Autumn Bits and Bobs.

[Westi]

Chilly start with drizzle today so just indoor jobs. Managed to defer Mr to the supermarket to get a few bits so he was out of the way & then did a huge cull on the load of mags he has kept 'just in case'! Now hidden in the neighbours bin to go out Wed as they have some room in theirs as have been on holidays for a while. Even if he misses the ones I culled he won't know to look in their bin but I doubt he even remembers what mags he had judging by the dust on them.

Tomorrow is looking OK so I will hopefully finish staking, weeding & tidying the last small beds. Can't wait to finish this side as it seems I've been working it for months not weeks! It will be Friday until I can get down next weather wise but then just minor weeding & tidying, not full on digging as no bad weeds this side. Then that is them sorted & onto the big jobs like compost change overs, cutting back the fruit trees etc...oh & trialing the grass trimmer!

[retropants]

I spent Saturday outside at Chesham Local Produce Market (selling), it was supposed to be sunny, windy and cold. Instead it started raining sideways, and noone was really prepared for that. We packed up a little early. Yesterday was better, but I couldn't make myslef go out and get stuff done, I stayed indoors with the heating! I think I deserved it after the unexpected downpour the day before. The things that really need doing are all huge jobs requiring the big ladder. Maybe this weekend.

[oldherbaceous]

Bet you wondered why you had bothered setting up, Retropants…..you will get the other bits done sometime, i’m sure!

[Geoff]

Ugh, ugh! No "News from the Forum" in November.

[oldherbaceous]

Maybe the magazine is trying to disconnect from the forum!

I’ve also noticed, none of the new members seem to put any posts on….I know my friend gave up in the end, said she just kept getting problems!!

[Westi]

That would be a shame but I understand why with just old recycled posts. KG do post on FB & get a few responses but nothing like they should considering their superiority to the other mags, but the other mags seem to do well filling whole pages with readers views, idea's etc., even some of the little weekly mags do well.

Hopefully they are working on upgrading the mag & we will see a new mag with specific (& easy)info on how people can comment on topics raised & offer their ideas. They could review their 'experts' postings to just their specific hints & tips to suit; it's a tad boring reading a whole page just repeating what any one can find online or any old book, we want the updated now info, especially with global warming in the mix. Maybe cheeky, but some of the staff could join the bigger groups on FB to get a feel of what questions folk are asking & the responses. Will deffo have to screen out some of the arguments that can arise, but worth you knowing the level of experience & why the ingrained never change folk never change..is it their years of prepping their soil, their sow/grow dates related to their area not a seed packet? Need to focus on areas not the UK as a whole.

It does seem like nothing new is happening in growing...how many years has 'no dig' held the helm? How many others are out there developing their own solutions to problems quietly but successfully. How do we encourage them? etc.

[henacynflin]

Feeling really smug today. Went aimlessly into the polytunnel then started to clean up. Discovered a handful of handtools I thought I'd lost and managed to recreate my stock of plantpots for next year. After a weed around the beds it was all looking ship shape again. 4 hours well spent and not a penny spent

[Westi]

Weather holding for tomorrow from the rain perspective, but will have to see how the collection of leaves progresses. The morning looks pretty benign wind wise so might get away with it as wind not supposed to be too bad until the pm. Will soon see!

[Clive.]

We had 4.5 mm rain...which went on longer than advertised..but lots of indoor jobs got caught up...including being instructed in willow weaving this afternoon....making a long sort of bird feeder and then a snail on a stick.... maybe not my usual sort of afternoon and I happily admit that it was more enjoyable than I was expecting.... I was, quietly, fearing making a fool of myself, not seeing myself as crafty

C.

[Westi]

Plan today was to rake up all the leaves that had blown on the plot or off my trees & the big tree behind the plot next door so 2 rolls of garbage bags in the back pack, all other chores on hold. Hmm? It seems the majority had themselves blown away.

Luckily the piles of my own leaves off the trees had been pushed up against the fence beside the neighbours chicken run so did manage to get six bags. In the clear up of the intended storage area I also found 4 bags from last year, so beautifully broken down. Just have to pull the bind weed out before I can use it but thinking some other of next years brassica beds would like it. Already done the big brassica beds but the plot for the cabbage & cauli's beds etc will be grateful I'm sure!

[Clive.]

Haven't been to check rain gauge this morning yet but did we have some heavy rain in the night.! It might in fact have not gone on very long but it was pressure washing my bedroom windows just after 2am..

To update, only 3mm in the gauge but it had clearly come down very fast, looking at a few places where it had swilled and puddled.

C.

[oldherbaceous]

We had a couple of sharp showers in the night too, but a beautiful day now….been emptying some pots and containers of summer plants and harvesting veg from the allotments…even got a few tomatoes, not bad for November!

[Clive.]

I continued with my cordon apples today, in a brief foray into the back garden this afternoon. Although I had summer pruned the sides, the south side needed a harder thinning to 'push' it back into sensible line.

Sunshine was a bit later appearing than advertised..after a cool start with light rain when I first ventured out to the other garden.

C.

[Geoff]

Filled the last of my eight builders' bags with leaves, they'll probably settle enough to add some more in a week or so. Means I now have eight this year, three last, two the year before and ten sacks of ready to use so potting compost making should be sorted for a while.

[Westi]

Not the best weather in the forecast but will go down tomorrow as only drizzle. I will hide in the tunnel first thing as got some chores to attend to in there anyway. I left in some of my peppers & aubergine as they looked quite perky & were still ripening but when I checked the thermometer when last down the min temp was quite low at 8C & these guys don't tend to like it too much so will save them if I can. Also want to sow some little things like spring onions, radish etc along the edges in there as well. I did sow not long ago but they didn't show so started these off in pots this time to help them along.

Then it's back to clearing & harvesting & shutting down some more outside beds for winter & I've got some extra plants to slip in while still some warmth in the soil. I've sorted getting the trees trimmed nicely down there as I've booked in 2 of the guys who helped with the build to take out some trees down the back, then slipped in would they like do the plot trees privately & not related to the back clear out & they were fine with it. It will be the first professional trim of them for about 15yrs as I just can't reach them but these guys have all the proper gear.