Spring Bits and Bobs.

[Westi]

Some rain here over the weekend so hopefully enough along with the hosing I will do tomorrow. Doesn't look that promising except for overnight Saturday so fingers crossed enough to keep the wee plants happy. I will set up some stakes & dripper bags I think for the more important big guys, runners etc. Doesn't seem too much change in the near future so best give them as much help as I can.

As much as I would like to finish the job I was doing outside I am moving to plot 2 to clear the last beds. I doubt I'll get to many sows done but if I can hoe the weeds, water & cover them with black plastic to keep them a bit damp it will be easier to deal with when I can as it's damn hard work when it dries.

[retropants]

With the gusty winds, the little seedlings are drying out too fast. This is not helped by the fact that compost is so crap these days, it forms a hard crust on the top. The potted on ones are doing better, as I've mixed some home made compost into the store bought to improve the texture. Lots of volunteer tomatoes popping up!!

[Clive.]

Things have really dried up today...

In the back field, the former carrot location, cultivations are taking place.

I didn't get to see the first operation but it looks like the straw covered field has been deeply bust through with a drag..maybe with only 3 or 4 big tines.?

Then a John Deere with a front mounted power harrow that could be described as stirring the ground in a horizontal plane and a rear mounted large rotary tiller that seems to have some very large tined rotors is moving it more but in vertical plane, in fact referred to as spading tines..and with a ridged press at the back.
So the winter cover straw is getting a very comprehensive mix in. I wondered how it would be dealt with..

C.

[Westi]

Nice quiet day on the plot - no neighbours down so no interruptions! After a good water of both plots I tackled Plot 2 beds & got all but 1 finished. Didn't cover them as supposed to be rain over the weekend. No sign of the toms yet it but seems the story of my life currently with the slow shows. What has shown are some plants that popped up on last years spot in the tunnel. No idea of variety but keeping them just in case, I can work out what they are when they fruit.....watch them be all the same! Let's hope the new seeds wake up I say!
Plan is to go down on Monday & just focus on getting the no shows resown & the new sows done while the beds are totally cleared & weed free. I will also need to sow some gaps in beds as well, but hoping the rain might help on 2 fronts...no interruptions from folk wanting a chat & only drizzle!

[oldherbaceous]

I wonder what the farmer would make of his field, being so famous, Clive!

[Cider Boys]

Spent most of the day strimming long grass under and around the trees in the small orchard, nuisance really since the trees' branches can be reached by the sheep so I don't let them graze it. I had attempted it with a tractor and flail mower but had bent one exhaust pipe and broken another by the low branches.

The ground is very dry so I watered what I could this evening, I just hope we get some rain soon, it is forecast for the weekend.

Barney