Snadgers Penultimate Plot

[Containergardener]

Busy day again

[Jay22]

Phew Snadger. I’m exhausted just reading this!!!!

[Snadger]

Back at the plot this afternoon. It appears my plants have survived ok away from the windowsill with the precautions I have taken.

While I was there I sowed Czar and Gigante's runner beans (C/o VC) two to a pot, eight pots of each. Greenhouse bench is starting to fill up a bit now.

Watered stuff indoors and outdoors and noticed my broccoli plants in stations are up.

Prior to visiting the plot I had emptied car of OH's disability scooter to make a bit of room. This meant I could fill the car with all the surplus wood I had accumulated and will chop it all up soon for the woodburner.

Before I left I sowed some sunflower seeds I pillaged from the mixed bird seed I feed them. My next door neighbour at home had said she had more success germinating sunflowers from bird seed than the sunflower seeds she had purchased.
We will probably have a little competition between us to see who can grow the tallest.

[Snadger]

Back to my second home at the allotment again this afternoon.

As usual watered stuff in greenhouse and seedlings outdoors. Hoed plus tickled over and raked surface of an area big enough to plant some onion sets. Planted 50 Stuttgarter onion sets after watering the rows and pushing sets into wet soil.

Fertilised all of the plot with slow release fertiliser. (Because I was given it) Took some home for my borders at home.

Filled my car with old wooden fence and posts to be taken home and chopped up for firewood and sticks.

I have a raised bed with a double glazing sheet over it to warm the soil. I am toying with the idea of sowing my sweetcorn direct with the glass left on and only removing it when the sweetcorn has germinated and reached the glass.

[Snadger]

I've been getting to the plot most days but this site has been running that slow I have been unable to add updates.
Today I took down the polytunnel frame, hoed all the weeds off then rebuilt the frame. This will be my bean frame this year with lots of 8 foot canes added. I managed to find four usable canes and strted the frame but will have to buy more.

My plan is to dig an open trench along each side and fill it with cardboard,paper,weeds and grass cuttings. Once beans are ready to be planted I will fill in each trench and plant beans on top. This should act like a sump and make sure they are well hydrated. As beans haven't even germinated yet I should have plenty of time to do this.
The frame is on the leeward side of my greenhouse which should give it some shelter from the prevailing wind.

[Snadger]

Mnaged to upload a piccie to my Avatar fom my 60th birthday party. Was at the plot today and got a fair bit done. Potted on all tomatoes,chillies and and cucumbits. I erected my bean frame using 8 foot canes.Hoed up some of the spuds that had shown through. Various watering both indoor and outdoor. Started digging bean trench but dodgy knee started playing up so left that for another day.

[Nicos]

Lovely piccie Snadge!

[Snadger]

Gee thanks Nicos (smile)

[Snadger]

Went to plot to see if my plants had survived the cold night. Luckily they had, unlike my next door neighbours courgettes she had planted out and all succumbed!
After taking the insulation off the plants on the greenhouse bench I watered them and labelled stuff while I remembered what they were. Did loads of hoeing and transplanted the five Chrysanthemums that had survived the winter into a neat row. This has given me a bed 4 foot X 8 foot to utilise how I see fit. (possibly more tatties.)
After replacing insulation over greenhouse plants I left for home with some rhubarb and some leeks.

[Snadger]

Quick visit to plot. Took of the insulation from plants in the greenhouse. Watered greenhouse stuff and various outdoor stuff.

Took home a plastic drain pipe I had lying around to make a comfrey tube. My comfrey is ready for its first cut so I must get the tube fastened to the side of my hut and benefit from the comfrey tea fertiliser.
I might even show a piccie once I get it sorted. I was going to take some greenhouse piccies this morning but the battery was flat on my phone.

[Snadger]

Back at plot today with a plan. I made a Comfrey tube and fitted it to the front of my hut. I then hand gathered the comfrey leaves and rammed them into the tube with a bit of wood. I put a small bottle of water on top of leaves with a string attached to weight the comfrey dowm. Now all I have to do is wait until the comfrey tea starts dripping and I can stick may watering can underneath and get some free fertiliser for my toms.
I have some stained glass windows which I have no use for so I took off the perspex window from my shed and fitted a stained glass one. Welcome to the Church of Snadge.
Finished up by watering all indoor stuff and some of the outdoor stuff. Glad to see my carrots are coming up as I thought I may have to re-sow.
I have some piccies but the way the vine is just now I am not going to chance uploading.

[Penellype]

Ditto regarding pictures, Snadger - frustrating but hopefully they will sort things out soon.

[Snadger]

Finally got my red torpedo onions planted out. I lifted the remaining carrots and composted them as they were hairy and no good for eating. I tickled over the soil in the raised bed they were in then raked it to a fine tilth.
Soil was very dry so after I dibbered 24 equally spaced holes in the bed (I had 24 onions in tray) I filled each hole with water and allowed it to drain. I then planted the 24 red torpedo onions.

The sweetcorn I had sown equally spaced in a raised bed with a double glazed unit over it have germinated in there warm environment. I watered each of the stations and sowed a few more in situ where there were gaps. Hopefully they will germinate before the rest reach the glass 8 inches above.

I was a little bit peeved that the allotment behind mine have erected a hut behind my greenhouse.Hopefully it won't shade my greenhouse too badly, but its not worth making an issue about it as life is too short.
I have another bed earmarked for my seed grown Ailsa Craig onions which are ready to go in, but because I added a lot of home made compost to bed it was a bit hard to create a tilth. Once surface dries a bit I'll rake it down and get the dibber out for onion spacing.

[Snadger]

Aiksa Craig onions now planted out. I've just been looking at what still needs planing.

I have leeks ready to go. They are in an 8 inch pot hardening off at the mo. The two beds they are going into need weeded first.
I have 3 butternut squash to go out and another 2 courgettes to go out. These will be planted through cardboard which has a covering of home made compost and a few grass cuttings.. The runner beans are ready to go out and are getting large in there 4 inch pots.
All my four varieties of tomatoes still need planting in there final positions along with the two cucumber plants.
Its very windy here now and yesterday I didn't feel safe in the greenhouse it was that bad.
I managed to get my carrots weeded and they have come good in the end.

[rary]

In the past I have just flicked through this thread but had a right read of it this morning and a right good read it is thanks Snadger