End of Spring Bits and Bobs.

[Shallot Man]

Put some bone-meal in the soil when planting. I feed the ungrateful bugger working dog food each night.

[tigerburnie]

Human urine or hair clippings, they don't like the smell of us.

[Colin2016]

Only been to plot once in past 3 weeks due to being laid up so only watering was from whatever rain we have had.

Surprised at how well everything was brussels/ lettuce/spring onions/cabbages growing well in the netted tunnel. Scrapes on some onions, one bed of garlic has rust but main bed of peas growing ok even the broccoli that was ravished by the pigeons have survived & showing small heads.

Couple of buckets of spuds hit bad with the frost but the spuds in beds I had covered up with straw are looking good.

Thistles have taken over the small orchard and the grass is knee high, hoping to get sweet corn planted today and others plants planted over next few weeks ( green house needs space)... It's good to be active again.

[Primrose]

I promised on one of these threads that i,d report on my success or otherwise of snapping off the top of a lanky peppy plant With fruit buds on it and trying to revive it as a separate more robust plant.

I kept the shoot in water for three days then repotted it in fresh compost on my kitchen window sill Its leaves drooped badly and I thought I was going to lose it. However about 8 days down the line, having covered it with a plastic bag to increase humidity and removed it from direct sunlight the leaves have perked up again and its looking as if I may soon Be able to take it out of intensive care.
Keeping my fingers crossed!

[vivienz]

I'm pondering my next sowings. These are all mainly of the leafy persuasion and to take me through the winter; I'm hoping to get some winter salads from the greenhouses but also need to get some brassicas outside.
In the meantime, the current salads are growing faster than we and the neighbours can eat them. The mange tout in the greenhouse are cropping nicely in pots, a good handful per day from 4 pots, and the courgettes are getting into their stride. I'm very excited to see little male flowers developing on the ogen melon plants - I have 2 in the straw bale greenhouse and they're loving it in there. According to my thermometer, it's 20C overnight in there. I've been watering the paths in the early afternoon to keep the temps down a little, as it crept up to 46C the other day. Everything will cook itself in that kind of heat, including me if I stay in there too long!
Watering still takes a lot of time, but it's worth it to see everything flourishing well.

[peter]

Some little varmint has been in the greenhouse extracted all my sweet corn from the modules and eaten them, had a go at the sweet peas and some tomatoes.
Mousetrap out and baited, though it might be a squirrel coming in through the roof vent.

[retropants]

Sorry to hear that Peter....I've had trouble with the squirrels this year. As well as digging up my pots for bulbs, they have taken a fancy to my herbaceous border and clematis. They are snapping off the new shoots as fast as they can grow, the clematis have recovered, and I have my fingers crossed for the rest.

[Stephen]

Apparently the local (to the allotments) fox is a vixen with a brood of cubs. I have been told that her earth is one of the corners beyond an unused plot (never really cultivated in my time) where there is a dip before the fence.
Certainly she digs up bits of my plot, either looking for worms or a place to defecate (I'm not sure of their habits in this). If she takes the rats, I'll be happy (not that I have seen any this year, yet).

[retropants]

Bloody squirrel has been at my little seedlings this morning.

[Clive.]

Aye, and here it's blackfly on the broad beans.....

Invicta gooseberries stewed ready for lunch time.
...and the "mercury", markery, good king henry is picked/washed, and in the bowl ready for some microwave energy later....

C.

[Primrose]

And our big garage freezer, still full of stuff, has finally decided to start packing up on us after 45 years. Very inconsiderate of it, Have had to hastily go online and order a not altogether 100% suitable replacement for delivery on Monday. Just hoping it will keep functioning throughout a weekend of hot temperatures.

[oldherbaceous]

Blackfly here too and in great numbers...but there are also Ladybirds about too, so not all is lost....

[Cider Boys]

Blackfly on my broad beans as well. Mustn't grumble though since potatoes and even the courgettes (after removing their affected leaves) now have recovered from the surprise frost attack a little while ago. I used to boil up rhubarb leaves to spray on blackfly but I have eaten all my rhubarb so few leaves left. Will try washing up liquid on them until I can get someone to bring me some bug killer. My gooseberries and strawberries are small but tasting lovely. Have re-planted most of my runner beans after the frost attack, will try and plant the rest this evening when it is cooler.

Happy gardening
Barney

[Westi]

I will write this; but know it will be all very different when I go down tomorrow, but no black fly to date! Unknown as I have harvested 3 times & usually only get one harvest before they strike! All fine to eat, but the nail care is a nightmare for work! I have strawberry overload & probably the best ever from this last year of this bed! The joy of tolerating a wet winter shows itself finally!

[vivienz]

Well, it's just one exciting day after another here. I was weeding the bed with a mix of salads and brassicas, only to see that my brokali has put its central heads up. Only small right now but the rate they are going at, I should be able to pick them in a week or so. Very chuffed.