Kitchen Garden Forum

Spent a few hours today relaying the flags outside of the shed down at the allotment all the rain over winter has washed everything from underneath them

Geoff wrote:Planning weeding this evening, can't have Ric(h)ard getting ahead.

Usually this time of year I'm cutting winter firewood but I haven't got the work in me this year so I'll probably put the Husky up for sale before I end up hurting myself. Cutting firewood is hard though satisfying work but we do have reliable sources though it's more expensive.

I'm probably halfway through all the weeding I need to do, I also sowed flower seed on two test patches where the ground has been burnt with a pile of fine branches from last years wood cutting. What I'm hoping too achieve is that the flower seeds will emerge without a battle with seed-bank and perennial weeds.

I also have this strip of ground at the side of the barn where the soil is now nice and loose but you would think I had sown something because it'll soon be a carpet of green from weed seedlings. I need to buy a roofers blowtorch if I am ever to get this problem under control.

The sea buckthorn wind-break hedge that I planted four years ago has done a good job and its growing well but it doesn't like being kept tidy like a privet hedge or even a beach hedge.

Look forward to hearing how your flowers do Richard. It sounds beautiful where you are. What is a husky if it isn't a dog?

Well, I ve just made my mind up to have a gardening day instead of socialising and going out with the walking group. It's beautiful and sunny and too good an opportunity to waste with the ominous forecast for the weekend.

SLUG ALLERT! Last night I caught and squashed over 100 slugs and snails in the 30 ft border from our back door. I dread to think how many more were on the rampage in the rest of the garden.

Must confess I have thought about keeping a pack of Saxa salt on hand in the greenhouse and up the plot

Hi PaSnip, I'm afraid I don't like the slime they exude when you put salt on. I resorted to stamping on them last night as I was actually on my way to the dustbin and not armed for slug killing. I've got all the bodies to clean off the path this morning I had my garden shoes on fortunately.

PLUMPUDDING wrote:Look forward to hearing how your flowers do Richard. It sounds beautiful where you are. What is a husky if it isn't a dog

It's a chainsaw, Husky is short for Husqvarna. Yes, I'll be sure to let you know if my burning procedure works. The only problem I have is that burning is used to increase new growth on moorland. In fact the hills on the other side of our valley are often on fire in early spring, they burn heather and gorse down to the ground.

One of my three daughters visited for the first time since we've been here, she described it as amazing. She isn't an outdoors type to stare at trees, mountains and wild coast areas. More, "What a lovely beach" type of girl. Or, " what a lovely pub"

To some people visiting this area its described as austere rather than lovely, the wind blown gorse and few trees together with sheep grazing stony ground have that effect. When I refer to our valley, we actually live within the crater of an ancient volcano eruption, the hills around are the rim and the lower valley is alway sodden from underground springs rising and so only reeds grow.

I live about a mile NE of the transatlantic beacon used by aircraft for navigation so when you fly to the USA you will most probably fly over the farm though by then at cruising altitude. It's a transatlantic motorway/flight path. But no noise, just an occasional hum.

PLUMPUDDING wrote:Hi PaSnip, I'm afraid I don't like the slime they exude when you put salt on. I resorted to stamping on them last night as I was actually on my way to the dustbin and not armed for slug killing. I've got all the bodies to clean off the path this morning I had my garden shoes on fortunately.

I try to use a knife whenever possible so that the remains can be eaten by wildlife, very small slugs are the problem as too small to cut

Morning Richard, regarding the weed seedlings, if the beds are empty and you get a good drying day or two, i don't think you can beat hoeing....It's amazing how well it does work.

oldherbaceous wrote:Morning Richard, regarding the weed seedlings, if the beds are empty and you get a good drying day or two, i don't think you can beat hoeing....It's amazing how well it does work.

Reminds me of my late Father. One of his favorite sayings being. The time to hoe son, is when it don't need doing.

You have to realise that I only became a gardener when I joined you and whilst I have books and the Internet some things need reinforcing, perhaps manual is the wrong word but you'll get the idea.

Ok, hoeing. I've never been a hoe-ear. A few weeks back I hacked away at some weedy soil with a Chilington forked thingy pulling some weeds out and just disturbing/turning on thier backs other weeds most of which didn't die they just grew again so what is hoeing if I wasn't hoeing.

Same on another patch, I disturbed the young seedlings (hoeing ?) then more grew in thier place.

Oh-yes.

But thank you and any ideas are welcome.

I always intend to hoe regularly but other things get priority so the weeds win in the end. Must try harder

Oh, and just to reiterate. You can't hoe when you sowed seed, what's happening is that the seed bank is so prolific that the weed seedling always emerge either first or alongside.

It really is like spring today. Warm and sunny. Just spotted a solitary orange-tip butterfly doing the rounds of the primroses.

I love your lambs Alan, I wonder if you took the photo and how you managed to get their attention. In the case my two, I was riding my bike home and they were trying to find home, lost and very tired they didn't hear me approach.

We have sheep all over the barn, photos, ornaments and these.

Not one of mine I'm afraid, but I have replaced them with a Kerry Hill and her lambs which I took four years ago this month.