Apologies to you @nonenone as we've diverted your thread a bit! It shows the massive differences though, and it's why many people simply don't understand why gardens vary so much. Here's my records from 2022 @thevictorian : May - 26mm* June - 65.6mm July - 74mm Aug - 84.5mm Total - 250 mm * I didn't have the gauge in place until the 18th May, so that's approx 13 days worth. I had a look and there was only 4 days when we had no rain up until then, and even then there was showers/smirr etc. The amount of rain any area gets doesn't tell the whole story either - when people get very little, it often means more hours of sun, so the ground is constantly drying up, and when rain arrives, you can get flooding rather than it soaking in. Plants are therefore being subjected to drought then a deluge, which often isn't of any use. We get a lot of grey, cloudy days, so that doesn't happen, and the ground stays damper long term.
It's a good idea @JennyJ re a thread with the rain totals. It would show how difficult it can be for people to manage their plots, and help with advice re suitable planting etc. I don't know how many people have the gauges though.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Will have a look @Bee witched. It was a pack of two, and not expensive The place I got it doesn't have any. This is the same one but I don't like ordering from China. It's the same item though
@Fairygirl I'm quite surprised how things coped tbh. I'm more worried about the frequency we might see it in the future. Our allotment is where most plants suffered and many of the folks down there lost a large proportion of their plants.
Speaking of allotments, a few people down there do use grass as a mulch and I think a few use it to cover their potatoes. Some others use straw as well. I tend to chop grass up and add it to the compost heap but digging it slightly into the soil might help suck up the water before another lot as a mulch. I've not used them myself but you can buy water absorbing gel for hanging baskets and I wonder if this might work. You would have to check if they are safe around vegetables.
Funnily enough @thevictorian , I was just looking at what the forecast for tomorrow is to be, and there was this item - https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2023/february-and-winter-stats It's interesting reading. Looking at your link earlier, we had more rain in July than all those contributors put together! I think it's definitely more of a problem with fruit and veg than ornamentals. A crop can easily fail if the conditions are iffy. If an ornamental dies off, it's not as big a deal IMO. I'd be fairly hacked off if I was trying to get a decent crop for my table and it was a constant struggle with conditions. There's probably a limit to what you can do in terms of mulching too.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Apologies to you @nonenone as we've diverted your thread a bit! It shows the massive differences though, and it's why many people simply don't understand why gardens vary so much.
Not at all, it's just developed into an interesting discussion. I don't have a rain gauge but I think I'll get one. I've lived here for 11 years with no water issues until 4 years ago. I'm better at managing it now but am always looking for ideas. You are right that it is more devastating to lose vegetable and fruit crops than flowers. The trees and shrubs in my garden are well established and even though they droop when we've had no decent rain for more than a month and sometimes longer they survive. I'm changing the flowers that I've grown to more drought tolerant species too. Losing vegetables and fruit is really devastating and almost made me turn over my veg plots to flowers but I love growing veg so I'll just keep trying. I suspect that as climate change speeds up, water problems will be more widespread.
@Bee witched, I'm sure I've seen such gauges in some garden centres on our travels. Maybe worth a look the next time you're at one?🙂 Think I might keep my eyes open for one, too.
I expect they mostly come from there @Bee witched but at least if it's a UK supplier I don't mind so much. Daft, I know, but I'd rather support someone here trying to make a living. I rarely go in GCs @Songbird-2 but I'm sure they'll have them. DIY places too possibly.
I wonder if it would also be easier to grow slightly less @nonenone? The stuff you're growing from seed anyway. Very difficult. The SW of Scotland is so different from further north and I don't think people realise that. Further north than me the annual rainfall gets measured in metres rather than feet. I expect collecting water in anything you can is the answer too- or helps a bit. Cheap dustbins, buckets - anything you can get hold of that'll hold water.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
It shows the massive differences though, and it's why many people simply don't understand why gardens vary so much.
Here's my records from 2022 @thevictorian :
May - 26mm*
June - 65.6mm
July - 74mm
Aug - 84.5mm
Total - 250 mm
* I didn't have the gauge in place until the 18th May, so that's approx 13 days worth.
I had a look and there was only 4 days when we had no rain up until then, and even then there was showers/smirr etc.
The amount of rain any area gets doesn't tell the whole story either - when people get very little, it often means more hours of sun, so the ground is constantly drying up, and when rain arrives, you can get flooding rather than it soaking in. Plants are therefore being subjected to drought then a deluge, which often isn't of any use. We get a lot of grey, cloudy days, so that doesn't happen, and the ground stays damper long term.
It's a good idea @JennyJ re a thread with the rain totals. It would show how difficult it can be for people to manage their plots, and help with advice re suitable planting etc. I don't know how many people have the gauges though.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I quite fancy a rain gauge for here. Can you remember which one you bought?
Thanks,
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
The place I got it doesn't have any. This is the same one but I don't like ordering from China. It's the same item though
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394323355650?_trkparms=amclksrc=ITM&aid=1110006&algo=HOMESPLICE.SIM&ao=1&asc=241967&meid=1f9181214b60457590c4e99a0a0dd164&pid=101195&rk=2&rkt=12&sd=255553507584&itm=394323355650&pmt=1&noa=0&pg=2047675&algv=SimplAMLv11WebTrimmedV3MskuWithRevOptLambda85KnnRecallV1AndV6ItemNrtInQueryAndCassiniVisualRanker&brand=Unbranded&_trksid=p2047675.c101195.m1851&amdata=cksum:3943233556501f9181214b60457590c4e99a0a0dd164|enc:AQAHAAABQPc3I89H0AQHQHV%2FOlsMl254OIifOGpM%2BBEVlem%2B%2B9zqkiF5v06l0lZvmgOKI85oqIQoVeqzX5anW3c2z8VQG1s2EXcLUko1slSTch6KegK80F7vxNzjrgLeB2hzasxLLDMU71TLGPBbVlrJRFj0R%2FZzrUFSNnUrGnn2L8jKVgccQHBBgIaSXKg%2FTaRP7G6Ag2RW6hTbbTVpCWlYrCuUbYRKA1EQ14qnuCI6cI2xUoNLeA4OL46ZNTYabrt3Y65LI9XdrAonUzPvHqyhanh5ZW6RDolc89w0LCZ6VBd7w9E%2BoW4snmXgQtf9RveM8w%2B5GHYn7geXOX93JoMbJpzT%2BOTTNvI6Kbk37GW7lSKJpSfwjCmqnv3bYaqAX%2BQYFsOLyEtrB9qR7mqMz%2FgcbE62TuVk7vP%2B%2Fl6Jnnv08EK1KwNx|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:2047675
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Speaking of allotments, a few people down there do use grass as a mulch and I think a few use it to cover their potatoes. Some others use straw as well.
I tend to chop grass up and add it to the compost heap but digging it slightly into the soil might help suck up the water before another lot as a mulch. I've not used them myself but you can buy water absorbing gel for hanging baskets and I wonder if this might work. You would have to check if they are safe around vegetables.
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2023/february-and-winter-stats
It's interesting reading.
Looking at your link earlier, we had more rain in July than all those contributors put together!
I think it's definitely more of a problem with fruit and veg than ornamentals. A crop can easily fail if the conditions are iffy. If an ornamental dies off, it's not as big a deal IMO.
I'd be fairly hacked off if I was trying to get a decent crop for my table and it was a constant struggle with conditions. There's probably a limit to what you can do in terms of mulching too.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I take your point about buying from China, so I'll have a mooch around and see if I can find a UK supplier.
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
I rarely go in GCs @Songbird-2 but I'm sure they'll have them. DIY places too possibly.
I wonder if it would also be easier to grow slightly less @nonenone? The stuff you're growing from seed anyway. Very difficult. The SW of Scotland is so different from further north and I don't think people realise that. Further north than me the annual rainfall gets measured in metres rather than feet.
I expect collecting water in anything you can is the answer too- or helps a bit. Cheap dustbins, buckets - anything you can get hold of that'll hold water.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...