Weather ... again

[Doug]

At last managed today to mow a bit if our half hectare of grass, 3/4 is still under water, the ground being dense clay, almost a lake, ditches on three sides of our property are full and running like rivers
Already forgotten of any veggy gardening this year.
Thinks, must really construct a modern raised veggy bed

[Bayleaf]

Mission accomplished for at least one lawn cut yesterday afternoon. I shall send the clients a "Congratulations, you have won our 'One day dry enough to mow' Award!"

This continued wet weather is going to have a disastrous affect on all things agricole. We're not going to get much work done at this rate - which means pittance income. Animals are already suffering from hoof problems if they can't be kept somewhere drier occasionally.

Trying to remain upbeat, but it's becoming a challenge.

[Quiksilver]

I've never seen the fields around us in the state they're in now. The winter wheat has all but drowned and the fields that would be laboured and cultivated for sunflowers soon are knee-deep in grass and weeds with no chance of being worked. If the lousy weather is frustrating for us, it's catastrophic for the farmers

[Lori]

If the lousy weather is frustrating for us, it's catastrophic for the farmers

We were thinking the same thing. It's like Noah's Ark.

[L Austin France]

Second dry day in a row here.
Yesterday 3 of us & my trusty tractor managed to deal with all the branches our local agricultural contractor left after a tour of our field's trees & huge hedge with his lamier. (3-4 circular saw blades on a tractor mounted hydraulic articulated arm for those wot don't know)
3 hours work for the lot which would have taken me weeks if I didn't die in the attempt.
The deal was that I'd get rid of the rubbish by pushing it into a corner of the field where nature deals with it but that took twice as long as contractor did to make it.
Just waiting now for him to do a tour with his fauchage attachment to tidy on & around the banks & job done for another couple of years.
This morning I finally managed to get a first cut on a lawn which has been impossible up to now. The grass was about 6" long & was a right mess. It's now a short mess which I'll collect with my towed sweeper asap.
Mme LAF is happy as she can now venture out in her shorty garden boots & not need wellies. Just waiting to see if this happiness lasts when the dog walks cuttings all over the kitchen.

[exile]

Sleety snow on and off all afternoon so far.

[Quiksilver]

I've discovered a job that's actually easier to do when the soil's waterlogged! In an attempt to cut down on edging and weeding, I'm gradually going round all the borders edging them with a 50cm wide strip of brown geotextile. It's a job I abandoned last year when I could no longer get a spade in the soil but it's a doddle now Like slicing gateau and the spade just slithers out cleanly Just had time to do a big border and now it's thundering, lightning and torrential again

[L Austin France]

In an attempt to cut down on edging and weeding, I'm gradually going round all the borders edging them with a 50cm wide strip of brown geotextile.

How does that work? Is it horizontal, vertical or combo of both?
We've got lots of border metres that have been edged so many times they must be 50% bigger than when started so any way of making 'em easier to maintain would be a boon.

[Hotrodder]

The ground around here is still so waterlogged that trees have been toppling over weeks after the last serious blow. The roots just don't seem to grip the softened earth very well.

[Quiksilver]

@ L Austin France...Just a narrow strip with both edges buried in the soil. The theory is that plants will flop over it to disguise it but it stops the grass encroaching on the borders It helps if there's already a 'gully' so the lawn side is low enough not to get caught by mower blades, but it's not been a problem so far. I'll get a photo tomorrow, weather permitting