Can't stand it.
When was the last time you saw a duck frolicking in a downpour? That's right, never. Because you had run for shelter and weren't paying attention. Believe me, ducks are no happier in a deluge than in a pancake.
There was a collective outpouring of relief from gardeners this weekend as the rain came. Tweets, posts and blogs everywhere praising those little drops from the heavens. My guess is that they were mostly from people who never get round to watering properly and think that old grey beard up on that cloud has freed them from guilt.
However, if you have a growhouse you can't escape the guilt:
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| One of my many dry seedlings |
Yet what I can't understand is that if perfect growing conditions are a delicate balance between nutrient, air and water in the soil, and if you have to watch just how little or much you water plant by plant, then surely a soaking from above is akin to building a house of matchsticks only for God to be holding a lighter?
Perhaps not. I was advised by a work colleague that rainwater doesn't penetrate the soil in the same way as normal watering, and that in summer a good soaking once a week is worthwhile. Putting aside that one type of water is better than another (?!) it seems that even if you forgot to water your garden all last year (you know who you are!), stick to once a week and you may get more than just rhubarb this year.
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