What a cracking day Good Friday turned out to be. A Good Friday indeed.
Was first to arrive and unlock allotment site at 8am, decided as it was nice and sunny that I would give the shed a coat of cuprinol.
Hasn't been done since the first coats I put on it when it was put up in late 2012. Took me almost exactly 2 hours.
Then weeded the Polka raspberry bed followed by the strawberry tubs
Left plot about 1:30pm & had 2.5.hours at home, cuppa & a sandwich.
Got bored..............got back up plot 4pm and put some wire stock fencing up on side and back of the freshly painted shed for the sweet peas to climb up.
Was last to leave and lock up allotment site at 5:40pm
Fabulous bright warm day for early Easter.
Please can we have some more like that over the weekend.
Early Easter Gardening Plans ?
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Pa Snip
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The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.
At least travelling under the guise of the Pa Snip Enterprise gives me an excuse for appearing to be on another planet
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peter
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Good Friday, yes but Thoggy Thursday put the kybosh on digging a where and on weeding the rest of my raspberries. Top end of the path between my plots was greased by the rain. Too half an hour or so to just lie in the sun and watch the bumblebees on the purple deadnettle. Tis the one weed I actually adore, pretty flowers, even smells nice when you pull it up, almost feel guilty of depriving the bumblebees of the flowers. 
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.
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Cider Boys
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Some of you may remember that I used to grow potatoes on a small commercial scale, 5 acres at the most. I used to smile when I read of gardeners carefully chitting their potatoes and placing them in the soil and debating spacing etc, when I just used to tip the seed potatoes into a potato planter hopper and they then bounced down a shute into the soil and all seemed to grow very well. However now I'm retired from all that I bought a bag of seed potatoes from Wilkos and have carefully chitted them and this afternoon had great pleasure in drawing out a couple of trenches 2' apart and carefully placing them into the soil at 12" spacings (sprouts pointing upwards) with a little layer of grass cuttings to help prevent scab and I must say that it all gave me much pleasure
Best wishes
Barney
Best wishes
Barney
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Pa Snip
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Easter Saturdays plan.
Poked head out of door at 6am, chilly wind, grey overcast sky, complete contrast to yesterday.
We have been told in the past of a nursery that only opens each year for the summer season that is not far from us in a place called Burnham.
What we have seen of their plants over the last couple of years has been very good so as it opened for this years season yesterday Ma Snip and I may pay it a visit today to see exactly what range of stuff they sell.
Other than that it is going to be a 'play it by ear' day
Poked head out of door at 6am, chilly wind, grey overcast sky, complete contrast to yesterday.
We have been told in the past of a nursery that only opens each year for the summer season that is not far from us in a place called Burnham.
What we have seen of their plants over the last couple of years has been very good so as it opened for this years season yesterday Ma Snip and I may pay it a visit today to see exactly what range of stuff they sell.
Other than that it is going to be a 'play it by ear' day
The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.
At least travelling under the guise of the Pa Snip Enterprise gives me an excuse for appearing to be on another planet
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Pa Snip
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Cider Boys wrote: I bought a bag of seed potatoes from Wilkos and have carefully chitted them and this afternoon had great pleasure in drawing out a couple of trenches 2' apart and carefully placing them into the soil at 12" spacings (sprouts pointing upwards) with a little layer of grass cuttings to help prevent scab and I must say that it all gave me much pleasure
Best wishes
Barney
Hi Barney
Glad to hear you enjoyed your potato preparations & planting. Things you used to do on a day to day basis can be very enjoyable when done from a different perspective.
I am intrigued by the use of grass cuttings for the alleged prevention of scab, how does that work. Not heard of it before.
I would guess it is for moisture retention purposes, but does that prevent scab
I hear conflicting stories about watering and not watering potatoes.
The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.
At least travelling under the guise of the Pa Snip Enterprise gives me an excuse for appearing to be on another planet
Solid heavy Irish rain here. Irish rain is of course wetter than rain anywhere else. 
Nipped out to pick the few daffodils not slug chewed and not going out there again until I bring coal in..May sort trays etc later.
Nipped out to pick the few daffodils not slug chewed and not going out there again until I bring coal in..May sort trays etc later.-
peter
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Pa Snip wrote:Poked head out of door at 6am, chilly wind, grey overcast sky, complete contrast to yesterday.
...... going to be a 'play it by ear' day
Err, later, but ditto.
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.
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Cider Boys
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Pa Snip wrote:Cider Boys wrote: I bought a bag of seed potatoes from Wilkos and have carefully chitted them and this afternoon had great pleasure in drawing out a couple of trenches 2' apart and carefully placing them into the soil at 12" spacings (sprouts pointing upwards) with a little layer of grass cuttings to help prevent scab and I must say that it all gave me much pleasure
Best wishes
Barney
Hi Barney
Glad to hear you enjoyed your potato preparations & planting. Things you used to do on a day to day basis can be very enjoyable when done from a different perspective.
I am intrigued by the use of grass cuttings for the alleged prevention of scab, how does that work. Not heard of it before.
I would guess it is for moisture retention purposes, but does that prevent scab
I hear conflicting stories about watering and not watering potatoes.
Hello Pa Snip
A lot of the things I do are based on what old timers told me in the early 60s when I attended an agricultural technical school but I have not the faintest idea of how it works, it was just what we used to do. No doubt someone with a wealth of knowledge like Johnboy could say if and how it works. I think that your suggestion about moisture retention is the most likely. Scab always seemed to be a problem on light sandy soils and certainly affected Desiree, a potato that I grew for many years. The practice of scattering some grass cuttings in the trench makes sure there is some organic matter available and is an old time method but I have found this link from Suttons that mentions the use of lawn mowings.
http://suttons.kayako.com/Knowledgebase ... y-potatoes
Regarding watering, if it is dry when the potatoes tubers are growing then water is essential to bulk them up and help prevent scab but I have never commercially irrigated (I was a part-time peasant farmer) just had some good years and some poorer years. I would consider watering in a garden situation if my water butt is full but I wouldn't use water off my water meter!
Best wishes
Barney
So, today I was supposed to dig the bean trench, and put up my squash trellis... Not going to happen now
Once the game is over the king and the pawn go back in the same box. Anonymous
Exploring is like walking, where the walking decides where we're going. Bob the dinosaur from dinopaws
Exploring is like walking, where the walking decides where we're going. Bob the dinosaur from dinopaws
On the met ie site there is a SNOWCLOUD right above Kerry.. Yep, snow,, thunder too.. There are the 1916 Centenary ceremonies in full spate today too. Hard heavy rain... Just set seed in trays at the kitchen table with the new bag of compost just outside the door...
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Geoff
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The wind and the rain got here a bit later than I expected. Hoisted the mower up in the air and started servicing it by scraping the deck ready for the annual coat of Red Oxide (or whatever is in it these days).
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Pa Snip
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Seems I overdid it yesterday,
Paying the consequences for that today. Pins and needles throughout nerve system at times.
Chemo might well have some control over The Alien Within but it can leave its own long term side effects.
Might not have been so bad if I could have got out and got some lighter jobs done in the great outdoors
Did sit at computer and update my potato planting plan though.
Also visited the local nursery we had heard good reports about.
Very impressed with the quality of plants they had there. Will return once weather is right for outdoor planting
Paying the consequences for that today. Pins and needles throughout nerve system at times.
Chemo might well have some control over The Alien Within but it can leave its own long term side effects.
Might not have been so bad if I could have got out and got some lighter jobs done in the great outdoors
Did sit at computer and update my potato planting plan though.
Also visited the local nursery we had heard good reports about.
Very impressed with the quality of plants they had there. Will return once weather is right for outdoor planting
The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.
At least travelling under the guise of the Pa Snip Enterprise gives me an excuse for appearing to be on another planet
Stormy noisy night..Went out to let the dog out and nearly blown off my feet. Well, saves having a shower! The Dawn Masses were timed for 6 am and I am sure they forgot to take the time change into account. My nearest was too far away and not in this weather. Dublin will be a wet event today. All fine here; will sort more trays etc later..
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Pa Snip
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07:15 BST. Patches of blue sky, with grey cloud of varying size.
Odd seeing moon still up, perhaps its forgotten to put its clock forward.
See a few Nursery owners have well got the hump with Monty Don.
Seems he broadcast that all Garden Centres everywhere would be shut today, as per Christmas Day & Easter Sunday legislation.
Does not apply to nurseries though apparently, they can open if they so choose.
Odd seeing moon still up, perhaps its forgotten to put its clock forward.
See a few Nursery owners have well got the hump with Monty Don.
Seems he broadcast that all Garden Centres everywhere would be shut today, as per Christmas Day & Easter Sunday legislation.
Does not apply to nurseries though apparently, they can open if they so choose.
The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.
At least travelling under the guise of the Pa Snip Enterprise gives me an excuse for appearing to be on another planet
No allotment for me over Easter - visiting family in Somerset and Gloucestershire.
I have however just had my first lesson in pruning vines - I enjoyed it but it was very scary. You have to be quite ruthless and I felt quite stressed in having to decide which two runners to keep which will produce the grapes this year, and planning which shoots will be used to produce next years. I was very slow and only got one row done. Must get quicker but I think that comes with gaining confidence and experience.
I have however just had my first lesson in pruning vines - I enjoyed it but it was very scary. You have to be quite ruthless and I felt quite stressed in having to decide which two runners to keep which will produce the grapes this year, and planning which shoots will be used to produce next years. I was very slow and only got one row done. Must get quicker but I think that comes with gaining confidence and experience.