Itchy Feet

[Jameslovell]

I am really starting to annoy myself now. I really want to get up the allotment and start doing stuff for this year. But ground is far too hard, and it is far to cold to spend a sat or sun up there doing what is needed before I can actually plant anything else. I keep going up to the allotment, only to spent 10mins almost breaking my fork and hardly scratching the soil.

I was really hoping to be able plant out broad beans i start at home, but ground is not ready as I can't dig. I had to plant out the plants into bigger pots as there were starting to outgrow their newspaper pots.

AAARRRRRHHHH!!!! I need to move somewhere warmer and where there is never winter. LOL

Any one else feeling the same?

James

[lynda66]

yeah, i get eczema on one of mine ..... i use aqueous cream and a ped egg

[terrier]

yeah, i get eczema on one of mine ..... i use aqueous cream and a ped egg

Lynda, can I try a sniff of what you're on BTW, I tried to get into your town and was met with some rather mean looking guys in ill fitting military uniforms toting kalashnakov peashooters asking for my blood type? Or is this thread drift?

[miffy]

Too right James.
I took over my half plot at the end of last season, it was really overgrown and spent lots of time clearing the nettles which were taller than me!
By the time i's cleared the plot, divided it up and put in some beds the growing season was over! I have been up to the lottie the last three weekends and like you have tried to do things but the soil has the same texture as sheet metal.
It is mega frustrating when you are so keen to get started i know but before we know it, it will be spring and then you can get cracking on.

[Nicos]

I know what you mean- I thought the weather was supposed to warm up at night over this weekend!
The last 2 nights we've had a heavier frost
At least if the ground softened a bit we could do a bit of pottering!

[coomber]

Yay, its defrosted here this morning, so i'm off to wilkinsons to buy supplies (if they got em in!) then spend the day in my veggy patch

[lottie dolly]

I think we are all frozen out at the moment James,before we know it spring will be here,and then all systems go,as the days get longer,everything should warm up,says she hopefully,with very itchy fingers.

[Rhona]

I dreeeam of a frozen allotment...

As it is my tubs and as yet unmade raised bed are fine for garlic and early broadies, but I still have clearing up to do from last year before I can really get going. I satisfy my itchy fingers by obsessively looking through my seed box, making lists of more seeds, and doing pathetic, non-scale sketches of the raised bed that Mr R now wishes he'd never offered to build for me...

[lynda66]

Lynda, can I try a sniff of what you're on BTW, I tried to get into your town and was met with some rather mean looking guys in ill fitting military uniforms toting kalashnakov peashooters asking for my blood type? Or is this thread drift?

ahhhhhh they is my personal protection squad ...... maybe it's the 2 halves of lager on friday night ...... but i've had very itchy feet

[di]

James,even if the ground softens a bit,if there's any sign of frost on the surface iI think you should resist the urge to dig....turning the cold frosty surface underground where the eventual sun can't defrost it.(I stand to be corrected if I'm wrong....something I had ingrained on my mind as a kid,so maybe thoughts on this have changed?)
As far as itchy feet....I have 2 toes that at the same time every night require a major scratch,not really sure why!

[FionaH]

Its positively tropical here! 2mm of ground unfrozen wehay!

[Flummery]

I dug most of mine over in November. It'll be covered in weeds again before I;m ready to plant. Too cold yesterday to lift a couple of parsnips. It's thawed out a bit today though.

[Hans Mum]

thawed out here too, sorry james i got my broadies in although they're not as far on as the ones i sowed direct in oct/nov ish. & the heavy frosts have really made a difference to my soil it's much easier to work now and my garlic has shown itself