Rain, Rain, Go Away …

“Rain, rain, go away. Come again … never!” Well, at least not anymore this summer.

Here in New England, as in many other parts of the country, we’ve seen more than our fair share of rain this summer. If you’re a gardener like me, you’ve probably contrubuted to this season’s downpours with your own personal cloudburst as you’ve stared out across rows of slouching tomatoes, yellowing spinach, and blight-ridden potatoes. This summer’s heavy rains have delayed germination, kept seedlings small, caused root rot, and generally wrought havoc on farms across the country.

But a rainy season doesn’t have to be all gloom and doom for the garden. In fact, even the dampest of gardens can thrive in these conditions with just a little extra effort on your part. Here are some tips on how to keep your spirits high, even as your boots are sinking deep into the mud around you:

1. Catch the rain – There isn’t much you can do to fight the rain once it comes, so it’s best to see it for what it is – a valuable resource to be preserved and used to your advantage. Rainwater can be caught in barrels (attached to a downspout or free-standing), buckets, trashcans, bowls, or any other container you choose. Once collected, you can use the rainwater to give your garden plants a much-needed drink on hot days, or to water your houseplants. You can also use the rainwater for non-garden related activities, like washing your car or mopping your kitchen floor. Be sure to cover any permanent rain catchment systems with a fine screen to keep the mosquitos away.

2. Dig trenches – If you have a particularly soppy garden and your soil is already pretty saturated, a series of carefully dug trenches can help direct the water out of your garden. Pay close attention to which parts of the garden are the wettest and the direction in which the water flows.

3. Build protective row covers – This is a good endeavor for any serious gardener, no matter the weather, and can help to protect your plants from all kinds of insect and animal damage. In the past, I’ve used PVC pipes and rebar stakes. Just place the rebar stakes in the ground around the rows you’d like to protect. Find some PVC pipes or other flexibe plastic tubing and bend the tubing over the bed to create the cover frame. Then, on days when you know it’s going to rain, cover the rows with a thin mil clear plastic. Hot weather crops like tomatoes and peppers will appreciate this, because the coverings will not only keep them drier, but also a few degrees warmer. Make sure to take the covers off on hot days to keep the plants from overheating.

4. Container garden – If your garden now serves as a landing pad for the neighborhood geese, you might want to consider container gardening. Many people container garden regardless of the weather. Because container gardens usually require a lot of water, a rainy season may be the perfect time to pot up some of those drowning plants. Though most plants don’t like to be tranplanted late in the season, you may be able to successfully pot some of your garden plants. Five gallon buckets with holes drilled into the bottom work well for just about all vegetables, especially deep rooting plants like tomatoes. Try to avoid clay pots, as they tend to dry out quickly in any weather.

5. Choose vegetables that don’t mind wet feet – If you plan to do succession planting, have some extra room in your garden, or have to put some plants to sleep early, make a plan to fill that space with vegetables that do well in moist conditions. Cool weather crops such as broccoli, kale, collards, and cabbage thrive in this weather. Peas, lettuce, and bush beans can also do well and produce a good harvest. If you’re going to start anything from seed, now is the time to plant for a good fall crop.

And last, but certainly not least …

6. Keep a positive attitude – Plants are a lot like people and do better when those around them keep their chins held high. So make sure to get out into the garden, even when it’s gray and gloomy, to assure your plants that the rain really isn’t here to stay. After all, maybe, like the nursery rhyme says, it will soon be on its way to Spain.

Until next month, keep growin’!