A summer of repeated heatwaves and exceptionally dry weather has made growing fruit and vegetables a challenging season for many allotment holders across England. While recent rain has brought some relief, drought conditions remain widespread, and experts indicate that weeks of sustained rainfall are needed for water supplies to recover.
John Peel, an Oxfordshire allotment holder, described this season as the most difficult in eight years, with a late May frost followed by months of heat and drought. His crops, including brassicas, were decimated by flea beetles, and his tomatoes were smaller than usual, despite significant watering efforts.
In Manchester, Nicola Scott noted the difficulty of repeated heatwaves compared to previous years' single hot spells. Her salad leaves scorched, and early potatoes struggled, though techniques like broadforking helped retain soil moisture. Emma, who manages two allotments near Bristol, found keeping her plots alive "exhausting and relentless," with watering taking hours weekly. She also reported increased issues with larger animals like badgers and rats, which the RHS chief horticulturist, Guy Barter, suggests could be due to wildlife struggling to find food and water in the dry conditions.
Despite the challenges, some growers have seen unexpected successes. Emma in Bristol has successfully grown watermelons and her biggest sweet potatoes in five years. Christian Doyle in Arundel, Sussex, found her vegetables thrived partly due to the shade from a large goat willow and her use of organic matter to retain moisture.