Back in 2020, when we had the 49oC day, I put together an article based on how we weathered that particular storm (link at the end). After not one, but two rain bombs in as many weeks after a wetter than usual spring and summer, I thought it appropriate to put an article together on how we coped with that as well!
This (2021/22) summer is the wettest one that I can remember, and certainly the wettest since I started growing our veg in the rotation we use now, which started back in 2006. When I looked up the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) site, at the start of spring it said the long term prediction for this summer was that it would be unusually wet and that prediction has turned out to be true.
By and large what that had meant up until a couple of weeks ago was that we did get plenty of rain and less sun, such that the 50% shade cloth veggie patch covers which usually go on about half way through spring, went on at the start of summer. Even with that some of the veggies have not done as well as usual, due to a general reduction in sunlight, I believe. As I write, summer has only just finished a few days ago and the covers will be coming off today instead of about half way through autumn.
As well as breaking down the strong sun of a western Sydney summer, the shade cloth covers provide a barrier against hail, and we have had a few hail storms this year, so I have been reticent to take the covers off. I am hoping that increasing the amount of light (and heat) getting to the veggie beds will help to dry things out.
We are on what is basically a clay soil, which has drainage issues. Over the years I have worked to make the soil more friable and in the veggie beds themselves I have been reasonably successful, such that even heavy rain will drain relatively quickly. The soils surrounding the veggie beds are still pretty much clay and do hold water, I suspect that the soil underlying the veggie beds is straight clay, but as I mentioned above, it takes exceptional circumstances for drainage of the annual beds to be a problem.
The very wet spring and summer have been exceptional circumstances. This weather has had a number of effects on the choko tree –
1. some crops have not done as well, in particular I seem to be having a very poor time with cucurbits (with the exception of one, see below), but also our tomatoes have not been as forthcoming as the usually are.
2. Some weeds have become a problem, particularly wandering jew, and while I am aware it is edible, we have not really gotten around to eating any. Also we would need to be consuming large quantity at every meal to even make a dent in the production of this troublesome weed. While I didn’t plant any this year, there has been a resurgence of cucamelon (no doubt due to escaped fruits from last year’s crop) and it has taken over some of the beds in the southernmost veggie patches. It may not exactly be a weed, but it sure is acting like one.
3. The whole place has become saturated – all of our soils, particularly in the backyard where most of our annual veggie production occurs, have become pretty much saturated, and even after a few days of grace, when the rain returns it doesn’t take long for things to turn to sog again.
4. The choko itself, has been thoroughly confused by the weather to the point where we actually got chokoes in spring this year, a first for me! It has also been growing in a berserk manner and threatening to take over the house and toss us out if I turn my back too long. We have been taking advantage of the new tendrils and eating them in stir fries but, again, production has severely outstripped consumption. I am also concerned for the underlying tree which the choko grows over, it has been covered for most of spring and summer and we will have to see how it has fared when the choko dies back in winter.
5. Every so often, a critter (slug, snail, whatever) will discover the greenhouse and the wonderful food to be had there in the way of our seedling production. I have taken to going for a walk of an evening in the greenhouse to dispossess any errant molluscs from the area. This is also a rare thing in drier years and the cause of much frustration this year while I am trying to keep our food production going, against the odds.
6. While it is a non-garden related issue, the prevalent cloud cover has reduced our production from solar appliances, including electricity, hot water and use of our solar drier and direct use solar cookers such as the solar over has been greatly curtailed. I guess on the plus side, all of the rainwater tanks are full and have been for some months.
And Then…….. the Rain bomb(s)!
The nett effect of all of this rainy weather has been a reduction in the production of our fresh annual veggie machine, and then the rain bomb hit! While we have not been flooded out and are still reasonably comfortable for which we are very grateful (unlike a lot of people, my heart goes out to you!) the extra water has caused instant saturation and flooding of some of the beds resulting in some negative effects –
1. lettuce production tanked! We regularly plant lettuce and use it just as regularly by harvesting leaves around the outside rather than pulling the whole plant. Unfortunately the waterlogged soil caused all of the productive lettuce to bolt, and newly planted lettuce seedlings to stagnate rather than grow.
2. This also appears to be true for other seedlings which I have planted prior to the rain bomb, they just seem to be sitting there not doing much.
3. The weeds mentioned previously have gone into overdrive, staking claims on beds that were previously almost weed free. At the same time the choko thought it would be a good time to mount a takeover, it was a near thing but I prevailed with the use of my trusty secateurs!
4. The entire back yard is now a quagmire and just walking around it chops the surface up pretty badly so I have to wear gumboots and be very careful where I step so I don’t do too much damage.
5. Some pests have made an appearance notably cabbage moth (not cabbage white butterfly) on the brassicas, cabbage moth is way more destructive! Also, a first for me, widespread occurrence of caterpillars on our silverbeet, I am not 100% sure of the species. I would be treating them all with Dipel, but the constant rain would wash it off as soon as I applied it. Also, Friday night is our movie night and I forgot to check the greenhouse before going to bed – when I checked it the next day the current crop of brassica seedlings were mostly destroyed.
6. As a general rule all of the annual veg are not doing so well, I have been putting off planting any more seedlings until the place dries out a bit.
7. Moving the chook tractor has also proved a bit of a nightmare and chopped things up a bit during transport. At least the patch the chooks were moving to had good vegetation cover for them to walk on, dig through and eat.
With all this doom and gloom are there any good bits? Apart from overfull rainwater tanks?
Yes, yes there is!
While all this rain has been a severe trial for our back yard in general and our annual veg in particular, I have been continually surprised how well all the perennials are coping with it, including the perennial veg: The sweet potato is going berserk, at least the foliage part (also edible) is; as previously mentioned the choko is fighting us for the house, the Jerusalem artichokes will be a bumper crop this year, the rhubarb is loving it and even the Okinawa spinach in a pot is making a comeback. The arrowroot is also doing well as are the turmeric, ginger, galangal and the cardamom is the biggest it has ever been (even if it stubbornly refuses to fruit).
This, of course, does beg the question of why not grow (and eat) more perennial veg? It is a reasonable question, but in the words of someone old and famous: “Man does not live by Jerusalem Artichokes alone!” The issue for us at least, is we like to eat annual veg, it is what we have grown up with, it makes up part of our comfort food and it tastes great. We have included more perennial veg in our diet over the years as well as some non-traditional stuff like choko tendrils and sweet potato leaves. It is a continuing thing but I won’t be giving up broccoli, carrots or lettuce any time soon!
The herbs, veg and fruit trees (all perennials) in our front yard are all going berserk, both in terms of growth and also productivity, I have never seen our dwarf fig produce so much fruit! They were coping well with this year’s wet summer, but even all the excess water provided by the rain bomb they have just taken it in stride.
Front yard Rain Pics
Link: Choko Tree Farm and the Hot Day
