Met Office confirms summer will be drier and warmer than average

Back in January 2009 I expressed my thoughts that that 2009 would be warm and even questioned the possibilities of a heatwave.

This prospect seemed to be heightened when the Met Office also predicted that 2009 would be warmer than average.

Today the Met Office have confirmed that 2009 will be a barbecue summer with temperatures above thirty degrees although this will bring heavy localised rainfall and thunderstorms.

For the British gardener, this will bring challenges and I would urge that preparations are made well in advance to collect and conserve water in case of hose pipe bans.

I would also invest in some kind of organic mulching material; whether that is spent or fresh straw or shredded paper or perhaps composted leaf mould to help shield the soil from the sun and retain water below the surface.

A water collection tank (bigger the better) with a rain saver down pipe connection might just be a wise investment.

I shall be employing my tomato watering and feeding technique - let me know how yours get on.

Comments

[Steve]

I just hope the the Water Companies do not use it as an reason again to attack Horticulture and impose hose-pipe bans.

In my view hosepipe bans were imposed in 2006 through the deglect of the Water companies, some of which had 30% wastage through leaking pipes, whilst Horticulture takes an apparent 5% usage.

In 2006 our sales were down 50% as a direct result of the hosepipe ban. We could still water, but our customers could not, so did not buy plants, and our hosepipe ban was from April to November!

If that were to happen again this year, I suspect that many Nurseries, and Landscapers that rely on planting as a main source of income will suffer on top of our already struggling economy.

We cannot let the Water Companies get away with it again, and hopefully through forums such as this, should they impose bans, we should strongly oppose them.

They should get their own house "in order" before attacking Horticulture.

Passion yes, anger yes, if it were up to me I would nationalise the whole greedy lot of them with no compensation!