Kitchen Garden Forum

Parsons Jack wrote:
The one in Folkestone has always stocked Johnsons as well as their own. They have all been 3 for 2 this year again.
I bought a few packets today and got them half price, although I didn't see any sign anywhere to say that. It was only when I looked at the receipt that I realised

Thanks, I couldn't remember if I had seen Johnson seeds there in the past, thought I had seen someone's but wasn't sure whose.

He he he - summers here! Had a day at the allotment and I might not have put the suntan lotion on as I should have .... Bad me ..... Was going to put a picture of my lines on here but husband said best not to....

Cant be that bad surely.

A long, steady rain all night, so pretty damp out there this morning. But i did manage to get peas, broad beans, beetroot and two rows of Lady C potatoes in yesterday, so i'm pleased about that.

The hedgerows are starting to burst into life and i love to see that.

Yesterday I decided to go for it on the Early seed potato front, only a day earlier than last year.

Got 36 Early potato 'Jazzy' , 18 Lady Christl and 18 Winston planted.

Today, in the greenhouse, I want to try and get 4.8 metres of Early Onward Peas sown in guttering along with some brassicas, leeks and sweetcorn in modules

Rain here started about 17:30 just as I was unloading our bar stock back into the clubhouse.
On the side we beat Barnes RFC 42 - 10.

Front of the house the outlook is bright and sunny, back of the house sunny and soggy, the joys of living on the south side of a dip and having an allotment on the same slope.

Steady rain here last night as well. Nice and sunny this morning though

Planted up eleven tubs with Rocket potatoes this morning.
Already have 2 tubs growing well standing in the greenhouse.

More ****ing *****y rain!

Spent today building a third log store, asphalt o o, tidied up, took dogs for a walk, got into park and first heavy spots arrived, with a full rainbow, now tipping it down, again.

Started raining here now as well.

It's been a lovely sunny day though

Loud thunder and VERY bright lightning now.

Yesterday it rained gently all day but I used it to mulch most of the fruit cage with manure. Thursday and Friday I had managed to dig manure into the two beds that are getting it this year. Today I had some left but no empty compost bays so I stacked it in an empty part of the fruit cage and covered it with black polythene. Out came the pressure washer so the paving outside the back looks respectable again. Couldn't detect any change in the car.
It has been a lovely day. Planted the last of my Potatoes, 22 feet of Charlotte and 44 feet of Picasso. All covered with a sheet of polythene. The Rocket planted under a cloche the first week in March are just showing. Amongst last week's digging I had also loosened the roots bed so today I broke it down and rebuilt the Carrot Cage (10th season but probably the last) and added cloches to warm sections for sowing Parsnips and Carrots. Then planted out Cabbage Primo, Calabrese Marathon and Cauliflower Clapton in the cold greenhouse. Quite a productive day and I caught a mouse in the tunnel where my Lettuce have been disappearing despite slug pellets, bit late diagnosing the problem.

Hi Geoff

I started typing a reply based upon the subject of potatoes and then realised that it wasn't 'Rocket you were referring to, but Rocket.
I must still be half asleep this morning, getting my rocket sciences mixed up.

Its down to all the work I got done over the weekend, didn't have rain here during the day. Had some overnight on Saturday and then yesterday evening after dark it chucked it down heavily.
No storms or lightning though.

Got some of the seed sowing I was planning done. Put some cold frames out in place on the plot to warm some ground up for onions and leeks, all in all it was a damn good weekend with some laughs with fellow plot holders along side the work in progress..

My plant labler decided to stop working, went to buy a new one. Established price online before going to shop. First shop I went to had them on the shelf with a price ticket at half the price. Not on offer price, normal price barcode label.
Went to till and sure enough price came up as the normal price I had seen everywhere online.
I pointed out that whilst that was the price I was expecting the shelf had a ticket on it showing half that price.
Assistant went to shelf, removed ticket and screwed it up.
Got back to till, smoothed the ticket out and put it through till at the lower price for me.
I thanked her profusely as she did not have to do that.

Paid for the labler, picked it up and walked out of store, setting security alarm off in the progress and having a male assistant chase after me and stop me outside.

Question for OH
Or anybody else who can answer.

Have you tried that Wyevale Multi Purpose compost you spoke about yet??
Opinions on it ??

I ask because I used some Levingtons and some of last years Wickes own brand recently.
I was not best pleased with the Levingtons MP, volume of small woody bits and solid lumps of compost meant it needed sieving to use for seeds
Last years Wickes was far better in constituent parts although still needed sieving due to woody content.

Anybody any compost brand recommendations

Clover Multi-Purpose never fails me. Consistent year after year.



http://www.cloverpeat.co.uk/retail-compost

Thanks Alan,
I shall see if I can find any of that at our local GC's