​Watering

Wednesday 20th July
The link on the Facebook page shows Alan Titchmarsh explaining the most effective way off watering,  albeit in a flower garden but the same applies to veg plots. I have always avoided watering on the plot as much as possible as I didn't want to be tied to daily visits but I think I have probably carried it too far and suffered crop loss very often as a result. I am now watering seeds and newly planted crops to give them a good start and then watering very sparingly when the weather demands it - like now!
I have always sown and planted into trenches or depressions so any water I do use has maximum effect. 

​The photo of the peas I sowed yesterday shows the trench on the right after sowing and watering. What doesn't show is the sprinkling of paraffin along the row to hopefully ward off the mice. On the left is the net tunnel I use to protect the emerging Mangetout from the pigeons. The dwarf French Beans in the middle will probably be safe from pigeon attack, though I will be ready with the net tunnel if necessary.
My carrots will get special treatment however. Carrot seedlings die off if they dry out just a little bit so I always sow in a trench and the cover with a plank lifted off the surface by bricks, as in the photo.

Later I will use a fleece tunnel to keep the carrot fly off - or maybe get round to buying and using Enviromesh from the Trading Hut which, though more expensive, will last for more than a year.​
I was not quite so early this morning as I am off out for the day, so I concentrated on a quick visit to water and sprinkle paraffin. I also dropped off the extension pieces for the compost bin, but that is for another day.