Spring proper, 2022, Bits and Bobs.

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Primrose
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And at least home produced compost is free and you know what,s in it.
And if yiu,re having a lucky day you may even find that pair of seccateurs or whatever that mysteriously disappeared a year or so ago. But my luckiest find was probably a grass snake which seem to be a pretty rare find round here these days.
Last edited by Primrose on Sun May 29, 2022 7:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Compo
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True primrose. How did you know I found a trowel?
If I am not on the plot, I am not happy.........
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Geoff
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I posted on an earlier thread about Rocket potatoes from the polytunnel on 30th April. I planted 4 Rocket and 8 Charlotte in there. Last weekend we finished the Rocket, I think it was 12½lbs off the 4 roots, so yesterday it was the turn of the first Charlotte root. I didn't expect much so was surprised by 5¼lbs, and very nice they were too. Might cut Rocket down to two roots next year.

Well pleased with the first two brassicas in the cold greenhouse, cauliflower Snowball and calabrese Marathon.

brassicas.JPG
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oldherbaceous
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Very impressive, Geoff!
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.

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retropants
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wow what a couple of beauties!
Monika
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Looking great, Geoff. Our Estima potatoes are flowering, so I might have a little proddle around in the large pot. They were started in the greenhouse but have been outside now for more than a month.
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retropants
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my kitchen sprouted potatoes are flowering, another week or 2 and I'll have a rummage to see whats going on!
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oldherbaceous
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Had a few more very welcome showers today……although the water table is very low and that is what really matters!
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Monika
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We too had some short hefty showers today, but really do need more. The large pond in our village nature reserve is at the lowest level I have ever seen it at this time of the year.
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Spent more time in the tunnel sheltering from the heavy showers than outside today, but you won't find a weed in there & everything is tied up, fed & generally looking happy. I did manage to finally get the watermelon plant in the part emptied compost for this years experiment before it started. Lot's of failures trying to create a nice warm cosy abode for it as my ideas for using the perspex sheets just ended in cracked sheets as they were so old & brittle. My neighbour gave me some thinner ones which blew away but fortunately found a piece of the bubble plastic from the tunnel just the right width to fit so simply tied that to stakes as the roof. It is totally protected from the North with the old table top (& the hedge row), right side has galvanised sheets to hold warm & the other side has the broken perspex for direct not refracted light which will come through the tunnel plastic. Not the prettiest thing you will ever see but it's all about the results!
Westi
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All gone quiet again on here again with you all being busy! I was disappointed again with the weather as expecting thunder & lightening & big rain!

Anyway to focus on the positives I am amazed at my strawberries this year. I was chuffed to bits seeing how many flowers on each plant & even more so now I have such huge fruit. It is my new bed that I bought 4 different types in a group for early, mid, late & ever bearing, but being a softie I could not just give up on my old bed that has been there from the start of my gardening journey & it is just starting to ripen it's fruit. The taste test is the old bed, smaller fruit, more raggy growth & pretty neglected except for cutting off the runners but haven't got round to replacing the old fruit with the new runners for about 3yrs. No idea of the variety but obvs it likes neglect.
Westi
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Primrose
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Noticed today two of my butternut squashes have their first flowers not getting too excited as have found previous early flowers have often resulted in imperfect small fruits which often die. Same occasionally happens with courgettes. Any idea why this happens?
Is it due to imperfect pollination in any way?
And if so, any idea how to stop it happening?
Last edited by Primrose on Sun Jun 05, 2022 8:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
Monika
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Could yuo hand pollinate them with a small paint brush?
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retropants
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Westi, my strawberries are looking fairly abundant this year. I have two varieties and I did bite the bullet with the Marshmellos and ditched the elderly plants and replaced with their runners from last year. The elsanta I'll do that next year.
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Shallot Man
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Re Strawberry's. Many moons ago, use to speak to a Polish plot holder on the next site. Never replaced his plants. Just ran the lawnmower over them. Reluctantly tried it one year, worked a treat. Never from then on replaced stock.
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