Action plan: Nigel Colborn’s top tips for coping with the deluge
- Nigel Colborn says months of excessive rain has made gardens unworkable
- British gardening expert recommends mowing lawns regardless of weather
- However, he warns not to sow outdoors until conditions are suitable
KEEP OFF THE GRASS!
The new gardening season usually begins tomorrow, March 1 – but not this year.
After months of excessive rain nationwide, our landscape is soaked through. Even where there are no floods, soils are saturated. That makes them temporarily unworkable.
We can mop up surplus water and help the ground to drain, but for the land to be restored to health, we need time.
The wisest action is to keep off. Every footprint causes lasting damage by compaction, so don’t tread on beds, allotments or anywhere cultivated.
Nigel Colborn shares his advice, after excessive rain nationwide pushes back a new gardening season (file image)
In many places, soils have become sludge. But with good drainage and rapidly increasing day-length, the ground will dry sooner than you dare hope.
If planting and sowing is delayed a little, don’t worry, the season will catch up as it always does.
We should help where we can. But, above all, we must allow time and rising temperatures to do the healing. Meanwhile, here are some tips for helping to mop up.
If your lawn is low-lying and feels boggy underfoot, keep off it. If, after a week the water is still there, it’s worth trying to drain it off. Pushing a garden fork into the ground may help. It may even be necessary to make a narrow, temporary trench, to run off water.
If patches of lawn are submerged for long enough to kill the grass, you can re-seed it later when conditions are back to normal.
CARRY ON MOWING
Wet or dry, grass will grow whenever the temperature is at or above 5c.
Regular lawn mowing will, therefore, be necessary, regardless of conditions. But walk carefully when lawns are damp below the surface and avoid any boggy areas until they dry.
AS BUSY AS BEES
Your garden will dry up at varying rates. Sunny spots with good drainage will be ready to work sooner than heavy soils in shade. Windy zones dry faster than sheltered ones, too. So instead of completing one task at a time, have several jobs in progress at the same time. Prioritise, tackling the drier spots or urgent tasks first.
British gardening expert Nigel, recommends waiting until the soil has drained thoroughly to start removing weeds (file image)
VEG PATCHES AND ALLOTMENTS
Leave any bare soil untouched and allow it to dry before attempting any cultivations. Don’t even weed the ground until it can be walked on without causing compaction. Remaining winter crops, such as leeks and brassicas, should still be fine despite the wet.
SEED SOWING
The outdoor sowing season may be delayed, but don’t be tempted to sow until soil conditions are suitable. Seed needs an easily handled, crumbly tilth. With some veg you can sow seed in cell trays, in a frame, for later planting. That works with beetroot, turnips, peas, broad beans and more.
STUBBORN WEEDS
Pulling even shallow-rooted weeds from wet soil removes too much precious topsoil. It’s also difficult to get at them without treading on the bed. So wait until the soil has drained thoroughly.
… AND MAKE ROOM FOR THE LIVING
Despite the awful weather, most plants will make a full recovery. But where conditions have been bad for long periods, there may be fatalities. It’s sad to lose loved plants but each death leaves space for something new and exciting. So remove any ‘corpses’ and select replacements. When you do that, try to select something more suitable for the conditions in that spot.