Early Spring Bits and Bobs.

[tigerburnie]

I had a trip to the dentist for a check up this morning, it had rained most of the night, but the car thermometer said it was only 3 degrees, my greenhouse one went down to 5 degrees over night, still way too cold to plant much yet.

[robo]

I gained two chickens this morning ,when I got to the plot I was met by one of the plot owners who told me our chairman had passed away he had been fighting cancer for over two years ,he had spoken to the guys wife who was distraught to say the least she asked him to try and rehouse his chickens he had five ,I said I could take two I don't want anymore but if nobody wants them I will put my hand up rather than see them knecked I have twelve now council rules say six but I was never good at figures

[Westi]

I had that drizzle today that seems light but before you know it you are soaked through. The plan was to do some sowing but got distracted with prepping the future sweet potato bed & then scrubbed the plastic table & chairs - interspersed with neighbour chatting. Not actually very productive but very enjoyable!

[Diane]

Well done Robo, for rescuing the hens. Anyway, chicken maths is always imaginative.

[Geoff]

Snowing quite steadily and starting to stick after dropping to minus two. Looks like no plums or damsons this year unless there are a few flowers left to come out next week.

[Diane]

Bright and sunny (but cold) here in Dorset. I think I shall go and stand in the greenhouse - it's belting hot in there

[Stephen]

Snow and freezing temperatures, curiously the ECB thinks this is the right time of the year for four day cricket.
Meanwhile, Robo well done for homing the chickens. Maybe 6 live on one half of your plot and half-a-dozen live on the other half. I wonder if anyone checks anyway?

[Westi]

We are all so naughty when it comes to rules. My defence is the original chairman that showed me my plot & discussed the shed sizes etc. & he told me outright to get an 8' X 6' even though it says 6' X 6' in the rules so room for storage of tools & the brewing station. That started the revolt I think as quite a few popped up (probably not helped by me telling them of my unofficial permission)! Then came the greenhouses with the sheds even though only supposed to have 1 structure, then 2 or more greenhouses on the plots, then the poly tunnels started with the wee green things to one hand made one that covers a whole 1/2 plot almost so must be 40' x 15'. And that is not factoring in the elaborate & large chicken pens all over.

Oh well on the 16th I shall be continuing the 'Bend the Rules' tradition when Dean & Tom travel down from up North to put up my new tunnel. The new borough looking after us now have flexed their muscles already, the new combined council told Bournemouth residents they could have a plot anywhere in the council area & the new guys have outrightly told applicants 'No' only for Christchurch & (hmmm)? neighbouring areas will be allowed. Funny neighbouring areas weren't allowed previously, strictly Christchurch as they have their own plots....??

Just going back to a topic a long time ago about the 700+ new houses being built behind us, the council have started clearing out their bit of land between us & the garden centre & have 6 months then the builders will be using that site for their offices & equipment. We growers are also inquisitive & ask questions & the guys being paid to clear it including salvaging 3 huge greenhouses accidentally told my plot neighbour who is on the committee & were not advised. Still a way off though as they have about 30 pylons to bury first that are right beside the railway lines - that will take some time.

[alan refail]

Over here in the west we're basking in sunshine now. It's much more like spring after that taste of The Blackthorn Winter earlier this week!
Got my 28 tomatoes potted and dug out the well-rotted chicken manure and put it into the polytunnel.

[oldherbaceous]

I managed to get another three rows of Charlotte potaoes planted today and also cut the allotment grass.....so I seem to be getting there....

[Primrose]

Really must sow my upright outdoor tomatoes although guess I'm still in good time ? My tumbling plants are about 8 - 10" high although they always crop earlier.

[Geoff]

My birthday muck arrived today, well some of it. The farmer knows I like it well rotten so he tried to dig into the bottom of the pile and the device on his tractor broke, metal failure not hydraulics so busy trying to source a replacement. I've buried quite a bit of it in a 25'x10' bed that will be sweet peas, broad beans and runner beans. I think there's enough left to do the bed for peas tomorrow. What a beautiful day it has been.

[Westi]

Potted some of my toms on - they better not sprint off like they have to date as on the last pot but going to have a nice root run. They are out of the house & into the unheated greenhouse but with extra protection ready if needed but min /max temp looks fine in there not to scare them too much. Those that are going to live there permanently are in their forever homes & I had a spare laminate sheet so they are boxed in for extra protection. Brassica's going in on lottie tomorrow so I will then have room in the greenhouse for the rest of toms.

Feels like it is finally starting proper! Time to say Good Luck all for the 2019 growing season & I am looking forward to your posts & pics & great advice!

[peter]

Busy on the plot Friday and Saturday,.
Friday cut up half of last week's espalier pruning into two sacks for my friend Chris's food smokers. Hacked my way into my fruit plot and cleared most of the raspberry area which is two thirds of the plot..
Saturday, clearedart of a vacated plot of one of those cheap polytunnel wannabes and it's contents, then moved to finish the raspberry area and started to put my free sleepers to use, replacing the rotted planks edging the top side.

Note to cheap polytunnel buyers, don't secure them with roadpins hammered into the ground so the little U at the top hold the bottom bar between it and the four foot pin! Little finger thick metal spikes four foot long are rather difficult to extract from the ground when only four inches are sticking out.

Sounds like not much done, but I have to confess that area had got away from me a bit.
Seven dog woods had rooted and grown to six foot with good roots, plus a little bit of bindweed went rampant last year. The ground is riven with the roots, and it's entangled with everything else's roots.

Tomorrow's plan is to do the east side with sleepers, the west side was done years ago when I last lucked into some free sleepers of the railway variety, the north end slopes down so the last few feet will have to be double depth sleepers. North side is held up by 45 gallon plastic drugs converted into planters.
Once the construction work is done I'll dig into my stash of shredded trees and apply the thickest mulch I can, hopefully making roundup gel bindweed elimination a bit easier.
If I've any time left I'll tackle the current & gosseberry third which has one dogwood, one blackthorn and many strayed raspberries in it.

[oldherbaceous]

Sounds as if we are all getting started now, one way or another.....just planted a 30' double row of broad beans and weeded around 15 fruit trees.

Sounds like very hard work Peter!!