On 12/01/2014 12:42 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Saturday, January 11, 2014 12:47:25 PM UTC-8, Fran Farmer wrote:
I've been away for more than a month, and although Himself did a lot of

watering, there are some places where the soil has dried out to such an

extent that it's now baked and water repellant and all attempts at

normal watering (ie hoses and sprinklers) are proving fruitless.



How have others coped with this other than puddling and making mud pies?

This does seem to work, but I'm sure there will be some reason why I

shouldn't do this even though it can't be because of soil structure

since where there is none to begin with once it's as dry as a chip. I

also do not like using soil wetting agents since I've never been able to

find out what it does to earth worms and I know they will return

eventually, once it rains or the winter comes and the weather cools.

How big is the area?

Smallish in some places such as round some specific plants such as the
blueberries I mentioned in another response, but in some areas it's bed
sized. I'm really only going to concentrate on the more endangered
areas at the moment - it's too darned hot to do anything more enervating.

If feasible,use a pick axe or mattock to break up at least the first few
inches so slow long watering can start to penetrate.

The soil isn't compacted and can easily be turned with a fork or spade
so opening it up isn't an issue.

I've tried the long slow watering and I can't understand where the
sodding water goes. About 2mm on the top is moist even after a couple
of hours of watering and below that the soil is like dust. It's almost
like I'm watering some crop in China through some secret hidden pipe
that is stealing my water.

Making mud pies using a hand trowel and stirring as I water with a hand
held hose works, but for some reason the long slow watering (which I too
think SHOULD work) doesn't seem to.

Guaranteed sore back and muscles, but a virtuous feeling of accomplishment.
Worst comes to worst, pay a local teenager to do it.

:-)) I do agree about the great feeling that gives. I have a number of
'mattocks' that are recycled, welded up then sharpened bitzers that are
made from the leaf springs from cars. They are superb to use even for a
woman of my years. I can swing one or other of them for hours and not
feel any ill effects unlike the big, real mattock that we have stuffed
in the back of the shed somewhere.

Fran Farmer wrote:

:-)) I do agree about the great feeling that gives. I have a number
of 'mattocks' that are recycled, welded up then sharpened bitzers
that are made from the leaf springs from cars. They are superb to
use even for a woman of my years. I can swing one or other of them
for hours and not feel any ill effects unlike the big, real mattock
that we have stuffed in the back of the shed somewhere.

We get backpackers working here sometimes. Most of them are good workers
and we try to match the work to their capabilities. We had a young lady
from Japan who weighed in at about 41kgs (85lbs for those who live in the
boonies). At one point I handed her a mattock which she managed to hang on
to with difficulty and then she very politley asked what did I expect her to
do with it. I recovered my senses and took it back and gave her trowel. A
while later a strapping Austrian lad (whose hero was Arnie Swarzzennegger)
declared " I liiiike to diiiig". I thought to myself, I have just the thing
for you my boy.

D