Early Winter Bits and Bobs.

[Westi]

Question time again! (Stop it I can hear you groaning)!

I am not keen on putting the propagator up in the back room this year. It is way too big & the 1/2 Main Coon lump likes to lay on it but weighs too much as although the base is sturdy, the top is not & he casts a big shadow. I was thinking could I move it to the tunnel with no electricity with the lid to provide a high enough temp to sow into, remembering the lid is really thin. Other thought is that I have some big sheets of the tunnel bubble cover left over & wondered about flipping one of the stages upside down so the legs are at the top & use the wrap to make a box to create heat? Even when really dark clouds the tunnel is the lightest & warmest place on the plot & the bubbles are designed to capture & hold any warmth longer. Keder do add on sowing stations with single skin, so technically I'm just moving this inside creating a double skin.

I know another Westi diversion, it's just the way my brain works - surprises me as well a lot of the time, but I'd rather trust your experience than scroll the online nonsense! Cheers as usual!

[oldherbaceous]

Some of the hardier plants would probably tolerate the lower temperatures….maybe down to -5 outside!
But the biggest problem is not enough light….the more layers of plastic you have, the more chance to get leggy plants!

[tigerburnie]

Can you make a small hot box Westi, some fresh horse manure would be ideal for the job, that way no need for extra bubblewrap

[Westi]

Unfortunately no access to fresh horse manure. We do get deliveries of manure from the pony club but mixed with hay. I tried digging out the manure one year as the pile was steaming & hot to touch, but it just cooled really quickly. Looks like I will have to use the propagator & ban the lump, but edging toward a smaller more sturdy one! (That's the propagator not the lump)!

Today I sorted through the sacks I have down the back as a lot were perishing & I've got my free little raised bed which I filled with some of the sack contents, as stone free, but some granules thrown in to feed when I sow in it. Fortunately the plants in the sacks were mature so harvested - more pickled beetroot! All went to plan & I finished that chore so started on the little shed base, luckily I checked the package as bigger than I ordered but in length not width, but not going to angst about that as it means I will be able to store more & I wasn't charged more. Managed to measure out it's site with some reorganising of the membrane path & clear it, so next visit will be levelling, laying membrane & the pavers. Then I need to sweet talk the neighbour as the extra couple of feet will mean I will need help to hold it together until the roof is on to stabilise it.

[tigerburnie]

I use one like this
https://www.diy.com/departments/stewart ... -%20Greens

[Westi]

I had one similar to that & it was actually pretty good & I still have the heated tray & the light I bought at the time. I have seen lids avail online so might measure up & it will be even cheaper. Thanks for the prompt Tiger!

[Colin2016]

I wonder if using a electric propergator is another way of getting more money from us?
The weather conditions are never right when the plants are ready.

[Primrose]

Think it might just be easier to buy.a furry cat bed for the cat and stick a small covered hot water bottl in it on cold days! They always have a knack of finding the warmest spots!

Ours discovered a hot water pipe for the radiator system which ran under the middle of the landing carpet and would often lie there, creating a trip hazard......and a permanent grubby fur stain!

[Westi]

Today I went down & noted the broad beans in pots in the tunnel have gone a bit mad & must have grown about 6" from when I last paid attention. Planted them out in the tunnel today with some cauliflower plants that also decided they were happier & finally showed & grew; several weeks after sowing. Then having more room, I moved some pots around to find some onions seeds are just starting to grow as well which have also been in weeks. It's never been below 5C in their & today it was 9.5C; maybe they showed & grew to celebrate no ruddy rain for a bit! They all have some of the tunnel bubble wrap secured on some canes along the staging narrow edge where the door opens to protect them from wind when the door is open when I am down.

The site for the new shed is now ready but I'm short 3 x 1/2 sized pavers for the front edge & I need to fill the gaps with sand. Took a wee bit longer than anticipated as I found a Jerusalem Artichoke buried deep spreading along the back fence line, must have been there for ages as huge tubers. The dog then found a really deep rat run along there as well while helping me, so kinda killed 2 birds with one stone so to speak & got it all filled & stomped down evenly. Looks like I will be building the shed as the neighbour has hurt his back doing DIY stuff at home - watch this space, this could be challenging! (Well for me anyway)!

[Westi]

Well back to square one as can't find any of the pavers I was hoping to get the little shed base stable. I'll send an SOS out on the allotment site just in case someone has some. I found them on our free table years ago & there were loads some split in 2 which is what I need to do the edging, which has to be secure as it where the door is, so will be stepped into a lot. Otherwise a complete rejig, although I will look online as there was some flooring advertised, but never in stock & no pics.

I moved away from that chore to empty out the wreaked cold frame I grow the carrots in which was more successful. Totally compacted at the bottom, so not stones causing the forking; but there were a few big stones found along with loads of wire worm. All forked up, sieved & loosened with last years rotted leaves & some Strulch dug in. All covered to allow the worms to do their thing until Spring. Even managed another top up of a couple of the asparagus beds, good job I have lots of compost as it is just disappearing on the beds. Still too soggy to do do anything to improve the flooded beds, but I think I will just leave them until spring as well.

[Primrose]

I have just been gifted my second red poinsettia plant this Christmas season and wonder how long it will survive.
Has anybody ever kept one for a second year and succeeded in reproducing red flowers again?
Afraid I,ve never succeeded. I reckon the must be the most frequently thrown away plant ever grown!

[Westi]

Nice day today even if a tad breezy, but no where near the gusts up North. Things seem to be drying out a bit & only drizzle forecast for a while so when the wind stops I will roll back the plastic cover to allow it to dry out more. I did manage to sort the net tunnel crops though, as it had dried out quite a lot in there.

Other than that I just finished the top up of the asparagus beds as got the new edging & got a plot neighbour around to check my foundation for the shed. Basically what I have done is rubbish in his opinion due to the gaps in the pavers as although hexagonal they don't fit together & more for stepping stones & he was worried about potential movement. He suggested I just get some thickish timber cut to size & screw them together, then screw the frame of the shed to that & just put a couple more layers of membrane as flooring while collecting more pavers when available. Actually I might be able to do that as getting the hang of the proper battery screwdriver & some screws even went in straight when I secured the marine ply to the flooring in the shed.

[Clive.]

It's been blooming windy up this way, quite violent, with gusts to 57mph recorded locally, dark too...I'm sure further north the numbers were much higher.. I had the radio up fairly loud to cover the roar of the wind and help steady my nerves as everything was taking a battering... At one time the clouds cleared to total blue for a few mins and then just as quickly darkened again.
This afternoon about 3:30-ish there was one of those rainbow clouds visible that featured on the news sites today.

I started some winter digging yesterday with the English Tools Ltd 'Bulldog' spade but it was just too violent to be out there today although it was a drying wind.

So...progressed a bit more house tidy..only a little bit more...but the hallway sideboard top got a looking at....it still looks like my sideboard but a tea service and wine glasses atop there visited the kitchen sink for the first time in many years and I now have somewhere to set up a few Christmas cards..
Paper shredder has been tested greatly with a pile of items from a letter rack of various medical related things and things got minced up..

..still only a bit of a nibble at the issue though....

C.

[oldherbaceous]

The wooden frame would still need fixing to the pavers, Westi….wish I lived closer.

Have had more rain, so the good that the wind did yesterday, has not really helped.
Your talents are never ending, Clive….

[snooky]

Home from an 11-day holiday in Paphos,Cyprus.Had to endure 8 hours of sunshine a day with temperatures up to 22degrees!!Bought "Konari"onion sets,500grms for £1-20.Apparently, popular in Greece and Cyprus.Had two thunderstorms which lasted for about two hours each before the sun came out and dried everything up.