt I have got is great but it hasnt rained in 2 weeks and its empty even though I make at least three trips a day to the allotment tap, filling up 2 watering cans and have only used the butt in emergencies!.

Any suggestions from you lovely people on what to grow that doesnt need much watering?
Please help before I end up with arms down to my ankles!!! 

[mumofstig]

^ HUH

[DavidT]

Potatoes, carrots and parsnips are better left to Mother Nature to water anyway. Brassicas, once established, only need serious watering in deought conditions. What you have to remember is, in the wild, plants only get watered when it rains.