Early Summer Bits and Bobs.

[Westi]

I shouldn't be complaining but I can't fit the harvesting in with the watering, weeding, securing netting etc. The strawberries are just not stopping but I have trimmed back the early & mids but note both are back in flower, raspberries also obviously enjoyed the winter so I did a duo act of doing both harvesting & weeding each patch. Slow & painful job with the odd rouge spiking berry & the invasion of bindweed & from just 2 rows filled 3 large containers. Still got 2 rows to go & pretty sick of eating them on the job so I gave the neighbours todays harvest.

The blackberries are colouring up as well so this will be a repeat scenario for sure! Are your's extremely prolific this year?

[oldherbaceous]

Sounds like you have had a very busy day, Westi!
I only have some new Gooseberry bushes and these cropped well, but it was a nightmare trying to stop the Pigeons getting at them….

[oldherbaceous]

A fine feast, Clive…..

[Clive.]

My raspberries are just days away from being ready to provide a pint jug full for my pud', so still on the Invicta gooseberry.....the pigeons leave these alone but quickly took all the sweet Hinomaki Red ones...

C.

[Westi]

Well finished cutting back the strawberries, feeding & watering with seaweed. Just hope they have a little break & just the late & ever bearing think about fruiting as I always think these glut events must really weaken the plants. My watermelons popped up nicely so I took the shade mesh off them thinking they would be tough enough to do their thing, but found they were not so keen on a suntan & have stood still since, so recovered & feed them as well.

I set a dripper bag up on the runner beans & well chuffed as went together a treat; which is a rarity for me. It is a simple one though with the drip rate unchangeable but it is steady but slow so should last a few days without having to fill the bag again. I bought this as the last in stock bargain, but I will go back online for another one for the other runner bed. I haven't embarked on the bags for the tunnel, but hopefully this week. They have adjustable drip feeds so will need to take my magnifying glass to see the little notches as have had issues in the past with every dripper set differently - you'll know if they are all different as will hear me cussing where you are!

[oldherbaceous]

I have heard your cursing on several occasions, Westi…

I wish I had made a bigger effort to have visited your allotment, when I was in Corfe Castle, all those years ago….I can’t remember what year it was…

[Geoff]

Did you have a record for the shortest visit to generate a birthday notice OH? Today's is 5 minutes.
Peter, is the kitchen post in cooking OK?

[oldherbaceous]

I think their 5 minutes must hold the record for now….

[Primrose]

Yesterday we had a letter from ThamesWater, our water supplier telling us that in a month,s time we,re having a compulsory water meter fitted. We still have a long border of vegs growing being attended to by Mr. Primrose and am wondering how the watering costs will pan out. Wr have two water butts nearby but lugging heavy watering cans filled from them as age progresses is less easy than a judiciously directed hosepipe.

How do the rest of you water your garden grown vegs and how do the economics work out?

[retropants]

we had one fitted, as did the whole street a couple of years ago. No choice, compulsory. I don't know the difference in bills yet. I would imagine, being a household of 2 in a 3 bed semi, there is a chance we are paying less, but they haven't sent us the calculations yet (as promised)

[Primrose]

Retropants
We obviously have the same water provider. The fact that two years have passed without Thames Water having sent you any calculations or statement about water consumption levels fills me with alarm. Just imagine if your gas or electricity supplier acted with a similar level of inefficiency .!

[Westi]

Most of the folk I know with just two or three in the family say having a meter has worked out cheaper. But others unhappy about their reckoning as it is also based on number of rooms so even if all the family have flown the nest they are still counted. Mind we haven't got one, they were going to a few years back but they did not make it this far & nothing heard since.

[Colin2016]

When we were 2 people in 4 bedroom house and had water meter fitted did not see any savings. Think this was due to the waste water part of the bill.

Now in 2 bed place after doing some research there seem no big saving so staying away from having a meter fitted.

On the plot I use a Bosch water pump, there are others, which saves using watering cans.

[Westi]

Piqued my interest with the water pump Colin so off to have a search. I seriously don't think we will avoid a hose pipe ban this year, as local rag was reporting the reservoirs were still low from last year a few months ago. I find the cans really heavy to lug from the trough to the gate, let alone around the plots which is why I went for the trugs placed strategically along with the water butts, but if worse case scenario I won't be able to fill them & only one is connected to catch the rainfall, but still mulling over a solution to collect rain fall from the tunnel. I contacted the manufacturer who are looking for a solution.

[Geoff]

Bit of luxury today, our own tomatoes for lunch. Bloody Butcher, Sakura and Sungold. Anybody grown Artisan Purple Bumble Bee or Indigo Blue Berries, both seem very difficult plants to keep on the straight and narrow. Oh and a few raspberries with the strawberries for afters.