Late Winter Bits and Bobs.

[oldherbaceous]

Evening Westi, maybe planting the Leeks out in October was a little late….I like to get mine planted out by late August.

[Stravaig]

About the thieving gits:

We are currently in a modern block of flats, and you need a key thingy to enter the building. But a lot of residents don't make sure the door is properly shut behind them when they go out.

Delivery people are under a lot of time pressure and/or lazy, so they just dump all the deliveries for all the residents in the entrance hallway. Apparently "youths" (according to the notice down there asking people to shut the door) were just coming in and helping themselves to the residents' parcels.

We make sure that husband is home to receive any delivery and races to get it before anyone else can or if I order from Amazon - invariably books - I have it delivered to a locker at the PI hotel nearby and collected at our convenience.

Stealing is bad, always, but these are desperate times. I kinda wonder how holier than thou I'd be if I was desperate.

[Primrose]

The theft of online deliveries is a major national problem I,m afraid. As for honesty, even in desperate circumstances I guess that's an issue for individual conscience.
Another good reason though for supporting local shops and businesses where you can buy your goods direct wherever possible.

[tigerburnie]

I guess we are in a fortunate position living behind the back of beyond, deliveries are not stolen around here, there has been a couple of burglaries in the district in the past, but thankfully few and far between. I often dream of where I might live if I won £millions on the lottery(though apparently to win you have to at least meet them half way and buy a ticket first lol) and often look to some of the smarter areas, but I think I'll stay in semi obscurity, it's quieter and safer.

[Primrose]

Tiger. There,s a great deal to be said for not flaunting any signs of affluence or wealth.. It really discourages the n'er do wells. I once knew a very wealthy individual who by choice drove around in an elderly rather battered car. It was obviously always well maintained mechanically but he claimed it greatly discouraged potential thieves from targeting it when parked in public areas.

[Primrose]

I'm mystified how solitary crocus bulbs can mysteriously pop up in our lawn, sometimes at some distance from the border in which they're planted.

Can anybody explain how this happens? I wondered if the movement of worms underground is somehow a contributing factor?

[tigerburnie]

Done a little bit of tidying in the garden and a fair bit of prep work in the greenhouse, built my "blowaway" inside the greenhouse and put some compost in the large old yoghurt pots in there to warm up the compost a bit. Later in the week I'll pot on the Onions plants grown from seed in cells to free up the propagator for sowing chillies and peppers next. Might do a video of the process, I'll see what the weather is like as we have snow forecast in the next week.

[Stravaig]

It's not unusual for me to win a few bob on the lottery - and I don't spend a lot on my weekly ticket, just one or maybe two lines.

I've had £74 and £59 recently (as in the last few months) and I get disappointed when I don't get anything. I really do want a big win, though. And buy a big house!

[retropants]

tigerburnie, what's a 'blowaway' please?

Some of my peppers are through, but not a single chilli! lettuce (little gem) are up too, just waiting for the leeks now. It's probably a bit early for broccoli, but I might sow some anyway.

[tigerburnie]

tigerburnie, what's a 'blowaway' please?

Some of my peppers are through, but not a single chilli! lettuce (little gem) are up too, just waiting for the leeks now. It's probably a bit early for broccoli, but I might sow some anyway.

Ahaaaa, you've not been watching my videos.
A blowaway is a rather unkind description of one of these plastic growhouses/plant shelters you can buy, the ones with metal poles and plastic joiners. The term blowaway was coined some years ago because if you used one outside, they invariably did......................"blow away" in the wind, Ok in a very sheltered position, useless in an exposed spot and perfect in a greenhouse as a place to harden off plants that have come from inside a propagator or frost free room on their way out to the garden. I have two in my greenhouse.

[Primrose]

tiger - I love the "Blow away" description. How true! One year I lost four shelves of seedlings when an unexpected strong wind toppled my "blow away" onto the patio, losing the lot.
It's now strapped firmly to the house wall (instead of just resting against it) with a strong long nylon luggage strap wrapped around it, threaded into two large bolts drilled into the house wall. It has, so far held firm against every high wind thrown at it.

Chilli and pepper seeds are notoriously slow to germinate. It probably helps to soak them first on damp tissue paper for 24 hours before sowing, but label them distinctly as otherwise it's hard to tell the difference !

[Shallot Man]

Help. Have a squirrel visiting me. Has no fur on its tail. Any idea's.

[tigerburnie]

tiger - I love the "Blow away" description. How true! One year I lost four shelves of seedlings when an unexpected strong wind toppled my "blow away" onto the patio, losing the lot.
It's now strapped firmly to the house wall (instead of just resting against it) with a strong long nylon luggage strap wrapped around it, threaded into two large bolts drilled into the house wall. It has, so far held firm against every high wind thrown at it.

Chilli and pepper seeds are notoriously slow to germinate. It probably helps to soak them first on damp tissue paper for 24 hours before sowing, but label them distinctly as otherwise it's hard to tell the difference !

I have tried some of the more difficult peppers and chillies, but we don't eat the really hot ones and the Hungarian Hot Wax and Anaheim are fairly easy to grow, not quite "weeds" like Cayenne, but straight forward enough. I mixed my pots up last year not knowing what was what until the fruits developed, I will have less plants and more labels this year lol.

[Primrose]

Shallot man, I suspect the squirrel possibly had mange., maybe contracted from a woodland environment where infected foxes hang out. Years ago when we were regularly feeding a thin mange infected fox who visited us nightly , the vulpineSociety (I think it was called) gave us some medication to mix in its food to help clear the infection.

I doubt you could treat squirrels in quite the same way but. Googling "treating mange in wild animals" might throw up a few suggestions. Or a local vet or RSPCA might be able to offer help. Years ago we had a semi bald squirrel visit regularly for peanuts who we called Baldrick but eventually his fur grew back again. It may be lack of food or in adequate diet which stops the infection eventually clearing up?

[Shallot Man]

Thankyou Primrose. As I have a 24 hr 365 day feeding ground. Hopefully plenty of food will encourage the fur to grow back.