Tips & Advice

IBC's 

Reusing old IBC containers which have previously been used for water or non-harmful chemical storage would be the ideal bulk water storage solution.  Make sure to clean out the container properly before adding any of your rainwater as you do not want to contaminate your hard-grown plants with whatever may have been left in the container when you received it. As most IBS containers are white in colour they will allow in the light which could lead to algae (green growth) inside your container so would be best to create a dark covering for your container or paint it black on the outside (Remember to leave a small section unpainted so that you can see the water level if you decide on this option) or you could buy a black cover to prevent the algae build-up. 

POLY TUNNEL

Rail Water collection from a polytunnel - Please see YouTube link to - Video from Steve's Seaside Kitchen & Garden showing his water collection arrangement off of his polytunnel. Please remember that polytunnels are classed as structures and require association approval prior to putting these up. 

WATERING CANS

Using a watering can, filled from a water butt, means you can direct your water to the actual crop you are growing, and starve the weeds in between rows. Watering by hand (with watering cans) also gets you up close and personal with your plants, this helps you observe their health and notice if any attention is required or if any pests and diseases are present. You will notice this more early if you are closer to the plants.

MULCHING

A mulch is just a covering of matter to protect the surface of the soil. It conserves water by stopping evaporation. It also protects the top centimetre of soil. Nature does not like bare soil, and nature quickly covers bare soil whenever possible. For a start the suns UV rays are harmful to the bacteria and organisms that live in the top centimetre of soil. It kills them off. These organisms are essential for a healthy functioning soil. You will notice that any bare soil becomes very dry, dusty and dead after a few weeks of being exposed to the sun. A healthy soil is protected from UV and kept damp by mulch. If you inspect soil which has been under mulch you will find it fluffy and healthy and full of worms! 

Mulch moderates soil temperature, thus promoting greater root development. Roots prefer to be cool in summer and warm in winter. This is possible under a year-round blanket of mulch.

Any plant material that is free of weed seed and not diseased is suitable for mulch. Weed-free hay or straw, leaves, grass clippings, compost, etc., are all great. Fresh grass clippings are fine for use around wellestablished plants, but cure them for a week or so before placing them around young seedlings. Mulch can be made from many things, but the easiest to use is and most plentifully available are the wood chippings. There is one thing to be careful of. if wood chippings are actually dug into the soil then they will take Nitrogen from the soil as part of their decomposition process. This means they will take Nitrogen that your plants need. So it is important not to actually dig in a mulch made from wood chippings. It should be placed on the surface and pulled back to make way for seeds or seedlings. 

Mulch will also suppress weeds! Mulched beds hardly need digging at all, and nutrients and feed can be placed on the surface for worms to work into the soil. If you do need to dig a bed that has been mulched, then scrape back the mulch prior to digging and then push it back on top after. Eventually the mulch will break down into great compost, and then you do not need to worry about it at all.

PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES

Plastic bottles can be used for some interesting mini greenhouse techniques, including self watering mechanisms.

Lot of us use plastic bottle as mini cloches, but how many think of using them upside down, partly buried next to crops, in order to direct water straight to the root. This works especially well with thirsty plants like tomatoes. They can also be used to ‘drip’ water plants, but leaving the top on the bottle and making some holes in it. You can experiment, but I have found that just using them to make sure all the water from a watering can gets right down to the roots is worthwhile in itself.

Use drip bottle irrigation to grow vegetables with 10 times less water using "Solar Drip Irrigation.” This is a clever idea which eliminates completely the evaporation losses. The water in the bottle gradually evaporates during the day; it condenses on the larger bottle and drips down to the soil. A few of these in between plants will make sure you have a moist soil even on the hottest days. Together with a layer of mulch you will have a system that can use up to 90% less water that spraying with a hose for the same amount of crop!

Click on this link to see other drip irrigation options using plastic bottles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LxippUpLmM

Powdery Mildew

Although most products on the market are targeted more toward the prevention of powdery mildew, there are many home remedies to treat an existing infection. Spray mixtures will only kill what they come in contact with, so be sure to coat all affected areas thoroughly. It may take multiple applications for complete treatment. Apply once a week for three to four weeks, then wait to see results. Reapply as needed.

• Baking soda solution: Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon liquid soap such as Castile soap (not detergent) in 1 gallon of water. Spray liberally, getting top and bottom leaf surfaces and any affected areas. This method may work better as a preventative measure, although it does have some effect on existing powdery mildew as well.

• Potassium bicarbonate: Mix 1 tablespoon potassium bicarbonate and ½ teaspoon liquid soap (not detergent) in 1 gallon of water. Spray liberally to all affected areas. This mixture may work better than baking soda as a treatment for existing infections.

• Milk: Mix 1 part milk to 2 to 3 parts water and spray liberally. While the science behind this solution isn’t fully understood, it seems to work rather well, especially on zucchini, melons and cucumbers. It is believed that naturally-occurring compounds in the milk not only combat the disease, but also boost the plant’s immune system.

• Neem oil: By itself, neem oil has mixed reviews on its effectiveness to treat powdery mildew, but it can be added to the above mixtures for an extra boost.

• Powdery mildew fungicide: Use sulfur-containing organic fungicides as both preventive and treatment for existing infections.

• Trim or prune: Remove the affected leaves, stems, buds, fruit or vegetables from the plant and discard. Some perennials can be cut down to the ground and new growth will emerge. Do not compost any damaged or diseased foliage as the spores can spread and persist in the composted material. Disinfect pruners and all tools after using on infected plants.

How Does Powdery Mildew Spread

Mildew spores are spread by the wind in warm, dry weather, but don’t spread well when conditions are rainy and cool. Powdery mildew strains are specialized to certain groups of plants and generally don’t spread to other plant families. Spores can survive over winter in leaf piles and on plants, so it’s important to discard and not compost any plant debris dropped from infected plants to prevent spreading or allow it to resurface the following spring.