Kitchen Garden Forum

Things Wot I 'eard over the last few days.

Managed to pay a brief visit to plot Christmas Eve to dig four leeks (well just about managed cos I needed help to dig them out they were so well rooted)

Whilst there Lt Ma and I met up with one of the plot holders at top of site. He had sown some overwintering peas recently and having noticed signs of disturbance he set some mouse traps.

141 caught and still counting !!!!!

Snippet Two

Referring to the potato comments on the Bits and Bobs thread I would normally never consider buying seed potato this early, usually it is end of this month. However as stated on that thread I have been looking for a new supplier.
Its was during this process that I was advised by more than one supply company that some potatoes will be in short supply this year due, not to Brexit but, to the hot weather experienced in 2018 affecting crop levels.

As a result of that information when we heard a relatively close by independent garden centre had some loose seed potatoes in stock we decided to pay a visit yesterday
They haven't got full stock in yet but with the exception of Kestral and Cara they had the other varieties we wanted so as they looked reasonable and the price was acceptable we selected our own.
Cara, they were very seriously more like marbles so we left those.
Kestral, stock not arrived yet

I think this will be the start of one of Pa Snips wonderful, well replied to, topics.

Intetesting about the Mice, I have kept four traps running over the allotment last year, as mice were decimating my rows of beetroot and lost count of how many mice I caught....altough it wasn't anywhere near the 141 mark, but it did stop the damage, so will get them set up a lot earlier (nearly put next year) this year!!!

Crikey!! 141 sounds like a a lot of dim witted mice. If the cat manages to catch and bring in 1 then that's cause for mayhem. The thought of another 140 out there gives me a headache.

141 mice stir fry. Sounds interesting

Pity the poor, hungry mice...

It is such a shame that the wildlife will not just take a portion...

Checked out today when seed potatoes might be arriving at the Garden Centre near Reading, will be next week and they will be selling them loose. However and its a very big However, they are charging £2.29 per kg !!! that's pre-pack type pricing !!

I know this GC is a Trust set up to provide jobs for people with learning or other difficulties but they need to remain attractively priced

Pa Snip wrote:Checked out today when seed potatoes might be arriving at the Garden Centre near Reading, will be next week and they will be selling them loose. However and its a very big However, they are charging £2.29 per kg !!! that's pre-pack type pricing !!

I know this GC is a Trust set up to provide jobs for people with learning or other difficulties but they need to remain attractively priced

I had a double-take over your first three words Pa.

Will be a clever trick if I can pull it off. Checking out and letting you know personally. Hmmm, I'll give it a go !!

The house heating is set to 24, the thermometer reads 23, I am wearing 3 layers on top half of body inc thermal layer.

AND YET I AM FRIGGGIN COLD !!! whilst Ma Snip is overheating

Todays plan was to visit a garden centre this morning and a model railway exhibition in our village hall
Scrubbed both and not ventured out into cold all day.

Our windowsill mushroom kits from Suttons arrived yesterday so they got put in to place today.

Prepared & modified the 2019 season plot sowing & planting log sheets

Looked on Wilko parcel tracking and noticed our gardening order has arrived at store, probably be Monday before we can collect.
Have ordered Red Sun shallot sets from both Suttons and Wilko, Wilko are half the price so I thought I would leave something for my daughter to do a comparison between.

Over last few days we disposed of outdated seeds and are just about to collate those that are due for sowing between now and March

May not be able to get out to the plot itself much but work towards success on our plot this year has started

Seeing as you missed your model railway exhibition, here's a couple of pictures of my OO layout
We now have some led lights on the station

Thanks tiger nice looking layout.

for once it appears I am up before OH

I was up at 2am but been lurking in the East wing ....I keep doing this just lately, sleep until 2am, then i'm wide awake...

I think it is meant to be a bit warmer outside today Pa Snip, so hopefully you will warm up a little inside too.

Managed to get a decent amount dug yesterday, so very pleased.....but my pre-op date has come through for the 15th of this month, so the operation shouldn't be far away, then I will be laid up for quite a few weeks...

oldherbaceous wrote:Managed to get a decent amount dug yesterday, so very pleased.....but my pre-op date has come through for the 15th of this month, so the operation shouldn't be far away, then I will be laid up for quite a few weeks...

You know we all wish you well and we will be thinking of you , hopefully the recovery will be speedy. There is nothing worse than the start of something you enjoy, like the gardening season, being delayed