Kitchen Garden Forum

The problem with shoddy nowadays is that most rags contain far more artificial than natural fibres and the former are not suitable as manure.

The late Joe Maiden was involved, I believe, in the development of a slug deterrent based on shredded wool fleece ('Sluggone'?) which also acted as a fertiliser.

I'm lucky as cooks sister in law is a sheperdess and has her own sheep, so i could get hold of some wool fleeces if i wanted...

I tried the Dale Foot wool compost a few years ago. It was a very nice texture and produced good results, but a bit expensive. It is wool composted with bracken I think.

I got to the plot for an hour yesterday, for the first time for several weeks. So I just did lots of weeding and collected some chard for supper.
Oh yes, cleared some leaves too (lots more to clear).

My OH and I spent all morning on the allotment and it really looks shipshape now, ready for the winter: spread most of the manure which has been 'stewing' under black polythene since spring, dug out all the Jerusalem artichokes and replanted some (some have gone to the other allotment folk), measured out the beds for next year, tidied up the brassicas, took out a bed of annuals and dug it over, got rid of some 'nests' of willow herb seedlings and then harvested our vegetables for the next few days: carrots, beetroot, parsnip, kale, leeks, the first flower sprouts and a bunch of autumnal flowers!

Dear Monika, now if i had wrote the same thing, it wouldn't have read anywhere near so interesting.....you both have got your plot in good shape for Winter....i haven't hardly started on mine yet, as there are a few sad things going on in the village that i'm trying to help out with.

Repotted a rather large totally pot-bound acerthis morning, and what a performance it was, having to saw off some roots around the inside edge of the container and fork out compost before we could budge it.. Am hoping that now it's about to go into hibernation it won't suffer too much from losing some of the tangled roots as plant is about 25 years old and would be rather sad to lose it. Guess I will have to wait until spring now to see whether it has suffered any long term damage.

You see, OH, you are so community minded and we are just selfish, looking after our own.

Actually, we decided about a year ago to greatly scale back our involvement in the village activities, having been very much involved in our village gardening club, nature reserve, WI etc for the last 30 years. Our thoughts were that, if we did not step back whilst we are still reasonably healthy, sane and fit, we would work ourselves to the ground and it would also give others the chance to take things on. So, we are now enjoying a lot of 'us' time and, with greatgrandchild No 1 on the way, we will have plenty of things to keep us occupied!

Forgot to say: what a beautiful autumn day it was today - 16C and full sunshine after the early fog lifted. We even had small tortoiseshell and red admiral butterflies in michaelmas daisies in the garden! Not bad for November.

Asking a rugby club friend for phone number of someone else, "so why do you want his number?", "To get details of such and such an arboriculturist so I can see about some getting some logs."

"I've got three trees round the back that fell down, help yourself, just don't take the lot." He's goundsman and had hauled them into his dump after cutting the brash off.

So guess what I I've been doing?

Suturday I took one and a half trailer loads of lovely big logs. After sorting out the trailer, chainsaw, etc.
Today started building a second log store to put them in, once I've cut them down from the 3' lengths and split them. Old pallet on bricks on paving slabs and a frame started from 2" square frames left on a vacated allotment plot that were going to be reused on my plot.

Appreciate my good friends.

There! s always a demand for free logs. A year ago a big tree blew down in our local park. The parish council cleared all the main debris away and chopped the trunk and branches up into reasonable fireplace sized logs. Sent a message around the parish "free logs if you come and collect them." There was an almost immediate queue of cars containing wheelbarrows at the park gate and within hours all that was left was a pile of scattered sawdust on the grass.

If you want logs for burning, is there a minimum time you're supposed to leave them to dry out?

We found out today our allotment has won a certificate in Britain in bloom we where entered by our council we have won a neighborhood award level 4

Primrose wrote:There! s always a demand for free logs. A year ago a big tree blew down in our local park. The parish council cleared all the main debris away and chopped the trunk and branches up into reasonable fireplace sized logs. Sent a message around the parish "free logs if you come and collect them." There was an almost immediate queue of cars containing wheelbarrows at the park gate and within hours all that was left was a pile of scattered sawdust on the grass.

If you want logs for burning, is there a minimum time you're supposed to leave them to dry out?

I do not know if there is a minimum time and I am no expert but 2 years is an ideal time. It all depends on the tree and what time of the year it is felled and if it has been cut up into logs and split or not. One of my sons sells logs and he sells them after a much shorter time than 2 years but they are all cut up and stored under cover. Incidentally ash can be burnt when still green. I would like a wood burning stove and have had a quote for one but the position they would like to put it is not where I want it so I am trying to get another opinion. I am very envious of anyone who can burn logs as I have a supply and an old tractor driven saw-bench but nowhere to burn them.

Barney

Dear Monika, selfish is the last word that would come to mind for you.

robo wrote:We found out today our allotment has won a certificate in Britain in bloom we where entered by our council we have won a neighbourhood award level 4

A hearty well done to you Robo

I am entering my neighbours plot for "Tip of the Year" awards


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Sundays weather, lucky you who all had sunshine.
I was up the plot by 09:00 and left at 13:45. the fog stayed with us all day. It moved off the plots during the morning but hung over the neighbouring airfield all day

This morning as I write 06:09 there is a nasty damp mist hanging around