Spring Bits and Bobs.

[Westi]

Had an unusual day yesterday as we got our allotment bills. We usually get them after Xmas but the council wants us to go by the financial year to match the rest of their billing stuff, so 15 months to pay just this once. It was more expensive because of this but did not go up.

Let's just say folk with more than one plot caused a bit of a meltdown for them. Invoices were all just for each 5 rod single plot going by our new gate numbers, which I understand & makes sense as they don't know who owns what plots. So I got 2 bills but with same number for one 5 rod 1/2 plot, but no invoices for the other side's plots That was generously sent to someone else, & I wasn't willing to pay for the same plot number twice as thought they then say I hadn't paid for the other. Our little site FB site was pretty active for quite a while!

In their defence our chairman & the council's part time new staff member for the plots fixed it all today, but bet their was a bottle of wine on the go last night for them both. I got a personal apology from the girl at the council today, but e-mailed her to thank her for the quick sort out as I expect someone at the council probably chewed her ear for a bit & wasn't her fault. All paid now for another year, bet it is more refine by next April!

[Cider Boys]

All's well that ends well Westie.

I sowed some parsnips this evening, ground was wet and not ideal and seedbed was a little rough but I have to sow something this year. Caught a couple of annoying moles in the fields yesterday but will leave traps set for another week or so until I receive ewes and their lambs from one of my sons. I just wish it would warm up and stop raining.
A shortage of straw is predicted for next winter due to farmers not being able to sow spring corn since the ground is so wet. Store cattle prices are low in Somerset now as the ground is just too wet to put them out on. Long term weather forecast is looking cold and wet here, I just hope somebody is getting warm fine weather in other parts of the country.

Still, mustn't grumble I suppose, best wishes.

Barney

[oldherbaceous]

Absolutely chucking it down, so won’t be working again today!

Morning Barney, I think food prices are going to go through the roof this year!
There are loads of unsown fields around here, that the farmers are desperately waiting to get on….and there is very little livestock out in the fields yet!

Glad you managed to get some Parsnip seed sown….mine is still stuck in the packet, waiting to be sown.

Glad everything got sorted out in the end, Westi…..

Off into the glasshouse for me!

[retropants]

Frustrating, weather isn’t it? I spent a good couple of hours in my wee greenhouse yesterday sowing seeds and potting on aubergine, chilli and cucumber seedlings. With radio 3 on, it was a pleasant afternoon.

[oldherbaceous]

It’s Classic Fm for me Retropants…..

[Myrkk]

I can’t believe how wet this spring is. I sincerely hope it improves soon. I refuse to go out in a soggy wet garden to get rained on. Might have to try a vertical planting system in the conservatory at this rate.

[retropants]

OH, I just can’t deal with the classic fm jingle constantly playing!

[Westi]

The farmers must be already struggling with getting straw now at a decent price as a lot of their animals are having a prolonged stay under cover. If it ever stops raining at least the grass should be long & green, but suspect some will not have survived being underwater for so long. Notice how little coverage of this there is on the TV? I note the potato crisp factories are putting up their prices, but I believe a lot of farmers are on long term set contracts with them, so unable to put up their prices & trapped. All their diversifying into tourism & new products won't be generating enough income either to support the farming side enough. The supermarkets are already putting their prices up as a lot of crop fails from their overseas suppliers, not rain for them but lack of & increased pests & animals decimating their fruit. Those struggling & using the food banks are going to be in hardship again.

I intentionally haven't tackled the Tunnel yet as using any wee weather gap trying to get the plot prepped & some direct sows in them, but tunnel will be my dry job on Sunday as the seedlings need to be in & it's going to be a tad wet & windy again. I will go down on Saturday as well, as for the morning it's looking OK from both the wind & rain front & I should be able to finish the beds & at least try to do sows, but whether they grow or not is another thing! Daren't look at the long range forecast!

[Cider Boys]

Let's hope the weather is kind for you Westie together with all forum members and some gardening progress can be made. I had a goodish day to-day, in between the showers, and was able to plant most of my onion sets out. When it was raining I nipped inside my lean to glass/green house and belatedly planted some tomato, courgettes and squash seeds. Problem was I had very little seed compost left from last year so I have ordered some more from my supplier and learnt he had run out of the compost I prefer, so I ordered his next best type. I will have to drive across the moors to pick it up to-morrow in the rain if I can get through the flooded roads. He still sells sedge peat based compost but has run out of the sedge peat/loam mix that I prefer. I hear its getting warmer, windier and wetter over the next days, I like the warmth and tolerate the wind but thoroughly dislike this incessant wet weather.

What we want is warm dry days, or as they used to say - what we want is Whatneys

Barney

[Westi]

Nature is really not playing fair - another named storm! Looks like we might miss Kathleen & hopefully you will as well Barney.

I have flipped the chores a bit for the weekend as it occurred to me the tunnel is going to be way warmer than the back bedroom & fluctuate more, so just taking the wee plants down tomorrow to see how they cope, but will prep their beds with fingers crossed. Got my eye on the asparagus for tomorrow...both for weeding & harvesting...oh & dog proofing! She likes them too, but only the tips!

[Cider Boys]

Well when I awoke this morning it was not raining, I wonder how long that will last. Yesterday I collected some compost and learnt the reason for my favourite compost not being available was due to everyone buying up stocks before the restrictions on peat use come into effect, they had mountains of peat but were reluctant to buy in topsoil for the mix because of the restrictions. I wonder what will happen to all the unused piles of peat. Perhaps I will try to stock up a bit this year, I do like my peat for seedlings. I hadn't driven across this part of the moors for some time and how it all has changed. Hordes of bird watchers with car parks that now charge, it has become very popular. It's funny how things change, even the name gets changed by newcomers, it is now erroneously referred to by the media as the levels which is a separate area with a distinctly different soil base, at least the old locals still refer to the area as the moors. A bit like the Glastonbury pop show which is held at Pilton, miles from Glastonbury and nearer to Shepton Mallet.

Times they are a changing

Barney

[oldherbaceous]

You always have wise words, Barney, the complete oposite to me!

[Westi]

Hi Barney, I did find peat a much better medium to grow in, but I have to admit finally the peat free has improved, not the same but way better than their first attempts. Is it worth having a chat to them regarding taking all their peat, it would be a win/win for you both then, they will not get stuck with bags full & you will have a good supply & maybe share the cost with your neighbouring growers? I note the government extended the ban to 2030 now so still time to buy & stock up, but the general small growers seem to have embraced the idea the ban is still the end of this year & of course stores also reacted to this first date. I remember John Boy having a rant about the hypocrisy of peat free & saving the peat bogs & improving the ozone levels when in his area they had helicopters up taking peat from a near spent large area & topping up other areas.

Nice day here in South Dorset, we didn't get to meet Kathleen so I got to slog on with the outside jobs, leek bed cleared of brassica's & prepped, flower beds 1/2 weeded & asparagus beds also weeded & dog proofed. Tomorrow they are saying windy with gales in the 40mph zone, but no warnings in place. I'm going to stick to sorting the tunnel. I would like to get more direct sowings done; the few I have done are no shows so if room on the staging I will sow some of these again in there. I sneaked a peek at the longer weather forecast & after this week nearly a full week without rain or wind! (That no doubt will change by then)!

[oldherbaceous]

I did 6 hours of hand weeding and 2 hours of grass mowing today, and don’t I know I have done it…..hips and back are giving me a bit of stick! But really pleased with what I got done….the ground is still too wet for seed sowing, despite the wind and warmth….

[Primrose]

You don't need a formal exercise plan OH, You daily chores certainly provide it.!
But this wet weather is proving a major issue for everybody, not just amateur growers. Farmers with livestock and agricultural growers are particularly suffering and that's going to. Impact us all. One actually finds oneself. Prays for high winds to help speed up the drying process.