Welcome Spring, Bits and Bobs - 2016.

[Shallot Man]

Wind blew like the clappers last night. Easing off now.

[peter]

Bowing hard and raining last night.
Nothing seems to have blown down or awzy this morning.
Sunny, but windows covered with drops of water.

[dan3008]

... It rained so much over night and this morning, its filled my new "blue barrel" rain butt

[robo]

Went to our local aldi this morning one of the things I bought was a lemon plant complete with a lemon, when I got home from the plot I decided to read the label which states in two places "do not eat " I've sent aldi an email to ask why but I'm not expecting a response

[dan3008]

Robo, probably an ornamental variety, I got an orange one a few years ago, and took it back to the store...
That or if its a true lemon tree that's been bonsi'ed then the fruit go really really bitter and inedible

[PLUMPUDDING]

If you put your question on Facebook for all to see you usually get a very quick response Robo.

They might have sprayed the tree with a systemic pesticide, so the lemon may contain traces of it. Does it say what variety it is?
I bought a Myers variety from Lidl a few years ago and had over 25 lemons off it before it died. If the plant isn't sprayed again any new fruit that sets should be free from pesticide, and the flowers smell lovely, so it is worth growing just for those.

[Parsons Jack]

After the storm last night, I had to replace one piece of glass in the greenhouse. Couldn't be a strightforward piece could it. Oh no, it had to be one of those triangular pieces
Luckily, I had a piece of perspex ( I think ), which I cut to size

Then, I managed to knock the tap on one of the waterbutts, which made it leak.
Had to transfer all the water to another one that I hadn't fixed up yet. I'll sort out the tap tomorrow.

Other than that, everything's been great

[Westi]

Thought Storm Katie was a bit average until I woke up this morning.

Full wheelie bin on the other side of the road on it's side, luckily avoided the car on the journey. Chimera & garden table, chair & olive tree in the middle of the back lawn. Down at the beach 2 mega pines down, taking out the fence at one of the £1mill+ modern homes, but other one luckily fell into the driveway.

Lots of trees down in the New Forest but roads all cleared when we ventured out, but saw quite a few cottages getting tarps put up. All the temporary barriers washed down on the quay plus a few more of the permanent ones, quite a few boats in the dinghy park damaged & nearly all blown on to their side.

Haven't been down to lottie but expect there isn't much black plastic down or environmesh over the crops now unless we've been very lucky!

Westi

[robo]

Hi plumpudding, I got a phone call from a person asking to speak to me ,not recognising the phone number I pressed the red button on the call blocker ,later I returned the call to get an answer machine telling me it was aldi customer care so I sent an email apologizing then I opened an email they had sent me saying it was a precaution as the plant had been sprayed and all the fruit it grew would be ok, I was impressed with the speed of action by aldi

[snooky]

Found this link on another forum.Using TAPE16 at the checkout and P&P of £4-99 for free packs of seed tapes if still available.Offer from Suttons has been running for a few weeks:-

http://theunconventionalgardener.com/bl ... s-suttons/

[PLUMPUDDING]

I'm glad you got a satisfactory reply Robo, a prompt response goes a long way to keeping customers happy doesn't it.

I keep buying citrus trees but they usually give up the ghost after three or four years despite me following all the advice re compost, humidity, heat etc. The lemons do better than the Kaffir limes. The only one I've managed to keep is a grapefruit that I grew from a pip. It even had one flower that produced a grape sized fruit when it was 4 inches high, but nothing since. I know they really need to be mature trees to produce fruit, but I've not killed it off yet and it's putting on lots of new shoots at the moment.

The main problem which is very difficult to treat is scale insects.

[robo]

We had a lemon tree grown from a pip it lasted around eight years my wife loved the smell it omitted I have no sense of smell so I did not appreciate it ,we left it in the greenhouse one year a bit longer than we should have done that was the end of it

[Monika]

Thick snow this morning but it had all melted by lunch time. More rain and sleet this afternoon - warming up slowly towards the weekend, they say. Peas and broad beans still safely tucked up under cloches.
Spring must be on its way because there is a blackbird building a nest in our open porch with her OH keeping a close eye on her!

[peter]

D@mm rain back with a vengeance.

Mowed main path and did last blue barrels while it was dry and sunny.

[Shallot Man]

Had a run out with the Memsahib. Dropped into a garden centre that I do not normally visit.Selling cabbage plants, six in a container for £1-99. that's 33p each. Cheaper to order the finished product from Harrods.