Hillingdon Allotment News 13: Water water everywhere

Water water everywhere?

Nature has a way of catching up with itself, and that has been proved this winter with copious amounts of rain making it practically impossible to carry out any winter works due to the condition of the soil. At least the hosepipe ban imposed by the water authorities has now been lifted, but the one imposed by Hillingdon Council for allotments remains firmly in place.

It has long been held as part of the agreement that everyone signs that the use of hosepipes to water plants is not allowed. Over the years this has slipped with some people openly flouting this rule and using hoses and sprinklers on their plots.

The council has now issued a letter, which all sites should have a copy of, reiterating the ban on the use of hosepipes for directly watering plants. On some sites, tenants use containers to hold amounts of water and it is still permitted to fill these with a hose. Those people who are lucky enough to back onto a site and use water from their domestic supply are not affected unless a further ban is imposed by Three Valleys or Thames Water.

Nevertheless it is incumbent on all plot holders not to waste water and every attempt should be made to conserve rain water and to use mulch on crops wherever possible, which will also help to keep down weeds.

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