2023 season begins..................

[tigerburnie]

Everything seems ok minimum temp was 5.6 inside the greenhouse, so cold but not damaging hopefully

[oldherbaceous]

Looks like you might need your factor 50 over the next couple of days, Burnie…

[Geoff]

I almost envy your cold night - the midges are horrendous this morning, early this year.

[oldherbaceous]

Just seen the first infestation of black fly, on the broad beans.

[tigerburnie]

Here's the latest from the greenhouse and also a quick look around the garden, there's a bit of me waffling if you want some commentary.

[oldherbaceous]

Well done Burnie, i’m amazed by the growth your Tomatoes have put on, very impressive indeed.

[tigerburnie]

Thanks OH, I've not checked if I am on time this year or behind with growing

[snooky]

Thankfully my growing season is taking off.After four weeks of radiotherapy Monday to Friday with two further weeks of chemo thown in my body is coming back to normal,about 80% there.Still tire easily but by taking it easy on the the allotment, over the past few weeks I have managed,with the help of Son-in-law,to plant potatoes,Runner,Broad and French beans,sweetcorn.strawberries,and harvest the Asparagus.Onions and garlic were planted before I started treatment and hoping to sow carrots,beetroot, swede, turnip this coming week.Probably too late for parsnips but might try a short row.
Weeds have been a problem but getting on top of them.Marestail is rife this year along with chickweed and fat hen.Waiting for the gallnt soldier to appear as not showing so far.There is a fence around my site put there by a previous tenant and is a pain in the neck because it is difficult to strim the grass growing around it but winning there too.Was going to weedkiller it but I might have the "Glysophate Police" on my case!!

[Geoff]

Good to see you back and getting stuck in again. It's the in thing gardening as therapy but it does work as long as the weather, pests and diseases don't drive you mad! My hate at the moment is clegs aka horse flies.

[oldherbaceous]

Evening Snooky, well done for keeping so positive!
Sounds like you are doing an amazing job with your allotment, despite what you are having to deal with…..

[Westi]

Snooky, it is great to hear you feeling stronger. I think the tiredness is as much to do with the constant travels to the hospital as well as the treatment, but even if you do nothing you have an escape place to just sit.

Our plots are fenced & it is a right pain with the weeds but I do spray along them. The bad stuff that contaminates waterways etc is out of the products now & easy to note it is not there; weeds still die but takes way longer. Fencing is the only thing I spray & do it before crops go in, but the side where the fruit trees are is generally sprayed again as the neighbour has boarded his side & put up windbreak so I have to deal with those on their side as well as mine! Time is too precious to muck around trying to pull weeds through buried chicken wire !

[Geoff]

Recommend Orkney cauliflowers.

Orkney Caulis.jpg (160.04 KiB) Viewed 7260 times

[oldherbaceous]

They look some lovely clean, tight and white curds, Geoff!

[Westi]

Now that is something to be proud of. I have to grow club root resistant varieties, some years they are great, others not so, but that's pretty much the story of brassica's in general! Enjoy!

[tigerburnie]

Been out of action again, but the anti-biotics are doing the trick, also trying to decorate a kitchen.............rather slowly.
Here's my latest video for a catch up in the gaden.