Kitchen Garden Forum

At Monikas request, here is bits and bobs No3.

Morning all, well today i'm going to be sowing all sorts of things in the greenhouse.

Just need it to get light so i can get at it.

I was supposed to be in there yesterday but I don't like working on staging that keeps moving about. Last evening and night were pretty frightening but only lost two panes of glass from the cold greenhouse, still blowy and raining this morning so don't know how I'll replace them. Temporary cloches over the freshly planted shallots survived but the sheeted beds aren't anymore!

Dear Geoff, i hope you get your greenhouse sorted.

I know this has already been talked about on the forum, but something that i've just read made me smile.

Quote, The Goverment has clarified the planning status for polythene tunnels, stating that permission is not necessarily required in all cases.

Thats as clear as mud.

I worked on the allotment this morning and had a job on just to stand upright in this vicious gale! I managed to dig a good trench for the runner beans, fill it with crumpled newspapers (which had to be covered with some soil immediately to stop them blowing away!), compost and well rotted manure. This will now stay open for a month or so. Our runner beans can't be planted out until early June, so it should all rot down nicely before then.

Our shed and other structures were ok in the wind (being very securely fastened), but another allotment hut has collapsed and another chap's cold frame completely flipped over.

No sowing outside here yet but I am bringing on the onions (Rijnsburger), and the first lot of broad beans (Jubilee Hysor) and peas (Greensage) in the unheated greenhouse.

Pretty windy here in Somerset, way beyond the forecasted wind speed but hey, that is old Ma Nature for you. Two unfortunate souls lost their sheds on the plots, newly erected second hand sheds, and as usual no means of fixing to the ground or anything else, hence they took off like shoeboxes and shattered, the wind this morning and into the afternoon was pretty nippy. In light of this I spent time in the greenhouse sowing and preparing some ground in the large cold frame where I sowed some yellow french beans, carrots and beetroot. Might get up again tomorrow if I am spared from Mothering Sunday duties.

Compo

Dear Monika and Compo, glad your structures survived the strong winds.
I thought the wind was meant to be easing, but i think it was stronger through the night than the previous evening.
I heard that horrible sound of tiles slipping down the roof in the middle of the night, so i will have to get my roofers head on this morning.

On the brighter side, i can see the Church tower this morning and the blackbirds and Robins are singing nicely, so were getting there.

How rude of me, i forgot to say happy Mothers day to all you hard working Mums.

Thanks for your good wishes OH - replaced the two sheets of glass as I keep a stock, it was exciting up a ladder though as the wind hadn't dropped as much as I expected. Got the sheets back on the covered beds but haven't dared to go look yet this morning. Sowed peppers, french beans and courgettes in the propagator and some lettuce in the greenhouse as the swaying was down to a manageable level.

A warning....just check out the glass in your greenhouses even if you haven't actually lost any panes.

I did and noticed that a couple of sections in one of my greehouses have 'slipped' slightly leaving gaps that could be exploited by some future strong gusts.

I also discontected my auto-vents today too... the wind is still blowing quite strongly but the sun is sufficiently warm to influence the internal temperature so that the roof lights open and leave the greenhouses vulnerable to wind damage

Dear Weed, i can see we are dealing with a wind specislist here.

Very good tips though Weed.

Felt the Earthquake the other day but not enough to do any damage. The wind however was a different matter and have lost slates from the house and one of the barns has lost well over 200 slates. Thankfully most of them didn't break but will have to replace about 45. We had to make a temporary repair with heavy duty black polythene and tile batten today. Thankfully this barn only had straw in it but the one next to it has over 50 tons of grain stored in it.
JB.

Morning Johnboy, sorry to read about that, especially with the price of slates being what they are.

Dear OH..... I have my moments

It was definintely much higher here than the forecast strength four to five, I hope the weather remains good enough for you to do your repairs JB.

Compo

Hi Compo,
Decided to try and crack on with it early today as the sun was out and all was lovely and before I could get the scaffold erected it started to snow and then sunshine then snow and after five attempts I said sod it and went indoors to dry off. Tomorrow is another day!
JB.