Gardening In The Rain

You might be surprised how productive it is to do the gardening in the rain. You might even think it will make the job of gardening even harder than it sometimes is, you might be surprised that in fact some of the jobs that you tackle on a regular basis could be easier if you would put on the waterproofs and go out and garden in the rain.

Jobs Made Easier By Gardening In The Rain

It is possible to find those more difficult tasks most of the year to be easier when it is raining. The worst job for me is weeding, I hate bending over and pulling out those weeds when they inevitable snap and you have to decide to either dig the root out or leave it for next time because you know that many roots will just re-grow.

• If you opt to de-weed in the rain, the soil around the weed is softer. It “gives” more easily and this means that the roots of the weed slide out of the soil with little effort. This makes the weeding so much easier and quicker too.
• Some plants damage easily when they are hit by heavy rainfall. If you are out there in the garden, you can see first-hand those plants, which are struggling to deal with the heavy rain and are able to offer the support they need before they get broken.
• You are able to notice those plants that might not like too much water and are becoming water-logged, before it does too much damage to the plant. This is possible in both planters and in borders where rain pools and damages the roots.
• Move your Wormery if it starts to rain too heavily, worms don’t like the rain and they can quickly drown. Moving your Wormery to a sheltered spot should protect it from the downpours and allow the worms to do the job required.
• If your compost is dry then turning it in the rain will help to dampen it down without having to add your own water saving you water, especially if you use a water-butt in your garden.
• If you mulch your borders after a rain storm the water will not evaporate and will penetrate deep into the soil, giving the ground a much better chance of getting the rain to penetrate deep into the soil.

If you like going and looking around other gardens, which are open to the public and you are not afraid of the rain, the gardens tend to have fewer visitors to the garden. However, inside attractions including garden centres have more visitors hiding from the rain.

Clean Your Pots

Gardening in the rain is fine, you just need extra caution and plan your jobs that you need to attend to. It is important that you are not using electrical appliances outside in the rain. However, if you have a garden building, whether a shed or even a greenhouse, you can attend to the drier jobs that you must complete at some point, including washing your pots ready for the next planting season.

Leaving these dirty can breed germs and these are harmful to a young plant that is trying to establish a root system. It is also a great opportunity to clean your tools and make sure everything is in working order.

For me gardening in the rain is the perfect solution to weeding my garden.

Therefore, whilst it might seem a mad idea to go out and attend to your garden when it is raining, you might be surprised at some of the jobs that are more pleasant when it is raining.