The 'What I Did Today' Archive - 2007

[shirlthegirl43]

Hey ho, finally got a nice day and some time to get into the garden. Only to find that my spuds and outdoor tomatoes have blight

On a more positive note though, I have at long last planted the first veg in what used to be a bramble and nettle patch!! My purple-podded mangetout will hopefully be very happy and productive in their new home. If we are lucky enough to have a good day tomorrow I hope to get some kohl rabi, carrots, beetroot and chard planted in the new plot.

[rustylady]

Took a bucket of water and followed a council workman walking up the road spraying everything in sight with glyphosate.

What did you do with the bucket of water, throw it at the workman?

[rustylady]

I tidied up the borders at home, which have needed doing for some time. Managed to cut the lawn before middle daughter arrived with the grandchildren. Played with grandchildren, rescued guinea pigs from one particular grandchild who is absolutely fascinated with them, but not very gentle. Went shopping, returned to a thunderstorm - so glad I cut the lawn earlier.

[poozie]

I had to consol my husband as we realised that our spuds and toms, and everyone else's on the allotment site had succumbed to blight. it came so fast that we stood no chance. Looked on the blight watch website (just registered for alerts, although a bit late for this year) and found that that my local area has been hit worse than anyother place in country. At least its not my lack of skill.

[pigletwillie]

I picked a bucket and a half of bored beans, some tomatoes which went into the dehydrator and started plaiting more garlic ropes.

[shirlthegirl43]

I had to consol my husband as we realised that our spuds and toms, and everyone else's on the allotment site had succumbed to blight. it came so fast that we stood no chance. Looked on the blight watch website (just registered for alerts, although a bit late for this year) and found that that my local area has been hit worse than anyother place in country. At least its not my lack of skill.

You are not alone. I registered with the same site and Pembrokeshire has been hit pretty hard too! Just hope some growers escape or there will be a huge spud shortage! Wondered why there weren't many places selling earlies this year! Can't believe that my 20 buckets of spuds and 6 outdoor toms have been hit

[Hazel at the Hill]

Had a cracking day at the Hill:

• made brassica cage out ot old rabbit run frame, wilko 'pond and crop' netting and those u shaped nail things
• planted out 18 cabbage then put said frame over - hurrah!
• picked bored beans, loads of garlic (looks fab!), potatoes, a few carrots and some spinach (it's bolting, but I just keep pinching the flowery looking bits off and eat them instead (or as well as) the leaves)
• planted 7 tomato and 3 butternut squash plants where the garlic was

came home, had decadent bath with Lush bath bomb, made abbey crunch biscuits and have veg simmering to have with a sort of chili chicken dish which I'm trying out.

[poozie]

You are not alone. I registered with the same site and Pembrokeshire has been hit pretty hard too! Just hope some growers escape or there will be a huge spud shortage! Wondered why there weren't many places selling earlies this year! Can't believe that my 20 buckets of spuds and 6 outdoor toms have been hit

It sucks don't it, all that work, its not like sprinkling a few seeds when you have thick clay. Its shocking how quick it moves. Even the experienced old men were caught out. We were given a handful of new spuds from an old guy who grew blight resistant spuds. I was always doubtful about the taste of them but we will have them tonight and see. Maybe thats way forward. I now have a big space to fill, phacelia I think for the bees, or clover.

[sewer rat]

Tied up my toms in the tunnel, pinching out as I went, sowed climbing Fench Beans direct, and sowed runner beans alongside those plants already established (that have survived the easterly winds).

[shirlthegirl43]

Chopped off all the diseased bits on my outdoor tomatoes and my spuds in the hope that I get some sort of crop. Will now keep an eagle eye out for more blight. Wondering how long I should wait to stick some more spuds into buckets so that I have some home grown spuds this year! From my record of what I planted I find that the Golden Wonder and Lady Cristl (planted late) have been least affected by blight, with Winston and Duke of York hit rather badly. Madmax's bin of Golden Wonders have lost a half dozen leaves so I hope they will be okay.

Dug another couple rows of what was my bramble plot. If I get another three rows dug tomorrow (CFS allowing) I might just be able to rake enough level to plant carrots and beetroot. Had hoped to do that today but we had torrential rain overnight and the soil was a bit heavy to work until this evening. Lots of young birds in the trees watching me dig so I expect they are now down sorting out the worms!

Feeling pretty low so looking forward to tonights chat to cheer me up a bit. Even elder son said it must be pretty disheartening to put the work in to getting everything so big and then having to cut it all back and probably get no crop.

[Vegmonkey]

Chopped the pumpkin back a bit to stop it taking over the world! Became elated that the perpetual spinacheoooo is just strating to come through, and ordered stuff online to plant, so that it crops over the winter including chard, swede and some late carrots....gonna be great!

Oh, and killed some snails...so satisfying!

[sticklebricks]

Put on the wet suit, put the kids in there wet suits, tried to persuade the wife to go out in hers!! Got on our bikes and went for a swim to the alloment!
We found buried treasure in the form of potatoes, spinach, broadbeans, raspberrys and blackcurrants which made a harty pirate meal to warm us up from the wet weather of June!

Roll on summer!! maybe it will come in 2008!

[heebiejeebie]

Been busy with my other hobby again (Glandyfi to Anchor in under 11 hours on Sat!) but the mr did the grass and ate some lettuces out of the garden. And the kale has germinated.

[pigletwillie]

We picked yet another bucket of broad beans, they are prolific I must say and 3lb of razzers. 2lb went into the freezer and 1lb was put in the dehydrator as an experiment. The dehydrated razzers came out really well and will be nice added to cereal.

In the rain Piglette bless her managed to weed out an onion bed and the gigantes bean bed. The onions needed it as they dont like competition, especially with it being so wet.

[wellie]

I sowed some more cut'n'come again salad leaves in baby troughs for the Salad Bar. In between heavy showers, I harvested the last of our Bored Beans, and then cleared the bed for Mini Caulis, Calabrese and Swede plants waiting in the wings.

In the Grown-Up-Girls Greenhouse, I thinned out more foliage from the tomatoes, peppers and aubergines at soil level, which makes it easier to water, and allows more air to flow through.

Got an Allotment (!) and updated the Blog again.

Thank you for listening,