Early Spring Bits and Bobs.

[retropants]

[Westi]

I've really got to stop depressing myself & checking the weather! Minus 5C at 6am tomorrow is really taking the Mick! I don't think it even got that cold down her in proper winter, let alone spring! I dread to think what some more rural folk are expecting!

Fortunately it seems to be the last nippy day for me, but a rather dramatic swan song!

[Shallot Man]

Fair bit of frost last night.

[oldherbaceous]

Really white here this morning too, so glad I put all the trays of young plants back in the greenhouse last night.

[peter]

Rugby pitch went white during the first half yesterday, then the regulars lingered post match at the pitchside bar in warm sunshine. Effectively an all four seasons day!

[Shallot Man]

What a change in the weather.

[Primrose]

Overwintering peppers

I don,t know whether anybody else on here is overwintering pepper plants. . I have one plant which is in its third overwintering - an experiment really. Last winter it was repotted, pruned back and some fresh compost added to the pot.

Its now producing a crop of new peppers but they,re all short and stumpy instead of being long and pointy. Does anybody have any idea why their characteristics should have changed?

[oldherbaceous]

There isn’t any aphids on the plant that are deforming the young peppers, are there, Primrose?

[Primrose]

There don't appear to be OH. Previously with over wintered peppers I've occasionally suffered from whitefly attacks which have weakened the plants but not on this occasion. Will have another closer check tomorrow though.

[oldherbaceous]

Did you get away without any damage from the frosts, Geoff?

[oldherbaceous]

Hopefully someone will have an answer, Primrose.

[oldherbaceous]

Sowed three long rows of early beetroot today….nice to be getting a few things in the ground.

[peter]

Over Friday and Sunday, Saturday being an RFC match day, I:

Trimmed some overhanging tree limbs reaching across the school fence / public footpath / allotment fence / hazel coppice stools and my sheds, dead one a bit worrying as whole tree looks dead bar the ivy....

Rotovated and raked flat a slice by my barrell wall on 17

On a pair of slices below the above I, one at a time
Re-rotovated in preparation a pair of slices
Limed and fertilised them, involved emptying half a shed to find the stuff
Moved my cabbage patch membranes x 2 off 18 onto the three contiguous slices
Managed to incorporate a slot for the, flowering over, daffodils.

Re-rotovated all the rest of 17 lower section, the bindweed killing zone at the top, formerly known as the raspberry patch is a job for another day.

[Geoff]

Apologies OH, spotted question and meant to get back but forgot. We seem to have escaped OK, no veg at risk, didn't over react to the good weather. Another couple of good days and I think the damson blossom would have been out (lots of blackthorn and bullace flowers about) but I think it is OK, just hope it stays cool before the next frost at the weekend. An early rhododendron we have on the rockery often gets caught but again it was nearly out and seems to have escaped though the buds might have 'fossilised'. The gunnera was opening but we recently had new furniture covers so I threw the old settee cover over it, might keep it for that rather than putting it on the next bonfire. Bit of damage on magnolias and camellias but still plenty to come. Given up trying to do anything outside and reverted to jigsaw puzzle for the week which has been cold, wet and thoroughly miserable.

[oldherbaceous]

Glad you missed too much frost damage, Geoff, all the Magnolia’s around here have turned brown again, a real shame.

You are progressing well, Peter…..I think i’m just about on top of most jobs now, just need the soil to warm up a little and then seed sowing can start proper.