Weather, there's either too much or too little of it. Too much rain, too little sun and, lately, too much cold for many of us. The gentle passing of the seasons is in jeopardy, it seems. Short of creating your own biosphere, there are ways to arm yourselves against these extremes. Here are a few suggestions:
Soil management
The most important aspect of the soil is its interaction with water, and the extremes here are flooding and drought. Neither are as harmful in winter as they are in summer (dormant roots are far more resilient than active ones, giving you a few weeks rather than days to respond) and both can be alleviated in the same way – by adding bulky organic matter. This wondrous material is chunky and porous (so aids drainage) yet soaks up water like a sponge (and is thereby moisture-retentive). And we are going to need lots of it – a good 8cm into the top spit of soil. I always dig old growing bag, seed- and multi-purpose compost into the plot, but this is not the organic matter I'm talking about – it's too fine to have much clout. The material I'm referring to here is stodgy – with bits in. Wholegrain flour as opposed to strong white. Garden compost, composted bark, composted green waste. The latter two cost money, so compost bins are likely to become as important to the garden as the kitchen is to the house.
Cold
Cold weather can be frustrating and hazardous for us, but can be beneficial to a gardener's soil. When frozen, water in the ground swells, thereby breaking up large clods. Freezing also kills off lots of soil pests, including slugs (of course, beneficial creatures will be killed, too) so expect their numbers to be slow to build in spring. Snow laying on the ground insulates it, but it can also compact the surface. Once melted, if you've been met with a heavy texture, let it dry out as best you can then dig it over to alleviate any compressed areas. And only lay down mulches once the soil has thawed, else you'll slow up soil warming.
Earthworks
In conjunction with improving the soil's resilience, I'm going to experiment more with gullies and ridges. Again, this helps you manage moisture and is nothing new (think of paddy field terraces on a hillside). Utilising any land gradient you have, and planting crops on slight ridges with irrigation gullies alongside them allows you to have more control over the moisture they receive. In dry spells, simply plug the gully up so your precious irrigation water sits exactly where it's needed; in wet spells, open up the end to create a drainage channel (have this lead to a soakaway or pond and you're in business). A sloping plot near me utilises this method already – and has the privilege of underground springs running from top to bottom of the site. Holders of flat, low-lying plots will sigh at my suggestion.
Feeding and watering
The main concern here is of nutrient leaching, where fertilisers applied are literally washed out of the soil through excess rain. This is especially likely in winter, when dormant plant roots aren't even in the mood to catch whatever nutrients are around, so focus more on spring and summer feeding and leave heavy autumn ones out. No more barrow-loads of farmyard manure in the autumn dig for me: I'll be using targeted liquid feeds in warm weather instead.
Watering in dry spells should also be targeted. Established peas, for example, only need irrigation at flowering time and again two weeks later to sustain yields. Sweetcorn is especially sensitive to drought as tassels emerge, fruit trees as flowers set and fruit swells. Crop physiologists, working in conjunction with commercial growers, are identifying ways to get the same yields per hectare while reducing irrigation and fertiliser input. Drip irrigation, for example, is far more economical than a watering can (it's been shown to save 50% on water costs in strawberry production). It's only a matter of time before this info filters through to gardeners. In the meantime, set up as many water butts as you can. Yes, it's irksome to look at them when your plot is supporting puddles as big as your car, but in dry spells they're a godsend.
Coming soon - part two: Growing in containers and choosing the right plants
• Lucy Halsall is the editor of Grow Your Own magazine, which contains a wealth of information about growing your own vegetables. There are even more resources on the website, including the new growing guides section.
