Kitchen Garden Forum

Friday my son and I moved my metal shed, today I dug the bank back to prepare for the foundations of my new shed, talk about sticky Hertfordshire / London clay!
Each boot gained a lb.

As per usual my phone weather report lied big time, but I did have a wee giggle while hiding in the tunnel with it chucking it down when it pinged & changed to heavy showers from light showers! Fortunately all todays jobs on the list where indoors so shelves finished in the shed, outdoor furniture storage thing put together & behind the shed housing the environmesh & wind netting etc & partly got the tunnel pup proofed as the shoe rack at home killed itself with all those lovely metal poles available. Might have to sit on the other one as need more poles that height - you know I am going too but Mr West will be surprised!

Out of hibernation today I think.

I was watching an old episode of Qi the subject was the ancient Egyptians who used the urine from pregnant females to water the seeds they wanted to germinate this was tried out in Scandinavia not long ago who came to the decision that it was more than 70% more successful than using plain water ,so I was thinking if anY of you pregnant girls are passing my plot in the next few months please call in I will provide you with as many mugs of tea or coffee you can drink and I have a private area were you could relieve your selves

robo wrote:I was watching an old episode of Qi the subject was the ancient Egyptians who used the urine from pregnant females to water the seeds they wanted to germinate this was tried out in Scandinavia not long ago who came to the decision that it was more than 70% more successful than using plain water ,so I was thinking if anY of you pregnant girls are passing my plot in the next few months please call in I will provide you with as many mugs of tea or coffee you can drink and I have a private area were you could relieve your selves

Come on girls. Help the man out.

"Come on girls. Help the man out."

Or Come Guys, help the girls out, to help the man out?

Just changing the subject, folks: has spring moved in? Yesterday and today have been really balmy and my fingers are itching to get sowing. I WILL start my brand beans off, albeit in the unheated greenhouse for the moment.

Good afternoon Monika, I sowed my first lot of Broad Beans yesterday, I have given them a little bottom heat but, they are in an unheated greenhouse...so will keep the compost on the dry side, apart from the initial watering...

I will do the same tomorrow, OH, but I usually leave them between some damp tissue paper for two or three days until they are showing signs of germinating, then sow them in roottrainers, kept in the house until they pop their heads up and then straight into the cold greenhouse. If it gets really cold again, I can always bring them back into the house or at least cover them with fleece in the greenhouse.

I sowed my broad beans a few weeks ago in the tunnel & once again they just popped up in time for the mice visits. (Despite the recommended peppermint oil deterrent). But again, taking on the find from last year that just re-planting the little tops left looking sad laying on the soil has again worked as they are developing into sturdy little chaps. I wonder how many folk have seen the massacre of mice & just tossed those wee sad tops away? Hope these do as well as last year as they turned out huge & abundant crops!
I can report the peppermint seems to be working better with the early peas which are slower & more erratic but a little check shows the late risers are rooting. (I soaked the peas in the peppermint oil after realising just on the ground didn't work with the Broad beans).

Just for reference to keep it 'normal' - Plum Beauty has been in flower for about 3 weeks had those little fly like things visit but before the cold so expect the pollinated flowers have dropped off but plenty more flowers opening on the branches ready for a bit of warmth! I still freak when I see it in flower this early -just before I remember how lovely these red plums are!

I'll be transferring my garlic to the main bed this week hopefully (if it ever stops raining) Theyr are a couple of inches high in the troughs I planted them in in early Jan. Am desperate to sow some seeds, but holding back as long as I can!

We,ve been having a lot of broadband fibre installations round here so roads and verges have all been dug up. Contractors have been resowing some verges with grass seed but surely it,s too early in the season for the seed to grow?

yes, and also, lots of hungry Dunnocks!

I did manage to get the garlic planted out yesterday. It's a milestone moment for me, as it's the first ever thing to be planted in the new spot (previously hardstanding)

I'm going to plant a few first early spuds in bags in the unheated greenhouse over the next few days. I have more than I thought, so worth the risk for an early crop.
A new indoor sowing of lettuce seed is looking good and all my tom seedlings are thriving after pricking out. Next up will be a few pots of carrots, mange tout and pea shoots.