To Hose or not to Hose

[Ali]

Hello! I've been looking through the threads to see if anyone else is bemoaning the hosepipe ban... but can't seem to see anything...

Here is the predicament. Living in Surrey we have a hosepipe ban - ok... but I thought that allotments were exempt everywhere (one rule for all) because they are classed as "agricultural" - but it seems that if you are a Thames Water customer they are domestic and you are not allowed to water with a hose - (but it's ok because we can still fill up our swimming pools). If, however you are a Southern Water customer you CAN use your hosepipe to water your allotment...

Does anyone know the defnitive answer? If it is here and I can't see it - sorry!

Ali

[vicki]

Hi Ali, I've just been onto the Thames water website and it does definately say that you CAN'T use hosepipes, sprinklers or any other irrigation system at the allotment, only a watering can, but the Southern water site says you can!
- not good. I'm a Thames Water customer but as my veg are in the back garden its not too bad - nightmare for you though.
Don't get why swimming pools are ok though, do you?

[Geordie]

Cant you take the swimming pool to the allotment....fill the pool then tip it over the garden.

[Nicos]

does a paddling pool count??

[andrewo]

You need to check with the council, alot of allotments, even when there isn't a hosepipe ban cannot use a hosepipe - this is down to councils. Sometimes the charge for the land does not take into account the percentage of water you use, and water boards are pushing for allotments to be metered. It is a shame but it isn't the end of the world, you can water without hosepipes by planning out were your water butts and 'reservoirs' aer going and then use pipes connected up to the butts that go directly to the earth. Hosepipes can end up watering everything but the soil and getting the foliage wet, and the plant won't appreciate this day in, day out. The Victorians didn't have hosepipes and they still managed.

[Lesley Jay]

The last time we had a hosepipe ban in our part of the country we watered the allotments with watering cans. It was a bit of a pain but the vegetables grew great and the nearest tap was right down the other end of the site.

[vicki]

apparantly you can do swimming pools but not paddling pools!
I think this is because a swimming pool is a 'one-off' fill-up job, whereas a paddling pool gets emptied and re-filled. you can fill the paddling pool with a bucket though!
either way, my paddling pool water will probably end up waterimg the veg at the end of the day anyway!

[Ali]

Thanks everyone - what niggles though is that I pay for water in my annual allotment rent. But ho-hum... off I shall go and buy a few swimming pools for the allotment and grow those instead!

Luckily, I have a few water catchers around the place and the hosepipe ban allows me to fill those up (with the hosepipe - ha ha) and then use the watering can to water... wierder and wierder every day.

I will check with the council and keep you watered with information - for anyone else who might encounter our waterships-down. Please put more info here if you have any.

Would water shortages / drought measures / bans merit a separate thread? Or are we just a few dry 'uns on these message boards?

Ali

[sewer rat]

What's a drought

[Alice]

It's what you don't get right here in the Garden of Eden.

[eskymo]

I never use a hosepipe to water the garden - I use one to top up my water butt [which is just a normal black bin] and then use a watering can to water all the garden - it means I have to walk up and down the garden all the time, but I enjoy that and like the fact that I'm giving each plant personal attention and know how much water I am giving everything.

My neighbour uses a hosepipe and a rotating sprinkler system and just switches it on and buggers off for hours and it annoys me so much as it's such a waste of water as most of the time he's watering the walls and the path rather than the plants!

I heard something on the news the other day about a clearer definition of 'essentail use of water' was going to be released this week for the hosepip ban regions - wan't listening so hard so not sure if that's right...I just got annoyed about their definitions of 'essential use' - as far as I'm concerned, if I'm growing food for my own table then watering my plot is essential.

[andrewo]

The worst thing is, is nationally the water companies lose up 800 millions gallons a day through leaks, that is enough for 11 million homes.

I agree that hosepipes and sprinklers can be an awful waste for watering, but are sometimes necessary for those who can't carry. But there are better ways of getting water to your plants - this is a test for you, water as you would normally - water with a hosepipe in one spot and then with can, you will note that the latter will penetrate the soil deeper, why? Because you have to get closer. To water plants successfully, water has to get down 6", now that means with a hosepipe you are watering for a long time because the water is spread over a wide area - for the conscientious ones amongst you who water at the roots, thank you - but normally, we water from the paths as if it was rain.

[Ali]

I have been digging moats around all of my plants - it's like making sandcastles at the seaside! And using plastic bottles / old plantpots etc to point down at the roots. ANYTHING to catch each little drop and not let it wash away!

[eskymo]

That's a very good thing to do - I do it every year around my courgettes and climbing beans. This year I've also put trenches between my runs of peas. The water collects in the channels and goes straight to the plants roots. It's just started pouring it down here and all my 'moats' are filling up already.

[Ali]

we get so excited here when it rains the whole village strips off and does the rain dance in the streets...