Spring Bits and Bobs.

[Myrkk]

What a glorious day up here. Spent quite a high proportion of the day in the garden, sooooooo nice to be able to do that again. Was counting it out and it was nearly 10yrs of no garden… pugatory!

the local chain garden centre has mini cloches on sale for £14.00 so I bought one to see and am quite impressed with it, might have to buy another couple. Put it up in a raised bed today but didn’t realise until I’d half planted it that I’d put the openings the wrong way round. Will have to wait until the seedling are more established before I disturb it. Have buried the bottom frame to stop any carrot fly getting in as that’s one of the seeds I’ve planted, along with cybees and kale. Should at least protect them from the woodpigeons (which are getting rather tame) whilst they establish. With a few squash seeds in the end of the bed that makes 4 out of the 6 raised beds planted. There are only 2 beds to go and I’m starting to worry I’m going to run out of space! So much to plant still… think I may be going a little mad this year.

[retropants]

I always go mad and have too much! I just try and squeeze it all in the tiny space, the rest go in pots and get in dh's way !!!

[Westi]

Interesting Myrkk!

I do think there is a relationship between plants reaction to storms & the electric current generated, even if the lightning doesn't strike the ground there is a difference. I think your training is very interesting & maybe the way forward for us to cope with Global Warming will be to harness these smaller natural occurring wattages to support food growth although water will be needed but it appears nature has decided the UK should have quite a bit!

My plan is to further research for more accurate details with the copper rods as it is proven copper can carry a charge hence their use for slug & snail deterring - but control of what needed for what plant is not defined. Let us know if your training covers anything growing related, I'm sure everyone will be grateful to get scientific advice to cope with the future climate changes. x

[tigerburnie]

Frost overnight still restricting outside activity up here, only 2 degrees inside the greenhouse, not very Spring like.

[oldherbaceous]

I haven’t planted any tender plants out yet…..not after losing stuff at the end of May last year!
Nice and bright here today, but the wind still has a bite to it…..the weekend end is looking really grim again, with lots of rain….

[robo]

Another post lost somewhere in the either

[oldherbaceous]

How are things going, Robo?
Hope you are keeping okay…..

[Westi]

Wasn't the warmest day but the drizzle stayed away. Sowed the squash & pumpkins & sweet corn today on the tunnel staging - all netted in case of hungry visitors, solar repeller or not they sniff them out & are clever enough to find a way through under the plastic cover not covered by the repeller. All the wee plants in there are looking quite perky & slowly growing, but huge variance in the min/max temp.

Was 10.3C min & 46.1C max. I didn't think yesterday was anywhere near hot enough to show this max temp as it was quite cloudy, cold wind & drizzle. Might be time for a new thermometer maybe? Tonights weather indicated that the end of next week temp is going to be high double figures so I can check whether the vent is working. If that max temp is accurate then I would think the vents opened or the little guys would be frazzled.

Rain is back over the weekend & the weather even mentioned off shore is going to be cyclonic over the weekend. RNLI will be fully staffed then rescuing the wind surfers, who sadly think the IOW protects them from the worst forgetting that's only when it is a full southerly & it appears it's going to be south westerly. There will be no fresh fish for a couple of days though as the fishermen won't be going out!

[Clive.]

Saw a swallow, for definite, this morning, low over the big greenhouse at my work location. Also the red kite was about, now almost a daily sighting.

Back home the Rover mower has had a run on the roadside grass and two goes over the front lawn....
..and then got the Radeo peas sown. Meanwhile, those in the big garden are just coming through...as is the beetroot.

C.

[Clive.]

...and having had a look at the given overnight forecast.!..a quick return to the big garden was made to plant the remaining Kestrel and Nicola potatoes. The ground was already worked and growmore had been applied, so they're in..

C.

[oldherbaceous]

No Swallows here yet, but hopefully soon…..
We had just enough rain last night and today, to stop work on the allotments again!
And very heavy rain forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning….

I wonder if we will get a late frost?

[Geoff]

Two swallows flew out of my garage this morning, strange I hadn't seen them inspecting it yesterday. There is alternative access for them when the main door is closed.

[oldherbaceous]

Everywhere is flooded here again but, hopefully it will drain and dry off fairly quickly!
On a positive note, things in the greenhouse are coming on leaps and bounds actually, things are burgeoning in there.

[Clive.]

Yes, very noticeable how much the things in seed trays had moved on in the back greenhouse this morning... a warmer night last night. I had been throwing fleece over seed trays for a few nights.

...and yes, plenty damp here too. 15mm over night. The puddle by the blocked drain on the roundabout is bigger than ever...

I caught a bit of hoeing in the back garden late yesterday evening...it hadn't sorted itself by just thinking I ought to do it...so went and sorted it quickly. It had got in a very rubbishy state under the fruit bushes and needed a sharp and quick cutting off and raking away. A few years ago I spotted a Fiskars classic range, wooden handle, draw hoe in local famed ag' dealer RH Crawford . It's the sharp thin blade type so soon had it sorted...well, sorted on the surface that is...

It really is the sort of year that if a job is not caught in the moment then that moment is lost in some more weather...pleased I got those few tateys in at work yesterday when the chance was there..

The red kite was out and about this morning hanging in the north wind above the shelter belt trees..

C.

[oldherbaceous]

I know I have said it before but, I always panic at this time of the year, at the big gardens I do, as it looks and feels as if they are going to get away from me……especially in a wet Spring and this has been the worse one I have known!
Just been and picked an arm-full of Rhubarb…..something I have noticed around the Village this year is, the stalks are all very thin! I’m wondering if this is down to the crowns having a large second flush in the last two years, and weakening the crowns!