Early Summer Bits and Bobs.

[Cider Boys]

It is very wet here in Somerset but luckily I'm on a sandy loam that drains easily. The wet weather has helped the weeds get the better of me but has come too late for the potatoes. I'm lifting my Duke of York now and although there are masses of potatoes they are all of a very small size. Picked my first runner beans this morning (Enorma) and they tasted very good, all that watering through the hot spell did pay off. The potato patch is covered with black nightshade and I hope for a dry spell to spray it all off.

Happy Late-Mid-Summer
Barney

[Westi]

Totally agree robo! It makes it hard to plan ahead when it is so unreliable. I watch both the national & local weather & they are pretty much the same & generally both wrong. Currently I am on a yellow warning expecting thunder & lightening until midnight; it is bright & sunny & has been all afternoon.

I did cut the foliage off the late spuds as they were looking pretty much spent & yellowing. If tomorrow's weather is correct & also sunny & with todays sun & warmth as well I should be able to start digging them up. The plot survived the wind, net tunnel is on a lean again despite being tied to stakes, but I'm currently looking for some old fashioned wooden clothes line props with the 'V' notch which being longer should support the frame better & be more secure.

[robo]

Westi can’t you make your own props all you need is a length of timber make sure there are no large knots in it usually something around 35 mm x 30 mm would make a stout prop you could probably pick some up from a decking suppliers if you lived near me I would rip one down for you but not to be

[tigerburnie]

Had a trip to our local Dobbies GC, half price seeds, so I had to pick up a few bargains

[Westi]

Who'd known they still make wooden clothes props? Mind I did have to trawl through several pages of those aluminium ones that rust away in months to find them & both were UK companies. The reviews were very different though so choice was pretty easy in the end. I only bought one to try out but if OK will buy more.

Now I ask a question! The walk in net tunnel is right behind the tunnel so protected on the zip up entry side which is handy as that's where the real big winds come from, but would you recommend I support all the sides or just focus on the sides getting hit? My plan is to secure them into the soil as have this post foam stuff I use when replacing rotted fence posts as we are not allowed concrete, but would this put more tension on the frame & would it be better to secure them with little stakes around them so some give? I know I over think everything, but if it helps hubby has bought me a proper drill so could (hopefully), screw the prop to the stakes so still some movement.

[oldherbaceous]

Most people here now have rotary washing lines, or just tumble dry everything….what seems really bad to me.
But I just used to cut Hazel props for anyone that wanted one….think I have said before but, Little Hazel that lives just to the side of me, asked for one, so I cut one about 10 foot long, her face when I gave it to her….

Never heard of post foam stuff, Westi……But I always think the more stable and less movement something has, the less likely something is going to get worn and damaged….of course this isn’t the case if you are safeguarding against earthquakes on your plot….

[retropants]

Westi, I use 2x1” treated timber for my line props, with a v notch cut at the top. I’ve been using the same ones for about 25 years, but I think I should treat myself to new ones

[oldherbaceous]

A bit of a wash out on the outside gardening front but, have got a fair bit achieved in the greenhouse, thank goodness….

[Westi]

Fortunately the really big gusts moved a bit north from me but got almost constant rain all morning so hopefully all will be intact tomorrow when I go down but hard to tell as the ground is so wet everything needs a bit of TLC to stomp or press back in, not just the net structures. I hope any of you that got these gusts that all is fine as in some areas they were predicted to cause significant mischief!

The plan was to sort the kitchen larder & do an inventory & a use by check. (The 2nd of these I mostly ignore though)! Did I?? No, of course not, flipped through the TV channels to find where BBC news was moved to today & found cooking shows! Of course had to watch them just in case there was a creative use of runner beans I've not seen! In my defence I did sort out the bookcase, kinda anyway as also got distracted flipping through these books! My brain is so easily distracted; if it wasn't the fact that this is the norm for me I'd be considering brain training exercises for dementia!

[retropants]

Dear Westi, I was forced to find work for idle hands indoors yesterday too! I managed some laundry, hoovering and general faffing whilst watching a Harry Potter film id recorded in the week. You have reminded me, I need to sort the garage larder, as sometimes, the old stuff gets stuck at the back of the cupboard.

[Westi]

All was fine on the plot structure wise but loads of puddles so I finally cut down the last of the raspberry canes. I measured up for the Keter which is too wide for behind the shed so saved from cutting back that hedge row for the moment, but it fits behind the sitting area so I still have a bit of prep to do, but not dodging cut off spiky heavy branches as done that section!

Was a bit lively with the neighbours as the big pylons behind the site where the potential housing development will go have added an extra lower level of wires & conductors. No-one really knows, but the train guys have been doing stuff for 3 yrs now & I don't think they would waste money on extra above ground stuff if it will all need to come down & be buried for housing.

[oldherbaceous]

Another wet afternoon but, tomorrow is a whole new day and it looks like we might get some glorious sunshine…well hopefully.

[Clive.]

We have been lucky then, out East here, that after another terribly wet Saturday and the windy Sunday we set into some good weather yesterday. Good enough window that the delayed hay cut was done on the adjacent parkland yesterday and has been spread this evening.
Around and about a few combines have had a run this afternoon.

I have been crawling about today hand weeding out some of the furious growth of the recent wet spell... whilst yesterday, the onions were lifted and are up on their wire cage

It did feel very September this morning and when I commented on this to a friend in Sussex the retort was more like a dark damp October there this morning.!

C.

[retropants]

It was very autumnal, cycling to work this morning, looks like a good day to come though

[oldherbaceous]

A beautifully warm day now…..

I forgot how long hand weeding takes, compared to hoeing, Clive!