Spring has finally sprung, Bits and Bobs.

[Shallot Man]

PLUMPUDDING. How does your neighbor deal with wild bees.

[Ricard with an H]

Are they these dark flying things that bumble into everything and often have a procreating-partner riding on their back ?

What about strawberries then, Spanish 50/50 taste is better than none-at-all in my opinion. Same with imported beans. Not quite the same quality we grow though a welcome sight.

[oldherbaceous]

I wouldn't buy either Richard, but i am a bit old fashioned.

Looks as if it's going to be a bit chilly tonight.

[Ricard with an H]

Because there is still plenty of time I sowed a row of French climbing beans direct, nothing showed after four weeks and they were under a polytunnel.

I dug up the row, carefully at first just to see if there were any sprouts. Nothing, not even a dead bean.

I'm starting to have a little more confidence now I had some success and my soil is good, there is always something knocking the edge off that confidence. French beans are fickle things.

OH, surely you don't have a crop of strawberries now ? Or is it that you would rather do without than suffer imported produce ? I'm not growing strawberries this year, they take up a lot of space. Kale is the biggy this year, I can't buy it so I have to grow it.

My spuds are growing fast, I keep mounting earth up and they keep-on pushing through. If I get organised and sow a row regularly I could have spuds most of the year round though I haven't bumped into blight yet and the big shock with onion and garlic was all the rot I had in the first year.

[Geoff]

Lunch today RH

[oldherbaceous]

Afternoon Richard, no i don't have any strawberries ready yet, but did mean i wouldn't buy any..... But i am cutting my Little gem Lettuce and might try a root of Swift potatoes at the weekend. These are both grown over the allotment.

[retropants]

we are eager to have a dig around our second earlies also! see what's there, if anything! maybe at the weekend!

[Clive.]

Ho hum, the Early Onward Peas that were looking so well and to which I got the sticks put the other day have been stripped in my absence over the last couple of days. ...local wood pigeon flock.??..or I'm wondering if it's the resurgence of Sparrows as its a total but even leaf stripping along the full row.

Clive.

....now, who was it that was rejoicing in the birdsong in another thread... Oh, I see that was me.

[Monika]

Clive, you must have read my mind: our peas in the garden have suffered the same fate as yours and we know it's definitely house sparrows because we have watched them at it! I can't cover them totally because of the pea sticks, so I tried wire netting along the sides but they just squeezed through, so now I have put single thin fleece along both sides and clipped the top together in places with clothes pegs which will have to come off when the plants reach that height.

We have always had a few house sparrows around, but this year their numbers have 'exploded' with three of our tit boxes occupied by them.

Luckily, there are none on the allotment, so we are hoping for a better pea time there!

[Clive.]

I see the Grazers range is appearing in more garden centres....I wonder if it keeps sparrows at bay.??

Could certainly use a Squirrel repellent after last years non Pear crop.....

Clive.

[Clive.]

Caught them in the act attacking the pea row this morning...it turns out that it is in fact the wood pigeon....or could still be a joint attack.........

Anyway, I called at the garden centre at lunchtime and bought some Grazers....

I have just looked at the till receipt that was handed to me which I just stuffed into my pocket without a glance.....It reads £12 bird food and a bottle of bay bio....I suppose that could be an alternative answer....

Clive.

[oldherbaceous]

Afternoon Clive, we have had terrible trouble with pigeons the last few years. Even stuff that has been well netted is still open to attack, as this new breed of pigeons will force they way in at any weak point and go right along the row at will. Pigeons here, would never seem to want to enter anywhere where they could get trapped, at one time. The wood pidgeons have also got wise to being constantly shot at in the woods, so they seem to now be breeding in any tree or shrub in all the gardens, what makes the problem worse.

[Clive.]

I have sprayed on the Grazers potion. I put it on the pea row but also on the broad beans, and some lettuce and beetroot, that is just through,..just in case there was a retaliatory strike on the beans etc.!

It will be interesting to see if it works...I have been aware of Grazers for some years but hadn't checked it out further before. I see there is a new one that repels the "cabbage white", caterpillars, aphids etc...

There was evidence of at least one nibble at the pea row this morning..hopefully they said..yuk..these are off....but time will tell....they are blessed persistent.

Clive.

[oldherbaceous]

It will be interesting to know how you get on over the next couple of weeks, Clive, maybe you could keep us informed.....

I planted a lot of stuff out over the allotment yesterday, so the rain here this morning is very welcome....i'm busy in the greenhouse, so very happy.
Forgot to say, i started my celeriac off in root trainers this year and what wonderful plants they had made when i planted them out yesterday.

Has anyone heard from Alan Refrail in the last few weeks? I hope all is well!!!

[retropants]

I've never come across Grazers before, I might have to get the mollusc one and see how we get on!