The 'What I Did Today' Archive - 2007

[Kimbo]

Yesterday I sowed

6 pots each of 2 different types of chilli and 1 type of pepper
4 pots each of 4 different types of tomato
1 tray of savoy cabbage

and prayed and prayed that my new plastic greenhouse would last through this wicked wind.

This morning got up and new greenhouse is still in place - phew large sighs of relief - i think if it can last through the wind we had last night it can last through anything - so glad I tied it to the fence.

I was planning to plant some more peas and beans today but have run out of compost and dont really fancy the walk to the local tesco to get some more as it is now absolutely throwing it down.

[Pyewacket]

What I Did Yesterday

I spent all day at the allotment catching up on the digging.

Uncovered two new sections and dug them over completely removing as many weed & roots as I could.

Dug over the Hungarian Rye grass, boy that rye grass is tough stuff, the roots go down half way to Australia! I shall have to dig this bit again next time as got too tired by that stage of the day.

Planted my strawberry plants, hope I'm not going to regret that because today it's started to snow!

Weeded half the allotment thoroughly and cut the grass paths.

Planted my onions and also weeded my shallots which have started to emerge.

Weeded round the garlic and the fruit bushes.

Pyewacket

[Kimbo]

Had a minor emergency with the greenhouse, when I went to check it I found half the stuff off the staging was on the floor so ended up going to tesco to get compost after all to try and save my peas, the parsnips have had it so I have just piled the compost back into their pots and see what happens I will probably have to try again and the kale I have just piled up in a seed tray and put compost on the top and hope for the best. Well now I have the compost I might as well get some more peas and beans started off and keep them in the dining room for a couple of days till the bad weather passes. If I keep it cool they shouldnt go too leggy?

[HappyMouffe]

Yesterday I re-dug a bed on the lottie (got up loads more mares tail and dandelion roots), and dug up some of the grass paths I'd left, as they seem to be more trouble than they're worth. Stamped on soil paths will do for now until I can get more organised. I also planted some Lady Christl potatoes.

Today, I have sown some calabrese, and peered at the progress of the other seedlings. Now, it is incredibly windy and snowing/sleeting/hailing, so have withdrawn indoors, listening to Gardeners Question Time.

[johnty greentoes]

Not such a good one...

Arrived at the plot this morning to find that a bag of sand, a bale of organic soil improver and 7.5kg of chicken manure had disappeared in the night.

I am extremely disappointed. I assume I've been robbed by a "fellow" grower.

I asked around but nobody saw nuffin. lots of sympathy and genuine surprise.

Stood in the middle of the plot and yelled "thanks a bunch you robbing b*****d" while giving v signs to the 4 winds. Felt a lot better.

DLTBGYD

Continued digging in gales force winds and driving sleet. I love bad weather - so invigorating.

[Flummery]

[QUOTE=johnty greentoes;78346]Arrived at the plot this morning to find that a bag of sand, a bale of organic soil improver and 7.5kg of chicken manure had disappeared in the night.

How rotten Johnty. You always expect better of people with a sensible hobby like gardening.

Too horrible today - flurries of hail and gales blowing. Helped little grand daughter to plant a tub with seed potaotes. She promptly wandered off and fell in the pond! Cleaned up ok. She'll remember to keep away next time.

Flum

[phil the shed]

what a difference a day makes......
saturday 17/3/07
digging over potato beds and working onion in t-shirt short sleeved at that
weather pleasant cool drink required for slaking a working thirst.

sunday 18/3/07
its that bl***y cold not even t-shirt jumper coat and scarf enough to keep me warm........... so went home for double hot chocolate and marshmallows
some comfort that me thinks.
phil the shed

[BayViewPlot]

Have dug some deep trenches ready to prepare raised beds over the past weeks and have now done a major assault on the local nursery!

Bought 4 each of 4 types of spud;
Lady Cristle
Charlotte
Wilja
Sarpo Axona

A 3 Sisters Combo;
Sweetcorn -Incredible F1
Blue Lake Climbing Bean
Squash - Sunbust F1

2 types of tomato (for outside growning)
Garden Pearl (cherry toms)
Alisa Craig

Peas - Hurst Green Shaft

Variety of salad crops
Little gem
'Mixed' Lettuce leaves
Rocket - cultivated
Coriander - Leisure
Basil - Sweet Genovese
Marjoram
Oregano
Russian Comfrey
Purslane
Beetroot - Boltardy

Found a load of old seeds later(out of date between '03 and '05 but have potted a few anyway) ;
Brussels sprouts - Wellington
Peas - Hurst Green Shaft
Rocket
Oregano
(so now have a glut of the lower three but not certain they will grow.... gonna bung a load in compost and see what happens!)

Used up lots of the toilet rolls I have been saving all winter (with many odd looks from the wife) and have lots now in propogators....lets hope for the last of the frost

Am sooo excited for the coming year, thanks to everyone who has given their time and experience to this great site.

[poozie]

what we did today.

Had a strange day in which we just went around in circles. Had to go to tescos but went to Homebase and a garden centre first, yhen did tescos and were just driving home when we decided to visit allotment to see how our make do greenhouse was bearing up in the wind. While there we had to straighten out our black plastic sheeting which had blown around a bit. My husband managed to fall over and unknown to him lost his mobile and covered it over with the plastic. We get back to car and he reckons he has lost phone at tescos, or someone nicked it off him there. So back we go to tescos, no phone, then Homebase again, no phone, garden centre, still no phone.....I say that I can't imagine anyone would half inch his phone, he is looks dodgy himself (bless him!) so we go back to the allotment again. I try ringing the phone but we don't hear if because we are both deaf (!) and the wind is howling, but hey there it is under the plastic with the toad and fieldmice.

Am excited because the melons i sowed last week have germinated already, and my cherry tomatoes and purple brussels are looking good too.

[Norm]

When I finished train driving at 3.30, I went straight to the lotti and filled up all the parafin heaters ready for tonights big freeze. The min/max read 9.8/32.5. Just hoping it doesn't dip too low tonight

[bubblewrap]

Planted climbing rose (Blue Moon) (Aldi £1 29) next to the fence in my mothers garden.(sun)

[Elmo]

Rotovated all 16 beds and collected a hen house

[ysb33r]

Sowed in paper pots for planting out in allotment:

• Yellow & white beetroot (soaked the seeds overnight)
• Leeks (in toilet rolls)
• Aubergines
• Cornflower (for planting next to carrots)
• Two kinds of sweet peppers (California Wonder, Big Banana)
• Two kinds of chilli peppers (Cayenne Pepper, Tabasco)
• Three kinds of tomatoes (Golden Sunrise, Subartic Plenty, Black Cherry)

Also put my Mimi potatoes in the ground.

I wanted to sow some extra Marigolds for planting next to the tomatoes, but did not get around to it.

[berksmike]

Not had much chance to do much....Driving hail and winds not best gardening weather.
Disaster had struck! The wind had dislodged the netting over my brassica bed and a flock of winged fiends have destroyed my summer cabbage plantlings.

I have potted on my tomatoes, tomatillos, lemongrass and cucumbers for my heated greenhouse.

I had been hoping spring had sprung last week but i think its fallen on its backside again

Mike

[LostthePlot]

I managed to carry on digging over a narrow bed (for beans and sweet peas) which was knitted together nicely with couch grass, but the soil was beautiful (best on the plot so far!) At the same time I buried some bags of kitchen waste that I had been taking down to the plot into the trench and covered it with cleaned soil. Could see a black, black cloud approaching and knew that time was tight. Managed to get a tub full of newly sprung nettles picked and covered in water (nettle fertilizer) before the heavens opened and the lottie was covered in a 'whiteout'. And so ended the days session on the plot but 3 more jobs ticked off the list!