Spring Bits and Bobs.

[Geoff]

Up to almost 20mm since it started on Friday evening so that should do a bit of good, wake up the weeds and the molluscs as well I guess.

[oldherbaceous]

As i’ve got really late with everything, i’ve just got round to sowing some Sweetcorn….a variety called, Golden Bantam….a really old variety I think, has anyone grown it before?

[Clive.]

Blessed wind today has most definitely taken away more wet than came down in this mornings rain...3mm, but things looking a bit down and battered this afternoon. Whilst yesterday's 5mm had done some good...

Lockdown year I think it was Golden Bantam that I grew and sadly was not up to my 'sweet tooth' liking. It took me back to the very first go i had at Sweetcorn in the mid 1970s when myself and my little brother got a Johnsons seed starter kit each in our Christmas presents...one was Veg' Spaghetti the other Sweetcorn. Anyway it made me stick to Goldcrest, Swift etc in future. Having said that in the big garden we have Swift just planted out and then Incredible... last time I grew Incredible it was seed sent from dear old JB.. Grew some huge great plants and cobs that needed a cut in half for the saucepan.


C.

[oldherbaceous]

Could be in trouble with Cook, then…..

[Westi]

Drove myself batty looking for a mower/cutter for outside the plot as no word on when the site Strimmer will be back if ever. Fortunately they have reviews, as lots of things that looked pretty good had rubbish reviews, the light ones were worse, battery charge rubbish time etc. I was about to give in then wondered if they still made Scythe's still, obvs not the big boy heavy ones for agriculture but a little one. No luck, props too dangerous for the general public, especially me!

But found something on the next page which was cheap grass cutter that has a double sided blade in a fitting a bit like a rake head over it & you pull & then push to move the cut grass forward into a pile. It also has safety bars attached so my feet won't be in reach & ratings good. £30 spent but I only have grass to worry about nothing big & unruly. First attempt will probably be the hardest but then should only need a quick 'rake'. Will see anyway, it comes tomorrow so will give it a test drive on the wee bit of my front lawn that is not covered with full builders bags!

[Geoff]

Drizzled all day but I managed to plant the last 26 of my late brassica bed, four sorts of broccoli / purple sprouting and red and green kale. Then moved on and planted the "triffids", nine squash and three pumpkins. It cleared up this evening so I set out to plant the courgettes but found out the weather had wakened up the dreaded midges so it looks like the end of evening gardening for a while.

[Clive.]

Out early in the big garden...with rain forecast, some roses were planted out from air pots, filling some gaps. Best demonstration I have seen of roots in air pots being poised all ready to head straight out..
Then Pumpkin patch planted up and onto some rudbeckia bedding out...ran out of time to do more from the long list, rain arrived. Almost 7mm, steady straight down..

C.

[Westi]

I don't think I will have to water tomorrow even in the tunnel. 2 days of incessant rain with few breaks. That would be more than enough to seep under the tunnel skin, well at least the outside edges, might need a can for those plants closer to the central path; whatever it will be a quick job & the dripper hose will be opened to cover the sunny days following! I just want plot 1 sorted weed & plant wise & get the 2nd runner frame finished which will be quicker thanks to being able to push the canes in without digging a hole.

The 'studio' is now sealed as all doors & windows went in today so ready to move on to the final fix & bathroom bits to be fitted. A valuable worker did the doors; boss ladies son! He wasn't happy with all the builders sacks all over & has organised a company to collect all the bits tomorrow that he can, the big stuff like the old garage door & the like will stay as too large so still destined for the large skip at the very end. I'll be able to mow & tidy the front lawn.... maybe as mower under the tarp so hope no leaks or new mower will be needed. It will take a bit to recover but if looks too sad I will just tidy it for now & get new grass put down when they are completely finished!

[Westi]

Given up on Runners & Sweetcorn, loads of sows just to feed the mice/rats! I ordered plants & got lucky with a price decrease, just hoping they are alright, but reviews looked good & were recent, luckily mature enough plants to nip the seed off when planting out so decreasing the interest of the critters. Got lucky yesterday when down as was in the shed & Mumma bird was calling for the only chick in the nest & the little fellow flew right past me to join Mum. I don't know the type of bird but really tiny & the chick had some rusty coloured chest feathers. They are so tiny Mum's entrance in to the chick was where a knot fell out of the shed wall so only a couple of inches. They sat on top of some posts for a while before Mum lead it off into the hedgerow.

1/2 of one row of the front dahlia flowers to finish & that's the weeding done that side, including the fence lines. I've changed my mind regarding leaving putting up the 2nd runner frame & will get it up as then it's done ready for planting when the plants come as they have already been dispatched. Then onto other side, looking at the size of the pumpkins I best start on those beds first; thankfully always sow them in single big individual pots so they had some room to grow.

[retropants]

Got the Kalettes planted out last weekend, and attmepted to cover with vegmesh. It was really windy and an absolute trial. So, we have made a small brassica cage, which I'll staple the mesh onto tomorrow and hopefully it will work. We've made it foldable with removable sides (magnetic cupboard catches). These will be the most expensive brassicas ever! Tomatoes are reaching etiolatedly for the sky, so I must plant these out at the weekend too. Basket tomatoes are growing on well, and I have LOT of strawberries this year

[AdrienneRobinson]

Had our first strawberries this morning - nice and big and delicious!
Resorted to buying a courgette plant this morning as the 2 I had grown from seed don’t look great. No idea why, my sister suggested they might be hungry so I gave them a liquid feed, so they might or might not perk up but I’ve got at least one healthy one now anyway. Caulis (having a go at the Romanesco ones this year as well as standard ones - anyone tried these?), cabbages, calabrese, PSB all looking happy and growing well since all this rain.

[retropants]

I've grown many romanesco over the years. Just keep them covered with vegmesh, otherwise they will be 45% caterpillar and 20% aphid.

[AdrienneRobinson]

Thanks Retropants - yes they’re all tucked up nicely in my brassica cage so should be safe enough from the butterflies at least! I’ll keep checking for aphids!

[Westi]

Sowed some Chinese today, hopefully the green netting will shade the Pak Choi enough stop it bolting as it doesn't really like the sun & heat, but it is some new variety that tolerates it better. I haven't actually secured the netting yet as the sweet corn plants have been dispatched & will live in the next bed so just got it out & ready to cover both. 1/2 of the 2nd runner frame up, but I am going to take it down & shorten the canes as they are way too tall.

The funny manual rake came today, looks a bit different to the pic as only the rake cover on the top, but I kinda think this will be easier & should stop the grass clogging up the tines. We will see; but timing is great as Plot 1 is finally finished & although not a priority it would nice to cut down the grass on the other plot so it looks tidy from the front.

Brilliant strawberry harvest this year finally. They seemed to take longer to ripen but worth the wait. Plum Beauty is heaving with fruit but only around the bottom 1/2 of the tree, nothing at the top. Won't complain as if they did reach the heights I wouldn't be able to reach them! All in all a great day with lot's of silly little jobs completed.

[Clive.]

Now, recalling my ponderings about what is sown in the back field..I have a thought now that the cereal that is in 5 rows along the tall ridged ground may be just a cover crop protection for the real crop.?? I haven't been for a wander yet out the back gate as yet but I reckon i can see some rows of something coming up in between the cereal rows..so it could be carrots yet The cereal lines are noted as going rather yellow in places...so wonder if it has done its job of stopping wind erosion of the finely tiled carrot soil and is now being dispensed with ??

C.