Summer bits and bobs.

[AdrienneRobinson]

Ah ok thanks Retropants! Fingers crossed it does survive then - it doesn’t have any leaves left though…

[AdrienneRobinson]

Oh dear OH - that doesn’t sound nice at all - hope they aren’t too painful.

[Westi]

Went down in the drizzle & light rain continuously all morning so didn't have to water which was a bonus. First job was checking the runner beans & I can report all OK. As I can't keep disturbing the seeds I put little mound of Strulch on top of each empty space & there was no disturbance so could finally get lucky. Weeded & trimmed back the spent strawberry beds, got the bind weed out of the Autumn raspberries & tied them in & tidied the raised bed area & the back. 2 spring cabbage as a reward but also harvested some chard leaves, rhubarb & second early spuds. Even got a flower on a courgette finally & noted the squash & pumpkin have had a growth spurt, don't know why they were sulking as have the best compost.

It will be sort the tunnel day on Saturday as everything is growing nicely in there, but things need tying in & weeding & now both staging is outside I have room to sow as well. The toms in particular have gone crazy & need attention. I would say planted too close/grown too big but it appears I have extra's popped up, has to be 3yrs since I last planted toms in that area but these plants don't align with where the supports are. Can't even blame my fat fingers sowing as all mine were planted in there, not sown. Added bonus! Nice to see you all back, got a bit lonely!

[peter]

Cracks in my onion bed big enough for the onions to fall down.
Ground is rock hard.

[Clive.]

I tally with the crevasse...there is another in between the two rows of broad beans in the big garden...soil is clay based.

I'm flagging in the warm breeze again this afternoon...

...but just found enough beetroot down the home garden for a beetroot sandwich for tea...

C.

[Westi]

My rock hard cracked soil was what put me so behind with my growing & sowing this year. The flooded beds dried up completely with the early warmth we had, & was really rock hard. My whole mornings down was just to break it up & dig in compost on one bed, I had 6 to improve but had to be done but I had to have a break in-between. Cussed a bit being behind but finally the late sows are catching up.

Been cussing this evening as well! Tried to order some winter seeds & bits online but company wanted me to change my password & then not happy with my choices & kept saying they had sent me a code...I couldn't find any code in any of my mail or spam. You have my details, your computer filled in my address details when I logged in as I have used you before. Maybe they have been hacked like M&S & ultra vigilant. I was proper swearing with M&S declining every password I came up with was declined as too short, not enough caps, symbols etc. Even my computer secret password keeper gave up! Technology is turning into a nemesis not a help, probs giving AI a chance to shine but got a way to go! It's fine; I'll be hiding in tunnel looking after the toms & stuff tomorrow, no AI, no passwords & no technology!

[oldherbaceous]

I struggle working in the heat….just makes every job seem harder!
It’s the Church fete tomorrow…..so hope it’s not too hot for good plant sales.

[Clive.]

Some broad beans picked for the freezer today...and sadly a rather poor pick of Radeo peas as the row is drying up.

Some rather nice Red Ace beetroot picked and bunched up this morning at the big garden...soil is much more retentive and resistant to current hot dry times.


C.

[Westi]

Big water for everything first thing when I got down as temp going up, but looks like the chance of some light rain end of the week. Then I tackled the tunnel & outside edges. I had some rouge toms popped up in this years bed, it must be 3yrs since I used this section, neighbour was happy with whatever the surprise varieties are. Was very tempted to keep them but I have enough. All the rest tied in, a bit of a nip of excess stems & given a wee feed. Also as rumblings of blight in some areas I tied in some of the tunnel skin leftovers I kept by the door where they are growing just to deflect any rain that might blow in.

Sweet potatoes starting their little romp around & looking good, but the melons & the long watermelons are really on the rampage. Tied in some netting to the frame & directed them upwards. Will train them along the central bar if they keep growing like this. On the other side pretty much the same tying in the cucumbers, weeding & did some re-sows etc. Couldn't resist not having a peek at the runners & some of the seeds have disappeared again. I am just going to have to sow these in pots even though it is late but I will have to find a better solution to stop the rats/mice eating through the mesh . Thinking I might bring the staging out again & put the meshed individual pots on it but with another higher mesh secured to the actual staging with bull dogs clips or the like, but also thinking of having a peek online to see if any companies have plants. Probs unlikely, but I have got lucky before when I was sent everyone of their left over plants free with my order.

Cherry on the cake today ....a few Plum Beauty are going red!

[oldherbaceous]

Pleased with the plant stall at the Church fete, it made £280 and have left some plants at the Church today, as they have a big service where people come from other villages, so might sell a few more today….
I had Runner bean plants left from the fete Westi….lol

[Westi]

I caved & bought some in the end OH! Was just browsing through the companies & found Aqua Tower had some. Reviews were good & the majority of folk were getting extra plants free. I have used them before years ago & plants were healthy. The plants are grown via hydroponics & computers time their cycle around the building & are big enough to plant when they finish their cycle. My Sr-in-law works in a plant nursery & a few years back they built a hydroponics set up in one of the glass houses & she was made up as everything is controlled re; water, light etc & plants are bigger & sturdier. They only grow flowers & sell/send all their plants to Europe so no chance of any freebies!

[oldherbaceous]

Ended up making £360 in the end, so exceptionally pleased.
Glad you got your plants westi!

[Westi]

Hot & bothered today & plenty of factor 50 slapped on. I actually had a good day tackling the front, my other side neighbour brought down a little strimmer he was given & cut the seed heads off all the grass growing madly outside the plots. It was too little to get through the stems but made an impact on the seed heads which were worrying me with the dog as they can get them in their eyes & big £'s to the vet, not to mention her pain.

It took all morning but I managed to cut down most of the stems; (Westi on her knees scissor hands style), but no blisters; & weed & edge both sides flower beds as I worked outwards from the beds. Only about a metre or so to tackle outside plot 2 now. Seriously thinking about astro turf going down on outside Plot 2 as it is the parking bay which is now unused as Mr not driving now, but told the neighbours they can use it. Will check with the committee though.

[oldherbaceous]

Just finished cutting a large Pyracantha, on the gable end of a house…always forget just how thorny they are…..ouch! Lol

[retropants]

I've finally had delivered my 8ft tripod ladder, so I can attack some of the monstrous shrubs that grew too big last year. Luckily the dry spell has slowed them down somehwat, although they are all dropping leaves everywhere (evergreens)