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Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15966

Posted: Mon May 08, 23 7:14 am Post subject:

We had a wet April and it was rather cool too. Charcoal sales were pretty poor, and this Bank Holiday hasn't been as good as expected. One of our outlets phoned up for an advance order of charcoal and he expects to put a lot of the barbecue stuff he prepared in the freezer. Yesterday wasn't bad; went out for a walk to pick up eggs from a place down the hill and the scent from various flowers was amazing because of overnight rain. Dry here at the moment, but looks as if it may rain soon.

The winterbournes round here are flowing well, and wouldn't be surprised if they carry on for a month or two yet.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9878
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Tue May 23, 23 12:24 pm Post subject:

well this dry weather is my fault. I put gutters on an outbuilding, and invested in nice looking ( rather than old IBC, cos it is near the house and neighbours) water butts. Connected the first butt to the gutter system and waited for some rain to see if it is set up right... that was 2 weeks ago... not a drop. Forecast is hot and sunny for next couple of weeks too.
*sigh*
Have set up my pump and am watering the veggies with saved rainwater.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15966

Posted: Wed May 24, 23 6:54 am Post subject:

Yes, I am doing the same thing. We have a couple of tanks under the greenhouse and a hand pump, so use that. I am afraid it is always the way Nicky; you set something up that needs specific weather and then it all goes wrong. We were thinking that about charcoal, but as the weather has turned dry we are selling it like hot cakes at the moment. We are well down on last years sales at present because it has been so cold and wet.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9878
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Wed May 24, 23 8:57 am Post subject:
I hope your sales pick up MR

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15966

Posted: Fri May 26, 23 6:54 am Post subject:
Thanks Nicky. They certainly have this week. With the stuff we take out of the kiln today, we will have sold over 100 bags this week. If we keep this up we will have to do at least 2 firings a week.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9878
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Sat Jun 10, 23 11:19 am Post subject:

it's been 4 weeks without rain, since the day I put up a gutter and set up a new water butt... can finally establish it works as we have rain. very light though, not enough to make the earth properly wet. I have emptied 4 water barrels and one and a half IBC watering via watering can and my battery pump with all the watering of veggies. I reckon an IBC will last me 2 weeks. I'm using mains water up nearer the house, so my plans to be self sufficient in garden water have not come to fruition yet, (but this is why I am setting up more barrels near the house). Maybe next year. Maybe it is too optimistic to hope I can reserve enough water to get through the dry spells. We shall see.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46207
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Jun 10, 23 11:43 am Post subject:

biscuits and creme secured, i think that is it for first try at practical bits for them, i will see what they don't have as time passes

they had heard about the glow lamps in warm spectrum but not got one.

among the assorted things they have received is a knitted object, roughly jumper shaped for a toddler sized person if not for a toddler shaped person

the "design" is perhaps best described as the mutant spawn of tellytubbies and francis bacon on pcp

as it was a made for sale on a knitting machine item, there may be more of them loose in the world

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8916
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sat Jun 10, 23 1:38 pm Post subject:
Might have rain tonight...waterbutts empty and ready!

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9878
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Sat Jun 10, 23 2:10 pm Post subject:
I hope you get a good downpour Gz. tis back to muggy and sunny again down here

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8916
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sat Jun 10, 23 4:14 pm Post subject:
Rain has reached the Solway Coast...

NorthernMonkeyGirl

Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4630
Location: Peeping over your shoulder

Posted: Sat Jun 10, 23 8:37 pm Post subject:
Enough rain here to colour the patio slabs but otherwise useless. I'm looking at a shower/bath water diverter, because emptying the bath with a bucket is taking too long too often. https://watertwo.co.uk/the-watertwo-device/ I'm not interested in storing greywater and letting it go manky.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8916
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sat Jun 10, 23 9:47 pm Post subject:
Our first lot was like that. Heavier showers and pyrotechnics now but probably not that much. I should think that the garden will be a lot happier though

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46207
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Jun 11, 23 6:54 am Post subject:
grey water with detergents etc will have assorted effects on soil in physical, chemical and very much in biological ways i have used it for a short time during droughts, i would not choose to use it unless it was the only possible irrigation a quick shower might wipe out a few M sq of invertebrate life just by making them extra wet with the surfactant components of the grey water

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15966

Posted: Sun Jun 11, 23 7:41 am Post subject:

If you leave it for any length of time things do break down. Trouble is is stinks. We used to do that with the washing machine at our old house as the first one we had had to be emptied into a bowl as the pump wasn't man enough to lift the water to the sink. It was a twin tub made out of bits from two old ones, but it sort of worked.

It smells wet here, but no actual rain as far as we can see. I did some washing last night and wanted to put it out today, but looks as if it will have to be dried indoors.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9878
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Sun Jun 11, 23 3:40 pm Post subject:
the earth is like dust here - sparrows are dust-bathing in my veg patch... we need a decent water butt filling downpour

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