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What I have been doing during shutdown

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  • What I have been doing during shutdown

    Good evening, as I have been missing for a time I thought that I would start a thread in which I could post some of my actions over the past few months, which will also act as a reminder for me when, come next year I will be scratching my head trying to remember what I had done, I know there may be other threads where I could record my actions, but as it hasn't been solely veg or flowers or even working the soil but still garden related I have started this one
    At the start of shutdown toward the end of March the weather was exceptionally good and that is when I made my first mistake, as though nearly everything was growing well, not being used to a long spell of good weather I did not water any of the garden, generally this is something I don't need to do, so this I think contributed to poorer results from the likes of my onions and carrot, I was growing some onions from seed and this was the first I had done this for a long time, (it must be about fifty odd years since I last sowed onion seeds) I had planted them close together as I don't really need big onions, the plants were growing well but towards the end of June the seed sown onions started to go to seed, this I think was caused by high temperatures and not watering regularly I have also came across an artical where it was recommended to remove the flower stalk as due to pheromones being released it can cause the other plants to run to seed, so something to remember the next time, I had also planted some onion sets and they were doing well and things were fine up until the middle of July when there was high winds and torrential rain which battered the onions flat, I wonder if they had been watered regularly would they have stood up to the weather conditions a bit better, but even though I had to harvest early I have a reasonable crop, I had also tried broadcast sowing of some carrot seed, and the results of that were very poor, again the harvest might have been better if they had been watered on a regular basis, as when I was lifting my potatoes I sowed some carrot in rows and again though I didn't water due to being back to haveing rain on a regular basis I am having a good crop, other crops have been good potatoes, cabbage, kale, lettuce, radish, and tomatoes which I am still harvesting, I have never had them lasting as long, though my courgettes were terrible as they were very bitter the same with my cucumbers though they came better with regular watering and keeping them a bit cooler, I have two different varieties of leeks and they are doing very well, I also had good success with my peas and beans including broad beans which even though I was late in sowing I got a good crop, I intend sowing some peas in the greenhouse and use them for pea shoots, once I get the tomatoes out, I also have some oka growing which to be honest I haven't a clue how you prepair for cooking, but I will let OH taste them and if she's OK I will try them. That sort of covers my veg growing this year and with that I will post this, with my next post I will try to cover my flower gardening
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    Last edited by rary; 13-10-2020, 09:30 PM.
    it may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.

    Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbers

  • #2
    Sounds like overall a productive year, Rary. I agree with your analysis of the need for watering, especially the carrots.

    Good luck sampling the okra. I can't abide the stuff, but lots of people love it, so I hope you prove to be one of those.

    Will you try growing onions from seed again?

    Comment


    • #3
      Hello Folks, on just now to add that even though I started this thread as a reminder for myself, I should have added that I hope you feel free to add your own lockdown actions, remember the actions that you have taken may provide information for someone else.
      it may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.

      Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbers

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Snoop Puss View Post
        Sounds like overall a productive year, Rary. I agree with your analysis of the need for watering, especially the carrots.

        Good luck sampling the okra. I can't abide the stuff, but lots of people love it, so I hope you prove to be one of those.

        Will you try growing onions from seed again?
        Thanks Snoop, I know your watering requirements will be different from mine, as a general rule I don't need to water on a regular basis but as I have said this will be a reminder for me next year, and it's Oka or possibly better known asNew Zealand yam, foolishly I thought I would give it a try without knowing what it tastes like nor how it should be cooked, as for growing onions from seed, yes I will be sowing seeds again as I think the problem came from not watering, plus if any of them do start running to seed I will remove the seed stems, I am now looking for pheromones that I can use as an aftershave to see how it effects OH​​​​​​
        it may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.

        Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbers

        Comment


        • #5
          I've just looked up New Zealand yam. Looks interesting. Possibly a bit of a faff to clean? Anyway, let us know what they're like.

          And good luck with the pheromones. Always though Eau de toilette sounded distinctly off-putting myself!

          Comment


          • #6
            I have written about my veg so now about flowers, about mid March I received a delivery of both upright and trailing begonias, with which I had visions of having hanging baskets overflowing with colour, hu, the best laid plans O mice and men, spring to mind, what a disaster, 9 baskets with nothing moving in them fortunately I had sown several trays of plants suitable for hanging baskets so had three reasonable baskets while the rest, well best to forget about them, at first I thought it was the compost but on reflection my home grown plants were doing well enough I also contacted a local nursery (20 miles away) and bought some trailing begonias from them which gave a good display, so I have already bought seeds to grow my own next year, the main flowerers in the garden are oriental lilies, of which I like to have the colour and perfume, again one or two problems experienced this year which again I think was caused by lack of water, so I am now thinking of putting in a watering system for both the flower and veg, as somehow I can't see OH watering it the way I want it in fact to be truthful I can't see her watering the garden atall due to the lockdown we have spent more time sitting in the conservatory and though the lilies were colourful there was a problem starting, but first OH decided she would like to see some roses when she is sitting looking out, so after removing two twisted hazels there are now two beds which will contain skin tearing thorn sticking roses, guess who isn't keen on roses and while doing all the work the problem I mentioned manifested it's self, last year my display of crocosmia "lucifer" was very good,this year it completely swamped the garden, so rather than be faced with this problem again, as I have to consider that due to my garden tools getting older they might no be up to the work load I decided to remove them, I am have now been busy removing camilias and other bushes from the flower garden, so that now the only non flower I will have it that part of the garden will be a baloba and a rowan tree as I aim to reduce the need for any heavy work in the future. That brings me up to date with flower garden, the next bit will be the what you might call structural changes to the garden
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            Last edited by rary; 17-10-2020, 08:56 AM.
            it may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.

            Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbers

            Comment


            • #7
              Goodness, Rary. You've been really busy. No wonder you left us for a brief while. Too busy gardening to chit-chat about it. That said, I did rather miss you and am glad you're back.

              Comment


              • #8
                Thank you girls, it's nice to be back


                I must admit I missed all of you
                it may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.

                Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbers

                Comment


                • #9
                  Nicos I wanted to let that slip past, you've put the hems on that
                  Last edited by rary; 19-10-2020, 01:39 PM.
                  it may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.

                  Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbers

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Nicos
                    Credit where it's due old boy!!!!
                    Hoi, cut out t​​​​​he old my dear boy or young man would have been fine
                    Last edited by rary; 20-10-2020, 02:44 PM.
                    it may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.

                    Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbers

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      When shutdown started I had two huts, one built close to the garage which meant I couldn't access part of it to paint and it has suffered some sever water damage, the other started off as a shelter where I could sit in the sun and have a read, but due to trees being planted close by I no longer get the sun till about 2-o-clock I decided to turn it into a shed, but both were by their best so I decided to get a new one, so I ordered one at the beginning of June and was told it would be about 8 weeks for delivery, so that gave me time to remove the old ones, I emptied everything from them into the garage and broke them up, it took 2 full, large skips to get them away, though OH still thinks I should order an other one once the huts were away I had an area to make up and intended fill it up with type 1 gravel but while working on it I decided to turn it into a seating area so I raised the level with a bag of type 1 then dressed it off with course sand and covered It with artificial grass I also made a concrete plinth where I could store all our waste bins, I had made a wooden wall to shut it off from the seating area though fortunately I had enough of the grass to cover the wall with it, I also erected a fence and covered it with artificial hedging which provides a great windbreak, OH also said she would like some flowerers in the area so there is now a trellis with 5 clematis planted against it and a flower bed in front of it, behind the trellis I removed pots where I had peas and beans growing and also a couple of apple trees, this area is now planted with summer and autumn raspberries
                      The area where the other hut was needed to be cleared so I removed some hawthorn hedging and had to trim a tree which had fallen due to water eroding the ground below it I also cut down and removed one that was beside it, I have built a dry stone wall and backfilled with rubble and soil to protect the banking, I then made a plinth to sit the new hut on, its 1ft. high by 11 x 8 I made it that size so that the base won't be sitting in water, the hut finaly arrived about 12 weeks after I had ordered it and as I wanted it to store some plants over the winter as well as a potting shed I lined I'd with bubble wrap then lined it with plywood, I struggled with trying to get it onto the ceiling even though I had made T frames to hold it I just couldn't get it fixed on so I had to get my oldest grandson to come down to help, but in between that a neighbour installed electric wire for me so that I could have power points and lighting, when my grandson came to help I had the ceiling on in less than half an hour and the galling bit was while he had no bother holding the plywood sheets up, especially after me struggling, he did so with one hand while he worked his phone with the other though to be serious I don't know what I would have done without him, so I finaly got my hut finished and all the electrics in, so that left a couple of bags of chips to be shifted OH was complaining of them sitting at the front of the house so I got another grandson to come down and help, I shovelled and he barrowed till we emptied them, they are now stacked up the back till I get the front of the hut sorted, I am in the process of making a new raised bed, which I hope to have finished by the end of next week if it stops raining.







                      Last edited by rary; 20-10-2020, 04:15 PM.
                      it may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.

                      Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbers

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        For Snoop, I lifted some of the oca this evening, the weren't ver big but still easy to clean, I roasted them with some radish, carrots and onions all from the garden and to be honest didn't really notice any great taste to them, but OH ate them without being told they were there and once she was finished she said that the meal was tasty, possibly larger ones may have a more distinct taste to them, but doubt if I will grow them again as returns for the space and time to harvest isn't really worth it, the reason I lifted them is they are in the way of where my new raised bed will be
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                        Last edited by rary; 20-10-2020, 08:31 PM.
                        it may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.

                        Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbers

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Thanks for report on oca, Rary. Sounds like I won't bother either.

                          And careful with working too hard (I won't say don't overdo it, but you know what I mean).

                          Comment

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