What I did today 2021

[Purple Primrose]

A few months ago, my partner suddenly decided to remove the huge rhubarb plant that's been growing next to the septic tank for at least 20 years - he was worried about it trying to grow its roots into the tank and causing damage. By the time I'd gotten home from work and discovered what he'd done, the rhubarb roots had been chopped into lots and lots of small pieces and thrown in a heap to decompose. Yesterday I noticed three of the bits on top of the pile had started growing leaves so I've now got three baby rhubarb plants. I've potted them up temporarily while I find a permanent spot for them.

[ameno]

Started fixing down some sheets of black plastic for planting my tender crops through. Done about half of it, I think.

[Purple Primrose]

The asparagus I planted on 17th April is starting to sprout small spears. The broad beans sown outside two weeks ago have germinated despite the cold. Shallots and garlic recently planted out are doing well. Still no sign of the tatties yet. No sign of my favourite trowel either. I've had it for decades and I noticed it missing after I'd finished planting the asparagus and thought I'd just mislaid it somewhere in the garden (happens frequently). Now I'm beginning to wonder if I accidentally buried it in the asparagus bed along with the crowns.

[annie8]

Covered my tatties that are just poking through in case there is a bit of frost overnight.

[annie8]

Husband is building a structure for me to grow my squash vertically. By the look of it, will be pretty substantial.

[burnie]

Morning, I have trays of stuff with roots coming out the bottom, so they have to go in the ground, more peas planted as the first lot look ok, leeks to go in next, I've tried some cut and come again lettuce, they are surviving, but not exactly thriving in the cold, with temps in the greenhouse down to 1.5 last night I'm hoping they are used to the cold now. Still putting fleece on the tomatoes and chillies/peppers, they seem to be growing ok, had to the tommies arm pits this morning lol.

[Bren In Pots]

Potted on Aubergines and courgettes. Did some weeding in-between the showers.

[quanglewangle]

Ordered THIRD lot of sweetcorn seeds. Lost first two plantings to unseasonable cold weather.

Good job sweetcorn germinates quickly.

[peanut]

Finally got my potatoes in the ground, still got some to go in pots/bags etc This year I've got Ulster Sceptre, Charlotte and Nicola.

[ameno]

Refilled the compost bin with the contents of the back-up bin, along with a big sack of already decomposing shreddings, a couple buckets of weeds, and a bin bag of fresh chicken manure one of the other plot holders gave me.

[ameno]

We use rhubarb leaves to make brassica collars Annie. Rip a slit in a piece to fit snuggly round the brassica stem and bury the edges in the soil.

I use squares of denim cut from an old pair of jeans.
Card and cardboard are a bit stiff, so there is a risk of damaging the stems, and they also rot away pretty quickly so I find they don't last the full season. Squares of denim are soft enough not to damage the stems, but heavy enough to stay in place in all but the strongest winds, and last a full season before they start to rot (at which point I put them on the compost heap).

[StephenH]

AT LAST! My 'Pink Fir Apple' spuds have appeared above ground! The 'Salad Blue's appeared over a week ago, and I was beginning to despair of the PFA. It joins my cabbages and Swiss Chard, which I'd also given up on, which all appeared in the last 24 hours or so, and some of my onions, planted out a few weeks ago, and which I thought had died, have also resurrected!
I assume this is all thanks to the heavy rain of the past 48 hours. I have been keeping the plot watered with my oscillating sprinkler, but that is probably not as effective as rain, since it only wets a given spot for about one second in ten.

[Mr Bones]

That’s a really interesting idea. Might try that, was just thinking I’d harvest some rhubarb.

Works well for us. The leaves make a well fitting but gentle physical barrier, the flies are apparently not keen on the smell and oxalic acid in the rhubarb helps to deter club root.

[Bren In Pots]

We use rhubarb leaves to make brassica collars Annie. Rip a slit in a piece to fit snuggly round the brassica stem and bury the edges in the soil.

They sound a good idea, when I first started gardening I was a bit rough with store bought and homemade collars I ended up decapitating some of my brassicas

[annie8]

That’s a really interesting idea. Might try that, was just thinking I’d harvest some rhubarb.