Kitchen Garden Forum

Just to update...in the back field this morning is a large Fendt tractor with subsoiler.....giving the flattened headlands some deep treatment. It's making the tractor whine...some amazing power there, all happening slowly and very purposefully, actually amazing how quiet they are these days.

As I suspect it was land 'taken up' for a year of carrots.? they are certainly working to return it to condition on handing it back.

C.

I remember years ago, a know it all farmer, used a massive crawler, with a pan buster on the back……he had it set miles too deep, and you could hear every time he hit a land drain…….the field then flooded every year after that, but he wouldn’t have it, that he had caused the problem!
Could do with some more rain!
Has anyone else got lots of new shoots, (the ones that come from the very bottom of the Rose bush), on their Roses this year? Even some of the very old Roses, are putting out new shoots, at the Big House, what is wonderful to see!

Hopefully the pan buster didn't go quite that deep here as there's the main sewer that runs under the field.! It is very very deep though i remember it going in when I was little....but it may have thus appeared deeper ?!! ..and when you think also that the field is now way lower than my garden due to ploughing out, erosion, general soil depletion...

...and Yes, loads of new 'real' growth from the bottom of roses...including some Hybrid Musks that are a year younger than me.......

C.

I am also getting new shoots growing from the bottom of well established roses. I have been away up to the city of Bath for four days, left everything well soaked and all seemed fine on my return. Planted out fifty enorma runner bean plants to-day and protected them with fleece, just hope I don't get a sneaky frost. Last frost date for me is 25 April and I am only 1 1/2 miles from the sea, but I have been caught out in the past.

Still need some rain.

Barney

My 2nd year patio (potted) climbing roses have some fresh bronze shoots coming at the base. But I have given them a top dressing of compost mixed with worm castings from the wormery. One of them has a LOT of blooms right now.