Kitchen Garden Forum

Already under way up here, Onions were sown a few weeks ago and are already shooting up in the conservatory, Red Baron again as we got on well with them last year.
Email came through to order seed tatties, so they are ordered, Anya, Rooster and Java, the later I have not grown before.

No seeds sown yet, apart from Broad beans, directly sown over the allotment!
I’ve ordered, Swift, Charlotte, Kestrel, Rooster and Cara…..

My onions went in seed trays on 1st Jan - also Red Baron, plus Beds Champion (of course) and shallot Matador. I've had luck for the past couple of years with sowing old school in seed trays in seed compost then pricking out the best seedlings into deep-ish modules of homemade compost (garden compost + vermiculite). The shop bought peat-free stuff seems to run out of steam before they are ready to be planted out. Sowing in seed compost allows me to be sure what comes up is the onions and not weeds. The only disadvantage I've found so far of this method is having to weed your modules !

trying to get on with the winter digging but ground still frozen in places and some parts saturated after last night's heavy rain.And it was a pleasant day for digging today.Annoying,
Onion sets,shallots and garlic sown before Christmas showing green shoots and looking good.Daren't sow Broad Beans direct because the Field Mice,which we have in abundance on our site,will sniff them out and have them away.The resident Fox family isn't controlling the Mice because of the "do-gooders"(idiots)who feed the foxes with their left over meat scraps.Indeed, one such person buye carcasses of chicken etc.from the local Chinese Takeaway to feed the darned things.She does more harm than good and can't see it.Hence the high population of Field Mice and Rats.

I haven't been down to the plot for a while as reports to me say it is still frozen; however today would have been a nice mooch around day to see what is thriving or dying but other things on. Just had a look & Saturday seems ok but nothing good after for over a week. Shame really as the temps look a lot kinder. I'm gonna claim it as a good sign that spring might be not too far away.
New TV comes tomorrow as ours went kaput on Xmas day, it is way too quiet without some background chatter. New kitten is confirmed coming next Wednesday so that should liven the place up a bit, but of course he's grounded until he has all his jabs & stuff. All the critters are way to quiet & sedate, especially the missing guys mum. I'd challenge anyone that says animals don't have feelings!
Pic is of the new lad, Ringo!