Kitchen Garden Forum

Well, it was a good summer yesterday (sun almost all day!), but today it's back to normal: heavily overcast with occasional drizzle.

Good forecast for Sunday and next week!

The meaning of 'the hungry gap' is taking on a new meaning here. Sowed sufficient peas, broad beans and mangetout to last until the runners take over - but they aren't although there was cause for celebration today as I noticed some flowers on one of the Celebration runners for the first time. Unfortunately they aren't even half-way up the poles.

Decent forecast for St Swithans day down here - fingers crossed.

Just when I nearly figured out where to get all the stuff to build an ARC!

Westi

Westi wrote:

Just when I nearly figured out where to get all the stuff to build an ARC!

noah only had 40 days of rain,up here we've had 4 months & counting

I wish it would stay fine long enough to get some real gardening done. I seem to be dashing out doing things twice as fast as usual before it rains again and it is hardly making any impression. Some of the paths have disappeared under the vegetation and there seems to be a plague of goose grass (cleavers) this year which I must get out before it goes to seed.

I did manage to cut all three lawns the other afternoon but I've avoided using the hedge cutters as I think the risk of electrocution is a bit too great until things dry out a bit.

Good Point farmer john! Someone said the jet stream is finally moving but I think too little too late. The implications of this year will last for quite a while. I've started buying up seed as I can find it with the best before date OK for next year as I expect 'growing your own' & 'buying it' will both be significantly more expensive next year! There may be a finer gap between the two and if we get another year like this with the amount of failures we are having there may not be any saving at all. (I won't start on the inflated over priced seed because it has become a popular hobby.)
Although this year might put a few off starting and waiting lists may reduce!

Westi

The dreaded blight has struck my twelve rows of potatoes I have planted so I have spent the morning cutting down the haulms and bagging them to take off site.The varieties affected are Arran Pilot. Kestrel,Winston and Wilja.It hasn't hit the Saxon,which I have in tubs,as yet and the outdoor tomatoes aren't affected.Time will tell!!

Regarding blight, if it would only stop ruddy raining I'd spray my spuds with Bordeaux mixture to prevent blight, but I'd be wasting my time & money as by tomorrow it would all have got washed off by the forecast rain.

Think it is going to be a bad year for tomatoes, unless we get a lot of sunshine soon.

The sun will be with us all from next week!

oldherbaceous wrote:The sun will be with us all from next week!

It looks as though you may be right, OH. But how long will it last?

Dear Alan, i'm pretty confident it will be for at least two days!

I'm going to work in my shorts today...but now it's gone as dark as night and looks like coming a storm..

Clive.

Saves putting on the waders to sort the pond I suppose.

Well it did stay fine 'til afternoon and then along came a thunderstorm..exactly as billed...
Another 11mm recorded at home here.

Clive.