Watering allotment

Hey guys I have just got a allotment this year and all the old timers seam very reluctant for us to use the water taps we have on site so do you guys water much in summer like we have now I know alot of things are pretty hardy and that but other week one said we don't water much on here as it corses the stems of things to rot we only water when it rains really
So are they just been tight and afraid of the water going up we pay £10 at the min

 

AFAIC, if the plants need watering, water them

 

Probably cos there is a water meter fitted and the water company will charge more if it goes above a set amount of water used, I would speak to a committee member and rise your concerns about the water usage................I am on a water meter at home (gulp......first time in May 2013) but if a plant needs water then it needs water, and you may have to starting looking
into water butts etc to conserve water.

 

I was wondering the same the agreement for the allotment says to go easy on water. There are 2 big tanks on the top and a series of baths are gravity fed. If I water every thing on my site I use at least 20 gallons and more and that's with out watering the spuds at all

 

If you are on light land then you will need to water often. I'm on heavy land and even in a dry spell such as this I find that twice a week is enough. However, it is important to apply enough so that it soaks down into the soil, rather than just wetting the surface. This will encourage the plant to root downwards, to where the water is. If you water little-and-often the plant will grow roots near the surface (where you are providing water, natch!) and then when the sun comes out and that top few mm dries out the roots will struggle ... more so if you go away for a few days and there is no water.

I plant every in a shallow depression - so when I water it collects / runs towards the plant, so I can water from a can and nearly all the water soaks down close to the plant.

Applying a mulch will help retain the water in the soil.

 

Thanks guys for all your help
I do have a water butt at the min but as we did not have it set up in winter it's empty I will be getting a few more but they are expenceve really to be buying loads and I only have a 6 x 8 shed to collect water from too so will take a long time to fill them
Just wondered if we was Been silly and watering when there was no need to do

 

Check with your local council and water company, they may offer water-butts at a discounted price.

a-a

 

1" of rain on a 6 x 8 shed (assuming that you collected every last drop ... ) is 100 Litres.

You want to try to have enough capacity to be able to collect all the rain from a good downpour in a Summer thunderstorm, which will replenish your tanks, but I am not sure that trying to store all the rain water you can catch through the Winter is worthwhile - you need 1,000's of Litres to water your vegetable patch, not 100's, so you are going to be relying on mains water at some point.

Could you use the blue barrels (that Orange juice is delivered in I think)? Or an IBC? They cost about £20-40 and are 1,000 Litres - you'd need a trailer to transport it to your site though.

 

Presumably no "sewerage" component to metered water on an allotment? Which I think reduces the price by about half, so perhaps around £1.50 per 1,000 Litres?

 

Is there any 'reasonable use' clause in your tenancy agreement? I know of some people on allotments with mains water who only visit about once or twice a week and they can get a bit touchy about those who go every day and spend the whole time watering their crops 'at everybody else's expense'.

 

I don't think so scrunngee I work full time so only get the odd night up there any way and one day at the weekend so I don't think I will be using that much water to be fair