Has it rained enough in Canberra?
The last rain heavy enough to soak in fell over a week ago. What has fallen since wet the leaves and no more.
Canberra has had 33.2mm of rain in the last 30 days. A normal September here brings 50.7mm, so the ground is roughly where it should be for the time of year.
Rain in Canberra through a normal year
Across a normal year Canberra gets about 585.3mm of rain, most of it in November (67.9mm) and least in April (31.9mm).
That makes Canberra one of the wetter places this site covers in Australia in September — 6th of 12, against Melbourne at the wet end (58.6mm) and Darwin at the dry end (18.8mm).
What that means for what you grow
- Pots and hanging basketsWorst hit, and first to suffer. Very little soil, fully exposed, and nothing to fall back on — in this weather they can empty in a day.
- Salad and leafy vegShallow-rooted and quick to bolt once they run dry. First priority of anything in the ground.
- Beds and bordersA long soak that reaches the roots is worth more than a daily sprinkle, which only wets the surface and is gone by lunchtime.
- Established shrubs and treesFine as they are. They draw from far deeper than a dry spell reaches.
Your own garden, not the town average
This page is worked out for Canberra as a whole. Your garden has its own soil, its own shade and its own planting, and the front page will use your exact location instead.
Check my garden