Kitchen Garden Forum

Well you all know I like to live dangerously…
Bet I will be in Monika’s good books….well I hope I am….

I was afraid you might do this - not warm enough up here!

Burnt my ears yesterday….

21 C at home time today out in the East here...and the humidity, that we aren't used to, was very energy sapping this afternoon.

C.

Thank you, OH! I wondered when you would get round to it .......
Actually, it has been rather pleasant the last two days, even 'up here' (as Geoff says). The temperatures outside got to 20C today and in the greenhouse with the door and all flaps open, even up to 35C. The tomatoes are starting their third truss, though I am not too sure that they are setting well. I wriggle the trusses at least four times a day, keep up the humidity by spraying them, but only a few fruit seem to have set on the lower trusses.
A painted lady butterfly appeared today - must have been blown in by the SW wind.

I suppose it did warm up a bit but nothing like 20!

We had a cold day yesterday till around 4 pm then thunder storms for 2 hours then the sun came out for 3 hours then rain

23C and a drying wind at home time this afternoon....rather good for snickling up a few weeds that met with a hoe blade today...

...and today's bonus was being in the right place at right time and seeing the Catalina on its travels north this morning..

...and earlier I was invited onto a few mins trip out, half a mile, to see a former quarry now full of orchid.

C.

I thought this was an OK year except for the issue with the rats eating everything, but looking back on my pics from previous years & ignoring the brassica massacre it is way behind. In previous years I had baby courgettes, the squash were vining & taking up space. I had 9 small cucumbers on one plant & runner beans were right up their poles. 2014 & 2015 were the best by far but up to 2017 was better than the last 5 yrs.

Some of this is due to the late frosts we now get regularly so I'm sowing a bit later & a lot to do with the huge increase in vermin not helped by the farmer not sowing anything in the field for 2 yrs as British rail is doing lot's of upgrade signalling & track work. He has not sowed anything just ploughs it, so no hiding places for the critters to move away nor an extra food source for them. I think the railway is nearly finished as the diggers have gone & scaffolding is off the tunnel underneath, still some orange vests spotted through the hedge row but not the huge team. Hopefully the farmer will sow something soon as still have mice issues but the neighbours rat bait boxes he lent me seem to be making an impact on the big gits.

Just posting this as interested to see whether anyone else has reviewed any stats & results from the past like Geoff's temp chart? Any observations of changes from your area? Weather not playing or other things noted from wildlife or nature?

I have kept a weather station and recorded the rainfall, max and min temperatures every day for almost 40 years, Westi, but all in pen and paper, not electronically. From my gut feelings, rather than looking at all the figures, I think years have 'evened out' more in our location - summers less hot, winters less cold, and I believe overall it is windier than it used to be.

Not sure about early or late for this season. Didn't have as late or as cold final frost as last year which has favoured the top fruit. Many things seem about average but things undercover are a bit slow. Since I've had solar panels when this happens I find my generation is down. Although it has seemed a reasonable Spring the solar production since March has been comparatively poor so light levels could be affecting greenhouse crops, don't know if the rest of the country is the same. I agree with Monika that wind is increasing. The reason I have an electronic weather station is because I considered a wind turbine and one of the companies I contacted offered me a cheap station to gather data then they decided there wasn't enough wind. I'll have to see if there is a way of comparing year on year but I have replaced the device a couple of times. Recently it has been dreadful, yesterday and today have been particularly unpleasant again with a strong gusty wind.

Path mowing day yesterday, also strimmed the wildflower meadow / car park and mowed the verge on the entrance down the cycleway access drive.
Breed up a homemade deflector for the mower s I could lift the flap and no have the coloration bag attached. Blocks up in five feet with longer grass and bag, sprays me with flap propped open. Scrap bit of wood and plywood was 90% effective, needs securing in place a bit better.
Won two pallets from a neighbour at home for a tenant to keep weed suppression shhet in place four bricks were not effective.

I found my first ripe raspberry today - only one & quickly scoffed. It appears down here in sunny Dorset the soft fruit is really happy this year! Moving into 'Count your blessings' mode, even if neighbours are hiding from me & my strawberry overload. I'm unsure whether they will get the usual courgette numbers though!

Westi, I'll be spending a long while after work today chopping & freezing strawberries!

The sun is making my hair rustle like pea straw….