Ozark rains have taken on a new form. Several months will have lots of clouds, rain several days a week. No rain inducement is needed, only overwatering protection for the garden.
Then clouds roll by dropping small showers, enough for seedlings only, for a couple of months. Larger plants need watering even with mulch.
Watering My Garden
The only well near my garden is a hand dug one. It has a hand pump on it and is reliable for watering the animals, but not for watering the garden.
Four rain barrels are full in the garden. One is full of tadpoles. Other tadpoles get moved into this one. This year it takes two full barrels to water my garden once.
My Solution
The creek runs all year. We set up a pump near the creek and pump water up to the garden to fill the barrels.
Once the plants get big enough, the pump sill water them too. But discharge hoses tend to dig up seedlings.
Rain Inducement
Today the pump got set up. The hoses are laid out. The creek bed is dug out for a nice pool under the intake for the pump.
And today the clouds are rolling in teasing me with indications of rain. This is after spending two hours yesterday lugging watering cans around to water the seedlings and transplants.
Will I Gripe?
If the clouds decide to drop an inch of rain on my garden, I will definitely not complain. The pump may be set up and ready, but it will still be there in a few days, after the rain has gone by and gotten used up by the plants. Gardening season is just getting going and water will be needed a couple of times a week for several months.
And spending hours watering is the only other rain inducement I have left for now.
Note: The pump worked. A shower came by dropping a half inch.
