Winter Bits and Bobs.

[Geoff]

Washed the polytunnel yesterday, started with the pressure washer until it decided it needed a rest when I tried to restart after lunch (just watched a video on how to service the pressure switch, may give it a try) and finished with a good soaking from leaky window brush. Today I planted the potatoes in there - 6 Casablanca and 6 Lady Christl - covered with tunnel cloches. Much better day but still wet everywhere, enjoyed a walk round looking at everything in blossom; aconites, wych hazel, snowdrops, heathers and cyclamen were the real stars with the scent from the winter sweet.

[Colin2016]

Potato are 2kg bags.
Other store prices 1kg £2.99, 2kg £4.99 & £5.49.
Suspect trade is not good as not as many on display as in the past.

Post & packaging is a killer for spuds.

Was looking for sweet potato slips and got p&p cost of £19.

[snooky]

Evening Colin,
J.Parkers have Sweet Potato Plug Plants for sale 6 for £12.99 and delivery £4.99 no matter how many you order and three different varieties.Go on their site and put Sweet Potato in the search box.Hope this helps.

[Colin2016]

Thanks for the information Snooky, just placed order and got free delivery for signing up to their newsletter.

[Westi]

Off to the plot tomorrow as sunny, would really like to at least finish sorting the strawberry beds then I can get cracking on prepping the to be brassica area. I've keep back bags of compost just for brassica's & also have some of the leaf mulch from last year so should keep them happy. I haven't sown many seeds so far but will set some pots up for the brassicas in the tunnel.

Next time I'm down I will be taking up the last Autumn crops as looking quite scraggy from all the harvests, not the BSP through; it's looking near ready to form a head. Seedlings in the propagator are mostly up but have a feeling I might be re-sowing as they don't look that happy but will give them a chance as in pots not trays.

[Clive.]

Blooming cold one today...not above 3C and with a decided wind chill from the East.
By good fortune or good planning.? I was working at the west end of a length of shrubbery. sheltered enough to remove woolly hat whilst working...but back on quickly stepping out into the real world.!

C.

[oldherbaceous]

Hoooorah, actually got a mornings work in without getting soaked!

[Clive.]

....and felt much warmer today even though it was grey misty and 7C.

We did get a little sunshine in the late afternoon.

C.

[Westi]

Beautiful sunny day down here & quite warm. That's it though until next week with thunder & lightening filling the gaps. Managed to get the weeds out of the fence line between the strawberry beds & 2 of the 4 beds cleared but quite therapeutic & no one came down for quite a while.

[retropants]

we had a dry day too Westi, but back to the usual downpours again this morning. Had to drive to work again, I hate it when I can't cycle!

[oldherbaceous]

Really wet again here too, too heavy to work in!

[Clive.]

A day for the repot of the regal pelargoniums...

..Back to feels like -3C and a wet old lot again this afternoon...

..Woke up in the night with a sore throat..seems it's my turn for the cold that is wandering around...

C.

[Westi]

Well the rain just won't give up but at least no big rain by the looks of the updated weather report I just received. I think I will go down tomorrow as just getting so behind with the chores & it is a case of every little helps. Finishing the last strawberry beds would certainly help as after these are sorted I will be harvesting, clearing & feeding all the beds ready for their next occupants. I'm just going to put the spuds in as their area is prepped & ready & I will be covering the rest in black plastic as it's counter productive not too with all the happy weeds!

It is so dull that even the crops in the propagator with the light can't be bothered getting leggy now & almost at a stop. I think I'll be doing quite a few direct sows & definitely going to have a chat to my neighbour about putting the raised beds I've bought together as he was too busy at the time I asked. I may or may not tell him I've asked family for more for my birthday!

[Clive.]

We had 12mm rain in the gauge from yesterday...and this morning, a real blue sky sunny start, opened a few windows slightly to vent greenhouses. However, towards lunchtime rain returned and it was a bit of a lumpy splatter on the car windscreen too.

C.

[Westi]

Well all great plans etc! Raining big time again, it just won't give up! Oh well Tuesday looks OK'ish let's hope it stays that way & dries out a bit as well!