Search found 1025 matches
- Sun May 13, 2018 11:39 am
- Forum: Best practices
- Topic: What is "well rotted" manure?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 15236
Re: What is "well rotted" manure?
Thanks Geoff
- Sun May 13, 2018 9:40 am
- Forum: Best practices
- Topic: What is "well rotted" manure?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 15236
Re: What is "well rotted" manure?
I have a kept a grass heap for years - it takes me around 3 hours or more to mow my lawn/meadow so quite a lot of grass cuttings - and this year I decided it was time to use some of it. So I have stacks of what could be best as sorta peat like on what will be my runner bean, courgette and squash pat...
- Wed Aug 30, 2017 9:24 am
- Forum: General chatter
- Topic: Runner Beans and Courgettes
- Replies: 2
- Views: 2210
Runner Beans and Courgettes
I bought 2 lots of 12 Runner Beans from Marshalls - Whiteflowered Moondust and Red-flowered Firestorm. If we had relied on the latter we would have had just enough for the 2 of us. As it is I have been picking almost a basket full of beans from Moondust and feeding all the neighbours for the past co...
- Wed Jul 05, 2017 6:34 pm
- Forum: General chatter
- Topic: Best early Peas
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4912
Re: Best early Peas
Sounds a bit like my experience! I tried Cash this year. Ok but nothing special and only a few pickings.
- Wed Jul 05, 2017 5:13 pm
- Forum: General chatter
- Topic: Best early Peas
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4912
Best early Peas
When I was looking after allotments in Hemel Hempstead many years ago, one of the allotmenteers always used to have these lovely rows of Peas. They were Hurst Greenshaft and growing them this year down here in South Wales they have convinced me that they are the one main crop to grow. But I have yet...
- Wed Jul 05, 2017 5:11 pm
- Forum: Seasonal tips
- Topic: stopping Winter Squash
- Replies: 1
- Views: 2709
stopping Winter Squash
I have 3 plants of the Winter Squash, Sweetmax which I bought from Marshalls. These were potted on in the greenhouse inquite large pots to get as big a rootball as possible and avoid any late cold or windy weather. Planted out they are doing quite well. Advice is to stop the main shoot after they ha...
- Tue Jun 27, 2017 8:42 am
- Forum: News and Views
- Topic: Indian summer for pests
- Replies: 20
- Views: 21589
Re: Indian summer for pests
1976 was longer. And records really don't go back that far. "In the Central England Temperature series 1976 has the hottest summer for more than 350 years and probably for much longer. The average temperature over the whole summer (June, July, August) was 17.77 °C, compared to the average for t...
- Mon Jun 26, 2017 6:10 pm
- Forum: Birds, Animals and Livestock
- Topic: Moths - lack of
- Replies: 35
- Views: 18560
Re: Moths - lack of
Primrose - the method of counting bats is to find the exit point, position yourself comfortably and count them as they come out. They started at 9.38 pm, a few minutes later than usual, and finished at around 10.23pm. Previous counts were 23rd June 2012 - 231 22nd June 2013 - 61 2014 - no survey 20t...
- Sun Jun 25, 2017 10:02 pm
- Forum: Birds, Animals and Livestock
- Topic: Moths - lack of
- Replies: 35
- Views: 18560
Re: Moths - lack of
I counted 227 bats last night which is good. They are the 'normal' Pipistrelles, not the soprano ones. A maternity roost so maybe double that number with the youngsters. On Friday we have the bat experts in so am hoping they will find more elsewhere. Previously we have found Daubentons and others. A...
- Sat Jun 24, 2017 10:04 am
- Forum: Birds, Animals and Livestock
- Topic: Moths - lack of
- Replies: 35
- Views: 18560
Re: Moths - lack of
Primrose - tonight I do my annual bat count at the National Botanic Garden of Wales. Numbers do vary widely. Two years ago only 61, last year 282. Will let you know tomorrow. Could be a good indication of insect numbers, or maybe not.
- Thu Jun 22, 2017 5:56 pm
- Forum: Birds, Animals and Livestock
- Topic: Moths - lack of
- Replies: 35
- Views: 18560
Re: Moths - lack of
I have been helping with a research project regarding honey bee pollination for the last 3 years. One of the results so far stresses the importance of hedgerows rather than meadows, brambles especially and native trees and shrubs . In my patch, which is essentially grasslands, I haven't managed to s...
- Wed Jun 21, 2017 4:18 pm
- Forum: Birds, Animals and Livestock
- Topic: Moths - lack of
- Replies: 35
- Views: 18560
Moths - lack of
Despite having the windows wide open during this very hot weather and various lights no Moths have come in. I mentioned this to a number of friends over quite a wide area and their experience is the same. 20 years ago we would have been inundated with them. But the birds and bats seem to be finding ...
- Wed Jun 21, 2017 4:14 pm
- Forum: Best practices
- Topic: Stopping Tomatoes
- Replies: 13
- Views: 5034
Re: Stopping Tomatoes
Surely stopping depends on variety? Some are determinate so stop themselves. And yes, I doubt whether that induces ripening. Depends on temperature, humidity, etc.
- Wed Jun 21, 2017 4:11 pm
- Forum: Best practices
- Topic: Planting out Swedes
- Replies: 13
- Views: 5243
Re: Planting out Swedes
All the Swedes I planted out are flourishing. The earliest pots may be doing slightly better but no real difference. Definitely the best way to grow them
- Wed Jun 21, 2017 4:08 pm
- Forum: General chatter
- Topic: Tidy plot versus a jungle
- Replies: 11
- Views: 4251
Re: Tidy plot versus a jungle
This year I have cut down on what I am growing and giving everything a lot more space. That way I can hoe between everything. It does look more tidy, reduces weed competition and gives plants 'air' and room to develop. Looks good so far.