Stormy Weather II

[DracoM]

Pity it isn't stormy weather up here - might put a damper on non-stop loud, polluting, road hog b....y bikers non-stop so far.

[teamsaint]

Is it a deposit, or the white felting the leaves have evolved as a drought and heat protection? On young growth it can be very thick but as the leaves grow it gets progressively less.

I think it is probably the white felting you describe. Best to gently remove ?

[Serial_Apologist]

The damage in my garden isn't too bad, - possibly because lack of moisture has already reduced size and fragility of much of the plants' growth? - but unless there is some sustained rain soon the recovery to what might be expected at this time of year isn't going to happen any time soon. Growth has slowed right down, flowering is brief and things are looking unhappy - droopy - by early afternoon. No relief in sight in the forecast.

Our hosepipe is proving invaluable this year, as in previous years. You will otherwise need to resort to a watering can - the largest kind - but just think of the muscle power you will be building up!

[oddoneout]

I think it is probably the white felting you describe. Best to gently remove ?

If it's the natural felting then trying to remove it will damage the leaves, as it's attached - there for a reason, although not necessarily one that is so important in this country! Think lambs lugs, woolly mullein, etc.

[oddoneout]

Our hosepipe is proving invaluable this year, as in previous years. You will otherwise need to resort to a watering can - the largest kind - but just think of the muscle power you will be building up!

I have a short coiled type hose to make the attachment between the outside tap and the 4 full length hoses laid out the length of the garden along the fence.Using the connections between them enables reaching different parts of the garden - primarily the containers on the patio by the house at one end and the veg garden at the far end. Borders in the middle just have to cope unless there are new plants - which this year I have avoided so far for obvious reasons. Watering can use has to be limited due to arthritis and other issues, muscles have to be built by other means!

[ardcarp]

Talking of water, I had a swim in the sea this evening (big stony beach, hardly anyone there, so 'distancing' was no problem). Water cold (prob around 12 degrees) but it was good to be free to do that sort of thing again.

[BBMmk2]

I’m surprised there hasn’t been a hosepipe ban or restrictions, by now, given the dry weather we’ve had.

Going to be another scorcher today, methinks.

[LMcD]

I’m surprised there hasn’t been a hosepipe ban or restrictions, by now, given the dry weather we’ve had.

Going to be another scorcher today, methinks.

It's only right to give Anglian Water their due - to my recollection, we've never had a hosepipe ban despite being the driest part of the UK with an average rainfall of just over 20 inches.

[oddoneout]

It's only right to give Anglian Water their due - to my recollection, we've never had a hosepipe ban despite being the driest part of the UK with an average rainfall of just over 20 inches.

They have imposed bans in the past, as I remember having to sort out the situation for allotment holders(and then argue with the Town Council which switched all the taps off and shouldn't have), and establish that it was permissible to use a hose to top up the wildlife pond which was full of newts and frogs. AW haven't needed to do so in recent years though, partly because most of the water storage is aquifers which don't suffer from evaporation like reservoirs and get refilled during wet winters(of which we've had a few...), and also because they have fixed a lot of leaks. They continue as far as I know to export water to elsewhere, something that didn't go down too well when it became public knowledge years ago at a time when restrictions for 'home' customers were looking likely.

[LMcD]

They have imposed bans in the past, as I remember having to sort out the situation for allotment holders(and then argue with the Town Council which switched all the taps off and shouldn't have), and establish that it was permissible to use a hose to top up the wildlife pond which was full of newts and frogs. AW haven't needed to do so in recent years though, partly because most of the water storage is aquifers which don't suffer from evaporation like reservoirs and get refilled during wet winters(of which we've had a few...), and also because they have fixed a lot of leaks. They continue as far as I know to export water to elsewhere, something that didn't go down too well when it became public knowledge years ago at a time when restrictions for 'home' customers were looking likely.

The last ban seems to have been in the Spring of 2012. Clearly, I'd either forgotten it or was unaware of it at the time!

[gurnemanz]

Checked local (N Wilts) weather station records out of curiosity. Total rainfall for May so far is a measly 3.8 mm and none forecast before the end of the month. April total was 65.5 (actually slightly above average) with 17mm - a decent drenching - on April 30. Last year shows more balanced totals - April 46 mm, May 36 mm.

Luckily, the relatively wet April means that lower down there is still plenty of moisture in the soil. An advantage of clay. I only need to water newly planted plants. Roses etc with established roots look great.

[teamsaint]

Checked local (N Wilts) weather station records out of curiosity. Total rainfall for May so far is a measly 3.8 mm and none forecast before the end of the month. April total was 65.5 (actually slightly above average) with 17mm - a decent drenching - on April 30. Last year shows more balanced totals - April 46 mm, May 36 mm.

Luckily, the relatively wet April means that lower down there is still plenty of moisture in the soil. An advantage of clay. I only need to water newly planted plants. Roses etc with established roots look great.

Looks like a good year for the roses down here in S Wilts on the chalk too.

Bit of cloud here, but still glorious really.

[LMcD]

Checked local (N Wilts) weather station records out of curiosity. Total rainfall for May so far is a measly 3.8 mm and none forecast before the end of the month. April total was 65.5 (actually slightly above average) with 17mm - a decent drenching - on April 30. Last year shows more balanced totals - April 46 mm, May 36 mm.

Luckily, the relatively wet April means that lower down there is still plenty of moisture in the soil. An advantage of clay. I only need to water newly planted plants. Roses etc with established roots look great.

Apparently we've had 4.5 mm so far this month, and there's none in the forecast for the remainder of May.

[ardcarp]

the relatively wet April

Which area of the UK was that?

[DracoM]

April...WET????????????????