All systems go, Bits and Bobs.

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Barney, all is growing well here thank you, despite the ever increasing number of deer, rabbits, pidgeon, mice and even ants to contend with.

Glad you have got yourself another bit of land.

[Primrose]

This week more than six of my overwintered onions have gone to seed. This seems very early and I wonder if it,s happening to anybody else. I don,t know if it's inevitable or whether there's anything I can do to slow down or halt the process?

[Geoff]

It's gone quiet on this thread, all too busy watching real gardening at Chelsea

[oldherbaceous]

I just love the way they hold some plants back, force others, and then plant them all together, just to make a normal gardener feel they have failed.

Nice steady rain over-night, the allotments looks lovely this morning.

[Ricard with an H]

I thought my strawberries were doing ok until I read that a few of you are eating home grown. What am I doing wrong ?

I started them off in my home made cloches which are like a poly tunnel for each row, or is it a cloche.

Once they flowered I took the cloches away and covered them with ex-met tunnels because I assumed the flowers needed pollinating, I do have a few berries but everything has slowed down.

Should I put the tunnels back on ? And, do I need to feed heavily with comfrey or occasionally ?

Also, I planted blackberry canes. They look sad and two out of six failed. I planted them at the top of a bank against a fence so they get sun all day but the top of a bank will drain. Is that the problem ?

I had so much success with just about everything this year, maybe I,m getting over-confident and taking risks. I'm sure I read that blackberries like damp soil though I'm also sure that the two failed canes rotted in wet pots.

[retropants]

don't worry Richard, our strawberries are still green and growing, not ready to eat just yet

[Ricard with an H]

Thanks for that, what about covering them in their own polly-tunnels ? After last years experience with disease on things that had plastic covers I'm nervous. I used the covers to get them established, that was my first experience with close-fitting cloches/poly-tunnels. The ground can get very hot and dry under those, even if the sun isn't out, great for winter though. I bolt them down.

[retropants]

don't forget that the bees need to get at them

[Monika]

Welcome rain overnight and early today, everything was getting rather dry and I was worried about the brassica and leek seedlings, although I had watered them in really well on planting. More rain to come, they say. But everything is growing well, including the weeds!

Hasn't the tree blossom been marvellous this spring? I am at this moment looking out onto an expanse of white from the blossom of hawthorn, horse chestnut, mountain ash and service tree (and the bird cherries just going over).

[old codger]

I thought I would let you know what I grow on my three plots,155runner beans20 rows potatoes, 300 onion sets, 300 garlic,French beans,beetroot, carrots cauliflower Duncan,greyhound,Brussels purple broccoli,tomatoes,lettuce,spring onion,radish. Then fruit gooseberries,raspberries,black currants,red currants,jostaberries,Victoria plums,early river plums,Bramley apples, plus free range eggs. They have a good choice when they come to my little stall.

[peter]

As a two plot man I'm impressed OC.n

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Codger, and that's not forgetting your, leeks, marrows, courgettes, pumpkins and shallots, and also your rhubarb.

Bet you didn't bother watering last night, what a storm that was yesterday afternoon!

[peter]

Rain stopped gardening play.

I'd heard about the shortage of standard fence panels, but apparently, there is a shortage of slotted concrete posts as well. My local fencing specialist was out of intermediates(2 slots, opposite sides) apart fom 9' ones and a bit random on corner and end ones.

[oldherbaceous]

Just cut the grass over the allotments, and i don't mind saying, it does look lovely with the stripes running from one end to the other. Even all the side paths look a good dark green and tidy.

I'm sure i could hear the weeds growing on Codgers plots.

[old codger]

Just cut the grass over the allotments, and i don't mind saying, it does look lovely with the stripes running from one end to the other. Even all the side paths look a good dark green and tidy.

I'm sure i could hear the weeds growing on Codgers plots.

I'm afraid you were wrong it was the garlic you could hear growing as it it is swelling and dividing its bulbs. I bet you wish you had set some garlic now.