16th May 2018

May regularly seems to be a dry month year on year. It's the time when many seedlings are put out and seeds that have been sown need watering. So each year, it seems I turnthe mains wateron.

I have had some stored, but both drinking water and other less potable are in short. As it rained a little today it made sense to artificially water so there is enough to really soak in, and not just pamper the soil surface, the problem being that roots will only grow towards water and surface roots are vulnerable, not least to drying soil.

As I'm using a lot (1m³ plus) it also makes sense to use up the last water collected from the track, the potable water is collected in a wheel barrow. The buts that collect the rain from the track, over the year, also collect gravel and fine soil as well as organic debris, and at this time of the year is a host to thousands of mosquito larva. So clearing this smelly organic soup is best done when there copious other water to wash and clean up.

Here are a couple of images of 1. A compost heap and 2. The heap covered in the sludge from the bottom of the tubs.