The 'What I Did Today' Archive - 2007

[Poledragon]

Oh dear Mazel-bee, that is sad. I love toads. However, as I don't have any (a few frogs but no toads) I've installed a trio of chickens in my garden to make a dent in the slug population. They're great and less than a week in I'm getting 2 or 3 eggs a day already.

Went to Aldi and picked up two packs of fruit bushes, so I've two redcurrants, two gooseberries, a black currrant and a blackberry to plant. Didn't see the big box of fruit trees until I was on my way out though. Never mind, I've got enough trees in pots for now.

And managed to clear out my greenhouse - spotted a couple of missing panes that I'd not noticed before, but they're easily fixed, and in the meanwhile, they let the chickens get in to have a go at the bugs. Have to scrub some pots and clear off the potting table, but we're getting there. The potting shed, however, is currently beyond hope - I opened the door and inventoried a bike, a generator, an electric strimmer, two sets of shelves with the remains of last years garlic, shallots and onions on them, an easel, a large child's ride-on car, some pieces of Land Rover, my missing fork (no longer missing), a large stack of plastic storage boxes... at that point I gave up and shut the door. We did win a nice 6 bird chicken house on eBay last night though, so my girls will have deluxe accomodation from Tuesday.

Oh - and the tray of banana shallot seed that the builders knocked all over the floor and haphazardly scooped back into the modules actually has a couple of tiny shoots showing! Maybe they like being treated roughly...

[pigletwillie]

An at home day today as I start my rest days to the sound of much rain falling. In the greenhouse I pricked out some cauliflower and sowed some heritage tomatoes along with some "berry" tomatoes from Marshalls. Red onion seedlings were kicked out into the open air to free up space. I was quite pleased to see a load of agapanthus seedlings starting to show.

Its a lottie day tommorow as its a committee meeting and we want to carry on clearing the new plot of brambles and to knock down the shed.

[silverfork]

Glad to read I'm not alone; I'm giving my new (never been cultivated; compacted subsoil, no topsoil) allotment exactly the same treatment as Johnty Greentoes. It's a slow and painstaking process, but I'm motivated by the lengthening days, and my potatoes chitting, and the rest of the stuff I've got queueing up to get into the soil. Need lots of poo.
I know they say don't plant things like carrots into freshly manured ground, but what if the soil is just desperate and structureless? Wouldn't it be better to put some organic matter in?
It feels mean to plant stuff in the soil as it is. It's just barren. Does anyone have experience of similar?

[Pippin]

Hi Silverfork

Chafing at the bit is a well documented malady amongst gardeners - it runs through all the threads of this forum and others and I`m glad to say there is no cure .

Good preparation always pays dividends in the future though. You could leave part of your plot fallow and sow a fast growing green manure that could be dug in later. Use an organic slow release fertilizer in areas that you are utilising. It does take time to build up the structure and fertility of any plot that is in poor condition.

It is important to know what your soil is about. I use a test kit I bought from my local nursery - it cost me about £15 - (see images below). This will tell me what my soils`s pH is and the N, P, K content.

Pippin





This shade of green indicated my soil`s pH was 7.5 and therefore alkaline

[nick the grief]

Well, went to the allotment today to see how our folks from BTCV are getting on and found out they had only just got there themselves !!

We are having one of our hedges layered over thenext couple of weeks so it will be interesting.

Also all but 3 of our new sheds have been erected - so things are looking good.

On a personal note, I potted up about 30 cuttings & took a load more and as soon as I finish my cuppa I'm off to do a bit of pricking out I think - ahhh relaxing sundays

[Kimbo]

Today I dont plan to do much as I am trying to recover and get my strength back from the stinking cold I have had all week. I have planted 30 imperial green longpod, 15 jubilee, 15 bunyards exhibition broad beans which are now sitting in my mini greenhouse. I have also planted 3 pots of lancer parsnips (I am growing these as mini veg in pots) and 2 pots of sirocco carrots (these I am also growing in pots). My sutton broad beans planted 3 feb still arent showing their heads but i checked one out below the soil and it has germinated. Well I guess its back to my gantt designer to plot out the sowing and growing times for the seeds I bought the other day.

[Gryfon]

I've just been outside and managed a little bit of weeding and managed to hack back a few of the brambles. However now I feel dizzy and my fingers are all tingly so had to stop...blimin pregnancy getting in the way of my gardening!

This morning I bought 2 french lavender plants for £1 each, and got hubby a nice pair of long gloves reduced from £6.99 to £1! It did say on a notice 25% off but he wasn't going to complain if the till thought it was reduced more

[GeordieVik]

First seeds!

Yippee - I sowed my first seeds of the year (including my first ever peppers & Cima Di Rapa) plus a few flowers into a cell propagator (not heated.)

Little'un insisted on being allowed to do some, so he's done some pansies & dianthus - consisted of basically chucking the seeds on the compost, bless him. Bet you his are more successful than my carefully arranged ones...

Went to Focus & bought a 4 tier placcy greenhouse for £12.49, bargain I thought!

[Nicos]

Pruned my peach tree!!! ( unsupervised!! ) So let's see how tough they can be then!!!

[pigletwillie]

It was supposed to rain today but thankfully it didn't.

Two raised beds of sturon onion sets were planted out, something that wouldnt be possible direct into the ground as its just too wet. My homemade wooden plant labels are also now being put to use labeling all of the beds as they fill up.

Some cabbage and leeks were harvested, bangers, mash, leeks and cabbage for dinner and a big pan of potato and leek soup for in the week.

[johnty greentoes]

I emailed my Local Authority to se if they would give me rental of 300m2 of vacant land to create a hazel coppice.

No harm in asking! See http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ead.php?t=5103

[wellie]

I got back home from Dog-Sitting at my clients, to complete and utter peace and quiet (no more bark, bark, barking !!!!) and collected all 81 messages on my 'puter. No, I'm not that popular, it was you lovely lot!

So this afternoon I are mostly been pricking out/potting on Calendula, Cornflowers and Sweet Peas in my Grown-Up-Girls-Greenhouse.

Goodness, how you notice the new growth on your greenhouse plants when you don't see them for a day or two ! The true leaves are beginning to show on all the Brassica seedlings now. Something's having a nibble at the Tomato leaves. And the Mangetout has started to germinate in the lengths of guttering already so soon !
Counted the Red & White Onion seedlings just now, and decided to sow more seed tomorrow, as nowhere near sufficient for my kind of kitchen use. Brunswick (Reds), Bedfordshire Champion & Rijinsburger (Whites) are my particular choice for this year.

Equally as important as my 'girls' (plants), I have reaquainted myself with my cat.... oh, you're back are you.... and Trousers said the cottage was extremely 'quiet' without me nagging at him last night. Can't think what he means....
It's lovely to be home, and I'm looking forward to an industrious week in the garden once I've got that Work-Thing out the way!
Thank you for listening,

[serenity]

Had a really good day today. Managed to finish 2 of my beds, digging out hardcore, digging soil below and topping up with bags of topsoil and compost. Bought some concentrated pelleted animal manure form b&q and chucked some of that in as well. Covered over with fleece now to warm up the soil.

Then for the greenhouse. It was well overdue for a good clean so took everything out and gave it a good going over inside and out. Cleaned all greenouse staging and replaced, cleaned pots and put everything back.

Planted beetroot, carrots, little gem, radish, nasturciums and bulls blood beetroot all in modules in greenhouse. Put a couple of charlotte potatoes into pots. Planning to grow swift in pots but they haven't turned up yet from T&M yet .

gave rabbit a manicure and just starting evening meal. phew

[Amanda1]

To all that are sowing now, are your green houses heated or unheated? Most of my seed packets say between 10 and 20 degrees needed, i know it's about 11 degrees in the day at the moment but if I tried sowing in my unheated greenhouses will the temperature be too cold at night for germination? I think last year I started at the beginning of April to sow and even then I had them in the kitchen until pricking out although I think it is warmer this year than last.

[nick nack]

Dug out a section of border which was used for flowers for my fruit bushes from Aldi, nothing used grow very well there and I found out the reason why?

I think someone demolished a house and tipped in my garden, it is unbelievable the amount of bricks etc I dug out. The old back is now suffering. Anyway have got my fruit bushes in but because of the time it took I wasn't able to plant any seeds so the window sills will be clear for another week She Who Must Be Obeyed will be happy!!