Water shortage & Hosepipe ban

[SquishyCinnamonSwirls]

Obviously this has been all over the news, but it's put me in a bit of a quandary about whether to plant all my seeds.
The potatoes and peas are already in, but I'm really dithering about whether to plant anything else as if we have a hosepipe ban, which is looking likely, everything will wither and die anyway.
Is this effecting anyone else's decision what to grow?
Does a water butt make that much difference?

I was going to post the same pretty much - ie. what are people going to grow this year with the hosepipe ban? My spuds have arrived and are chitting. Probably go in in two weeks.

Watering without a hosepipe for us is a real bind, other than the greenhouse which has a water butt (which I believe you are allowed to fill off the hose, though I might be wrong), but main patch is hard work (and too big) to water from the water butt.

I am also undecided so have sympathies with you and am interested to see what others say.

Annoying hey?!

I only water a tiny bit when plant/seed planted and for first few days, then they are on their own. This worked for all my veg last year so I'll just carry on the same this year. Have never used a hosepipe on plants.

Am thinking the same. Seems a bit pointless. I have little enough time to cope with the veg plot when I can use the hosepipe never mind when I can't. Think I might put in butternut squash as only a few plants, so will be quick to water.

Tomatoes in a grow bag as well.

Leave the rest of the plot empty.

The thing to remember is that some allotments don't have water and manage on what can be collected in water butts. If you water your plants regularly they get use to it and require it. If you just water well at the very beginning you can just leave them. For young plants I water well into the hole I dig, put plant in, fill hole then water from watering can the next couple of days, then that is it for whole season. From seed I make the drill, water, sow seed, cover and water. Then when seedlings first emerge they get a gentle shower the first few days. Then that's it.

You might get a reduced yield, it depends on the quality of your soil. A quick hoe round the plant to keep relatively weed free and aerate the soil helps. Last year we grew loads of different veg. The main failure was tomatoes and that was blight.

I know if you are used to watering it seems like you have to - I felt like that until I had allotment next to a guy with fab plot who said he didn't water. It was a real eye opener. Having moved to doing this now I wouldn't go back, I'm much too lazy. We still have squashes and sweetcorn from last year and lots of dried beans and had more French beans, cucs and courgettes than we could deal with.

Thanks for this interesting information re not actually needing to water so much. Going to discuss with DH and MIL (who are infinitely more knowledgeable than me on these matters). MIL (and DH when he was little) used to do an allotment, so they will have relied on little/no water other than in the butts.

What about spuds though? Will they work on this basis? They just look like they would be crying out for water... maybe not?

I only have my garden not an allotment and our soil is really heavy clay so I tend to grow things in grow bags or pots which obviously dry out far far quicker than the ground.

That's interesting though what you're saying about the plants getting used to it. I might have to try turning a load of the soil over with some compost and manure. My spuds are in raised beds so that'll just have to be watered by hand.

You ARE allowed to use a hose to fill a waering can or other recepticle- you are just not allowed to use the hose directly.

Amelia - was wondering about that, I am sure someone has said to me in the past that I could fill my water butt if empty from the hose, then water with my can from the butt. Achieves same end, but just prolongs the process!! But rightly, it does mean we will be more careful and sparing with the water rather than just leaving the sprinkler on too long.....

I mulch heavily, put everything in the ground and avoid using pots or growbags. Grass cuttings and garden compost make good mulches, they supress weeds and slowly rot, the worms take them into the soil to save you having to dig. This improves the texture of the soil.

After a dry winter the ground may be rather dry, but by not watering, you will encourage the plants to put down deep roots looking for water. Frequent watering means the roots come up to the surface for it.