Late Summer Bit and Bobs.

[Westi]

Barney maybe it's time to build some proper 3' or so raised beds so you can continue with the spuds but with less energy expended. I've started prepping my beds & have 2 built from some decking given to me by a neighbour. You used to be able to get all sorts of bits asking builders if you could have them from their skip, but greedy gits are now charging.Deffo an example of false economy as we try not to pay so they will have to pay for another skip!

Soggy on the plot after all yesterday's rain, so mostly in the tunnel today clearing, weeding & checking, but did get one row of runners down, but one plant was in flower; probably a dropped seed a few weeks back, as right up the pole, so left that just to see, but will give it some wind protection tomorrow as so exposed now without it's friends.

Lots of hidden things found in the tunnel, it's been a good year for the aubergines, mini melons & peppers, found more cucumbers that decided to hide behind a self sown tom. Cape gooseberry got one hell of a haircut & 2 big bags of fruit harvested, so will be looking for recipes. Toms still ripening in there, but given another blight spray & back door closed now as concerned some of that rain probably yesterday blew in there but fingers crossed I caught it, but they did get a spray a few days ago as well. Tomorrow is gusts & rain, but % chance of rain is low & temp still holding so I will go down & do what I can as back to heavy rain on Wednesday.

[Primrose]

"Put a banana peel in a jar of water for a day or two then pour only the water at the base of each tomato plant. ! Apparently it's potassium is good for tomato plants."

Saw this post on the internet recently. Would this really make much difference? I,ve been guilty of digging the odd banana peel into the soil near the roots of a tomato plant but can't honestly say I,ve noticed much difference between that one and any of its neighbours.

[Cider Boys]

Well Westi your suggestion regarding the raised beds is a good one that I will need to consider. I have now come to a stage when I can no longer physically do what I used to enjoy doing and will have to scale back since I'm not managing to do all the work.

Barney

[Primrose]

Barney, it comes to us all sadly and if you have to cut down concentrate on the things which are the easiest to grow. Potatoes for example need a lot of heavy digging and bending. Perhaps things like climbing beans up poles or tomatoes require less body movement once they get growing.

Guess you maybe have to experiment with the No Digging concept too?
While I was mulling the prospect of having our main veg patch grassed over I devoted its final year to growing butternut squashes. We happen to like them but they served the additional valuable job of rapidly covering the ground and keeping the weeds at bay whixh drastically reduced the amount of weeding and hoeing required.

[Cider Boys]

Yes Primrose, it is the heavy work that does for me now, not that I was ever very strong.

Barney

[Westi]

Glad I went down today as the big blow & wet soil had dislodged several poles & nets. It was a bit of a struggle initially but the wind abated by about 9am. Lone runner bean tied in & rest of the frame was removed. Didn't tackle the other row.

Damn leek moth has found my other bed of leeks. I had some of the summer leeks in there as well & surprisingly they were the only ones attacked in the main bed, my assumption was they are much more tender. I was chatting about it to one of the guys down the row who came & had a look & then went away & came back with a home made spray, took the top off it & poured some on & around the winter leeks left in. It was a recipe he got from his grandfather & assures me nothing bad in it & I could drink it but it hides the leek smell so other moths can't find them & any grubs in the soil or just starting to mine drown & die. It didn't smell off anything much as was whiteish. Won't share the recipe but is going to make me my own batch to continue spraying.

Finished just as the gusts resumed, home day tomorrow as heavy rain is back all day so will have time to sort the grubs out of the pulled leeks & look on the net for recipes.

[oldherbaceous]

Did a job today that brought back memories of a late forum member….I was potting up Christmas flowering Hyacinth bulbs, and as I know that was something Monika loved doing, she sprang into my thoughts…still miss not seeing her posts on here…..

The winds are giving my late beans a battering.

[oldherbaceous]

I hope you find a recipe for the grubs, Westi…

[retropants]

I’d just slice them up (perhaps remove the grubs) and then open freeze them on a tray for 24hrs, then bag up to use through the winter.

[oldherbaceous]

A couple of people in the Village have Covid again….hopefully it won’t be too bad!
So saying that, as far as i’m aware, none of our family has had it yet….

[Geoff]

There seems to be a lot of Covid round here again including some good friends, might have spread at the local agricultural show. We are booked in for Covid and flu' jabs on Saturday.

[tigerburnie]

Most of our family have had it, but not us, our next door neighbour had it last week, I know some who are on their second dose, just back from a cruise, you won't find me in crowds just now and wear a mask when inside.

[Stravaig]

I was under the impression that wearing a mask protects other people from you. It doesn't protect you from other people. Perhaps someone with more medical knowledge would know the answer. Westi?

Husband is booked in for next Frday. I'm not well enough to go out. I don't know if a visit from a district nurse might be possible or perhaps they can let you DIY. When I broke my hip, after I was home I had to get a jab every day. At first a nurse came to do it, then husband jabbed me.

We've had it once some time ago but were already double jabbed by then, so we didn't suffer much. But apparently this is a new variant so presumably we're the equivalent of not jabbed.

[Stravaig]

I can't remember where the discussion about tomatoes was but our delicious home-grown in a large pot on the roof terrace are "money maker" variety. Bigger than cherry tomatoes and smaller than the usual. And a LOT tastier than shop-bought.

[Westi]

Stravaig, Covid has morphed again & there have been a lot of cases in care homes down here with all the patients getting it, but all recovered quickly. They are putting that down to us still having some immunity from the booster shots but still warning they are monitoring it closely as anticipating it will morph again.

If a medical mask, (the blue or white ones) then both parties are protected, but these are single use. The protection from home made or 'designer' ones is very limited & the mask should be removed (properly by turning it across the exposed front surface when you unclip the ear elastic); & washed after each exposure in hot soapy water. I'm sure we've all witnessed them coming out of jean pockets all scrunched up & never washed. I have not seen anyone more than the usual at risk people still wearing masks in the supermarkets, but I have noticed people are distancing again at the tills; with a wee prompt from the staff though!

They have only started the flu jabs down here for booking currently as the nurses have been out giving Covid shots to the really high risk at home & hospices etc. The bookings opened yesterday online, but I haven't been able to get online but have the flu jab booked for the 29th.