Early Summer Bits and Bobs.

[retropants]

we've just had a huge heavy downpour. At least it's a tad milder than the last few days. I have some teeny cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets which will be ready soon, fingers crossed. I planted out the french beans, they had flowers on them already, but I had delayed the transplant to open ground due to the slug invasion! They look happier already, only a few days later. The greenhouse aubergines and peppers are about to flower, the outdoor (tomato shelter) ones are a little behind that. Mini cucumbers in pots in the greenhouse are small but healthy looking. Tuscan kale is ready to plant out too.

[tigerburnie]

More like April here, sun, then very heavy showers!

I think my Tomatoes are a little ahead of yours, this year, Burnie…..hoping there will be some ripe ones in about a fortnight…really looking forward to that moment!

My plants are around two weeks behind this year, now I did sow my seeds later on purpose to miss late frosts and it's a good job I did really, sure they will catch up if we can keep double figure temps as a minimum.

[Westi]

I was going to risk a quick visit down to the plot tomorrow as looked the best day of the weekend as OK for a few hours but then blustery & rain; but just had a weather update & Sunday is now going to be fine & mostly sunny all day! 17max & 11min, which will do nicely thank you!

Had a little surprise today when a delivery turned up with 6 Cauliflowers plants, I was a tad confused but in the box was a note of apology & these for free! My summer ones sulked badly so I ordered these & they took my order, but then they had a problem & couldn't supply. They did not take any money, so I just forgot about it as mine perked up finally after a stern telling off & TLC. Mind I do buy off these guys for things outside what available from the sites 'Kings' order each year. They grow everything by hydroponics & the quality & size is good & they take well.

[retropants]

Plans for today postponed: planting up hanging baskets and finishing off fence installation. Oh well, the bathroom is now very clean and I might even put some laundry away. It’s ghastly out.

[Clive.]

Picked a few Invicta gooseberries this morning, one portion for pud and the rest into the freezer. The cold and wet is hampering some growth but gooseberries a plenty and snuck a few raspberries that are just coming ready, whilst out picking..

Watching some of North Yorkshire Moors Railway diesel gala via their two webcams....that have sound too.

Also watched via radar todays flypast assembling and then from the back garden saw the Typhoons recovering just under the cloud and rain which arrived as they headed home..

Rain seems to have eased and it's hinting of brightening up again.



C.

[Clive.]

Forgot to say...I had an advertising email for a half price sale of drought tolerant plants arrive in my inbox this morning..have drought tolerant plants not been selling well this year.??

C.

[retropants]

We saw the tail end of the fly past, including the red arrows, heading west over Heathrow.

[Westi]

Just a pic of the hail storm that hit us yesterday evening. (Soz not a great pic)! It rained on & off all afternoon but then the noise & this, which lasted about 15mins. No natural June drop for the apple trees this year & left the flowers battered & down but no stems broken at least. The rain continued overnight & eased around lunch time. On the positive only the tunnel to water tomorrow & weeds will be easier to pull!

Digging up all my 1st earlies tomorrow as the site FB page is reporting lots of blight & ordered some spray which I have used before successfully, well until late blight. I think I still have some in the shed to so I can get cracking straight away while waiting for the delivery.

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[tigerburnie]

Constant steady rain, which is welcome and not heavy and battering everything, the garden looks vibrant, it will need some sun for the greenhouse though.

[oldherbaceous]

After a very heavy and prolonged shower of rain this morning, it turned out to be a rather pleasant day!
Dug quite a few more roots of Swift potatoes today, and a few of them had split due to the constant rain…nothing Cook can’t deal with…

[Clive.]

We had rain at first...then it became sunny and the grass hinted at starting to dry...then it came a sharp shower...to wet the grass again...then at home time it was gorgeous sunny once again..as it is now.
The arum have left the north facing lean to greenhouse having done their bit for the year and the big begonia have moved in from the poly tunnel... a day of moving stuff in and out and around and about....whilst other things on the list in my head once again wouldn't go...

C.

[Westi]

1st earlies out, most had leaf only signs, but one or two had some stem involvement but I caught them in time. Went around all the other beds & few had a bit of a touch so did some sniping so fingers crossed.

Amuse me with a dumb question, but my erratic brain was woken up with the heavy continuous rain & hail & kinda made a wee bit of sense to me so I would value your knowledge - as you know you can be totally frank! Q1: Are the blight spores only in the first dump of rain, when continuous ongoing showers? Q2: If big rain of volume that causes run off will the spores just float off in the water & contaminate future beds that could be in the spud rotation? I know it can live several years in the soil but how active is it in being the cause & how does this fit into a Huttington's period with the general consensus of warm & wet? Thinking if really dry & no rain & I water from the tap?

[tigerburnie]

13 degrees and dry just now, but light rain later, but it is getting a bit warmer, the tommies need warmth in the greenhouse. My tatties are coming along and the 2nd earlies are flowering, but I won't be "furkling" under them just yet lol

[Westi]

Dreadful year for my onion seeds & garlic, both are total pants & really small, so out they came. Not a total waste as I will just blitz them to use in my cooking. I managed to get some Japanese onion tiny plants as couldn't find any seeds; so after a mega deep dig & feed I popped them in the same space. I have loads of baby plants so more than enough if I need to re-plant...I add that as I forgot to net them!

Spent some of the rest of the time precariously on the steps fixing the arch with the sweet peas which totally snapped on both sides. I think there is enough gaffer tape wrapped around it to get me through the year & the sweet peas seem fine. Besides watering the only other thing I did was to weed the leek seedlings & cover with the new extra fine netting. How come there is not even a breeze when you start any job with netting & suddenly get a breeze?? Anyway it was completed with no access for moths; (hopefully); but gave up on trying to roll up the extra cussing that I bought so much as it is truly ultra fine & light so just shoved it in the little shed.

[Myrkk]

Thought it was just me Westi as my garlic is tiny, it’s all fallen over now so I presume that is time to harvest.
None of the rest of my plants are doing particularly well, only 2 of the bare root raspberries have grown, slugs got past my barrier and ate my PSB, green beans are pathetic, BUT, the stuff in the conservatory is doing quite well so I’m hoping for a good tomato harvest (just jinxed myself). It’s quite interesting the difference between the tomato plants in the house (tall, a little on the thin side but fruit setting well) and the tomato plants in the tiny plastic greenhouse in a grow bag outside (short, thick stems, only just setting flowers).
bought some potato sacks at the weekend and potted the sweet potatoes and some tomatoes into them in the conservatory to see how that goes. The conservatory is just a big ol’ green house currently lol. My husband is very good about it all lol