Glorious Spring Bits and Bobs.

A place to chat about anything you like, including non-gardening related subjects. Just keep it clean, please!

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oldherbaceous
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I don't think many people would want to know the procdure of that..... :) :)
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.

There's no fool like an old fool.
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Primrose
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You guys are having a bit of tough time at the moment. Hope all's well for you all. Getting older or having bits go wrong isnt much fun is it?.

I,ve perhaps been a little rash but looked at the hopefully benein weather forecast here for the rest of the week and planted out most of my outdoor climbing beans and tomatoes. I should perhaps have hardened them off first but dont have anywhere really suitable for this so keeping my fingers crossed.

Must confess, I,m finding the kneeling down bit pretty hard on my joints these days and find it frustrating that I can,t slog away for as long as I used to. At least having the vegetable plot in the garden means I can pop out and do small batches of chores a time. If it meant having to traipse to an allotment I think i would ,probably have given up by now.
Monika
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32C in the greenhouse today inspire of all the four openers being wide open as well as the sliding door, covered by a netting door. I have been damping it down several times a day and hope all he small seedlings will not mind the heat too much! More sunshine to come for the rest of the week, it seems, but a threat of night frost on Thursday night for us. Must cover up the potatoes .......
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I am still getting temps down to 5 degrees at night and 25 in the day, things are ok just now, but it can't help with such temperature swings.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
PLUMPUDDING
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I can't remember a more beautiful spring. The blossom and early flowers are wonderful and well worth putting up with the long cold winter.
I've just been enjoying the colours, scents and bird song and the sun has brought out lots more butterflies and red damsel flies today.

I was quite energetic too and dug up two sackfuls of dandelions, swept and weeded one of the paths and trimmed two hedges.

There's nothing better for lifting the spirits than being in the garden and a bit of sunshine.
PLUMPUDDING
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Thanks for the reminders about frost and chilly nights. I just checked what the temperature was in the night and it got down to 2.5° at 4.30 this morning. Top of my to do list is earthing up the potatoes tomorrow.
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Primrose
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I feared I might have been a little over enthusiastic about planting out my tomatoes and beans yesterday but on checking they seem to have survived. I have a few held back in case a sudden drastic overnight drop in temperatures ruins them but these days it's a case of doing the physical stuff when I have the time and energy. I can often make up the time by foregoing some other activity. The energy is a factor that seems to be rather less negotiable. :(
PLUMPUDDING
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I agree with you about the lack of energy Primrose. I'm trying to pace myself by doing an hour and having a tea break for 15 mins. I've planted out my lettuces and parsley and the second session earthed up all the potatoes.

I've cheated again with the lettuces and bought a punnet of living salad from Sainsburys. They are a mix of red and green Lollo Rosso and there are about 40 nice strong plants. I've planted them in twos and covered the raised bed with some fleece for a bit of shade and possibly frost protection.
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Primrose
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The punnets of living lettuce have kept my salad supplies going all winter under cloches. It does rather restrict your salad leaf selection if you rely on them solely but I sow a few other varieties as well in odd patches for variety and it's a quicker way of ensuring succession without gaps in supply. I,ve signed up a few of my friend to the idea. Even those who are not vegetable growing gardeners are delighted how easy it is to tuck a few living lettuce seedlings in amongst their bedding plants so that they can pop out and pick fresh salad leaves when they want them. They're quite decorative too.
vivienz
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That's a splendid idea, Plumpudding, I was just thinking about getting some red lettuce seeds, but the living salad makes perfect sense and will save a good bit of time. No idea where I'm going to sneak them in right now, but I'll think of somewhere. Hubby normally does the watering in the evening - a little light relief after being cooped up indoors all day, but he has commented that it's taking a lot longer with all the additional pots around. I keep trying to persuade him that there aren't that many and it's just his imagination but, dammit, the man can still count even after a hard day at work!
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I've got three cherry trees / bushes they are laden with small fruits ,I'm thinking of putting netting over them to keep the birds off them , has anybody done this and is it worthwhile
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Primrose
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I think the answer is probably "How prolific are your trees and is the fruit crop worth the trouble of netting the trees?
Trees are obviously not easy to net and especially to keep the nets fastened securely in windy weather.
If you're having to fund the cost of new nets which might outweigh the value of the crop or risk breaking your neck climbing ladders to try and fix them them effectively, then the answer is possibly NO.

Not sure how they protect themselves against this threat in commercial cherry orchards. Perhaps they use noisy bird scorers if they're not close to other human habitations. .
robo
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The trees are less than 2 meters high, last year we had quite a few cherries at this time but I think we managed to pick five the lad on the plot opposite lost the lot in two days ,I've done one since the post I put on I've also netted three blueberry bushes which are laden in small fruits
Westi
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Net them! At that size they can be netted. One of our plot holders puts in canes angling them out around the trees and ties a cane onto a branch at the top. He drapes the net over this so it is clear of the tree like an umbrella & he just goes under it to pick. Just plastic bottles over the canes to hold the net off. He has better behaved birds on his plot than mine - mine would just bounce on the netting & nick them!
Westi
PLUMPUDDING
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I've just been out to put fleece over the potatoes as the temperature is dropping fast. Everything else will have to chance it.
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