Late Winter Bits and Bobs.

[Shallot Man]

Clive. Brought back memories. Was serving in Egypt at the time. The barrack room lawyer said. Say that you are worried for your parents, they will probable fly you home. So muggins did. Within hours it was pointed out to me how many feet above sea-level my part of Essex was. Spent some four hours peeling spuds in the cookhouse for my cheek.

[Clive.]

Whilst out in Egypt my dads location was flooded, somewhere there is a photo of him perched on an upturned dustbin whilst all around the tented quarters and offices are inundated.. I nearly know where to find the photo but I'm currently without scanner of decent camera to take a copy of it.

C.

[oldherbaceous]

Another lovely day here, we are being spoilt….but I wonder if we will pay for it in a few weeks time!!

[Stravaig]

Spent some four hours peeling spuds in the cookhouse for my cheek.

Jankers. Yes. Cookhouse duties from 0600 - 0900 and then again at 1800 - 2100, every day for several weeks. No time to do anything other than get your uniform ready for the next day. That was tough.

[Geoff]

Still Winter, frost returned last night, don't seem to be getting much done.

[oldherbaceous]

It was a good white frost here this morning but, had only just just gone in to the soil….so have had a good time hoeing chickweed off, without the hoe clogging….

[Clive.]

A small amount of white frost here, maybe there was more but hadn't set my alarm so might have missed it by an hour...lovely and sunny...and dry.
Back from opening work greenhouses. The plan today is to get sorted around the fruit bushes, this will complete the centre section of my vegetable/fruit garden and fills in the gap between my already winter dug open ground....in reality though much more to sort around the edges..
Cup of coffee first and get the washing machine underway.

C.

[oldherbaceous]

You will get there, Clive, that I have no doubt about…..mind your fingers in the mangle, though…..

[oldherbaceous]

I have just taken the air filter out of my old Hayter Harrier 48 pro….i’m surprised it ran it was that dirty….

[Westi]

My PSB is supposed to be an early variety. I bought in as plants as mine were weak & poorly for some reason - I won't point the finger at the compost but.....? Anyway the bought looked fine & I planted them but to say they are slow in an understatement! They have grown, but no more than a foot & tiny leaves when I am expecting 3' tall + & big leaves. A couple died so checked the roots but no sign of club root, one had evidence of white fly but very little & no obvious damage.

Any idea why? Today I removed the netting & put a wind barrier around, stomped a couple which were a bit loose & gave them a feed but site was well prepped. I was thinking maybe they sent me late varieties but they would be even taller & thicker stemmed? The only thing strange I noted when I got them was the lower leaves were stripped off but - maybe too many leaves stripped?

[retropants]

Westi, my kalette plants are the same, teeny, about 1ft tall, and no sproutlets at all. Last year they were magnificent!

Possibly the hot summer last year?

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Westi, were they plug plants, if so, I wonder if they had been in the plug trays too long, this would make them awfully root bound, and could also explain the stripped leaves, as they would probably gone yellow…..and that added to the very strange weather, could be part of the problem….

[Westi]

Hi OH,

They were from the Cornwall Cabbage company so just dug out of the farm field, in fact I don't think they even bother counting just go by the hand full as I got more than I ordered. Maybe though they did not get enough attention during the hot spell as I expect they would focus on their main harvest farm crops that provide them an income & this is just a side line I believe.

[oldherbaceous]

Now that is interesting, Westi, so my theory was very wrong….

Maybe it was just a combination of the ever changing weather we have had in the last 6 months!!

[oldherbaceous]

Been busy spreading muck over the allotments today, a good job done!

Old Codger has been working so hard digging again, and has now completed his Winter digging….bet he is relieved it’s finished….