What I did today 2012-2014

[BertieFox]

Reply to LoudBarker1:

It could also have also been caused by the fact that the plants were overcrowded (broad beans in polytunnel). All the pods were at the top of the plants and none of the flowers lower down got pollinated perhaps because they were 'out of reach' to any insects. We also had a cool spring so it may have been there were fewer flying insects.

[Tripmeup]

Reply to LoudBarker1:

It could also have also been caused by the fact that the plants were overcrowded (broad beans in polytunnel). All the pods were at the top of the plants and none of the flowers lower down got pollinated perhaps because they were 'out of reach' to any insects. We also had a cool spring so it may have been there were fewer flying insects.

Hi Bertie,

If you want to respond directly to someone's post (or part of), you can just click the "Reply with Quote" button situated to the bottom right of their post (as I have done with yours!!)

[Paulieb]

Received my tatties from T&M(!) yesterday so the Lady Christl's are out on the side now chitting, with the aim of planting the first one on or around 1st Feb.

All the others are 2nds and mains so will leave them in the cool porch for a while yet, trying to ease in the chitting so SWMBO doesn't blow her top.

Was surprised to receive them with the cold weather we're having. JBA's are still to come but plenty of time yet.

[binley100]

Blimmin' cold here today so let all my seedlings stay wrapped up under their cosy fleece .....

[veggiechicken]

Received my tatties from T&M(!) yesterday so the Lady Christl's are out on the side now chitting, with the aim of planting the first one on or around 1st Feb.
Was surprised to receive them with the cold weather we're having. JBA's are still to come but plenty of time yet.

Mine arrived today from T&M - Rocket & Charlotte, bought with vouchers on a free delivery weekend

[horticultural_hobbit]

Sown purple cape, all year round and mayflower caulis. Found keeled over baby chillies.

[greenishfing]

Prised some parsnips from the semi-frozen soil, picked a swede and some kale. Then I grabbed some garlic and onions out of the shed and a box of apples to give to the poor hungry blackbirds, (no doubt the self same blackbirds that I will be threatening to put in a pie come June when they are pinching my strawberries)

[legume]

Opened big box of seed potatoes that arrived today from T&M. Stared at seed potatoes. Went away to make tea. Came back to stare at seed potatoes some more. Wondered why I bought 100 (yes, one hundred!) seed potatoes, and where the heck I'm going to plant them all. Went to look for egg boxes to put them in to start chitting. Remembered I recently tore up all the saved egg boxes and put them on the compost heap because it needed more 'brown' material. Cursed. Wandered back to stare vaguely at seed potatoes. Found a large seed tray instead. Put 60 Sarpo Mira seed potatoes into the tray. Remembered they are mains, not earlies, so don't need chitting. Cursed. Took all Sarpo Mira potatoes out and put 40 Charlottes in. Put the tray on the desk in the study, 'out of the way'. Decided it wasn't out of the way and put it in the bedroom. The tray kept wobbling on the too-narrow windowsill. Took tray back downstairs and placed it in kitchen. Got irritated by grubby-looking tray on work-surface while cooking dinner. Put tray back on desk in study. Had dinner. Went and stared at seed potatoes. Drew up plans for digging a new bed on plot to accommodate excessive seed potatoes. Thought. Checked Alan Titchmarsh 'The Kitchen Garden' section on potatoes, specifically: planting distances. Cursed. Re-drew plan with new bed roughly twice the size. Informed husband of the need to dig a new bed for seed potatoes. Took husband to stare at seed potatoes. Husband, um... said some things. Rang mum and offered her some free seed potatoes.

So, a completely all-round productive day here then.

[SarzWix]

Hate to throw another spanner in your works, but Sarpos *do* need chitting in my experience - they take ages to come out of their dormancy otherwise and risk rotting in wet ground while they get their act together

Oh, and maybe you could list some of your spares on eBay - there's supposed to be a shortage this year, so they'll probably be snapped up

[legume]

LOL. Thank you for the advice Sarz.

I'll go put the Sarpos back in the chitting tray then. It's been at least 15 minutes since I went and stared at the seed potatoes anyway.

*wanders off muttering vaguely to self*

[Aberdeenplotter]

If seed spuds are kept in a controlled environment at low temperature as is practiced by the commercial suppliers, they will not sprout.

The ordinary grower doesn't have the facilities or resources to be able to store spuds at low temperatures and the idea behind chitting seed potatoes isn't to persuade them to sprout, it is to control how they sprout and to prevent the sprouts that form before planting developing into long unmanageable tryphid like growths.

Commercial growers plant mechanically and sprouts would either block up the machinery or get knocked off by the rumbling about within the machine. There is no need to chit any variety before planting. When the soil warms up, they will develop sprouts and grow as normal.

If the soil is sodden, do not plant or as Sarz mentions the spuds may rot before they start to grow. In that situation it is sensible to allow the spuds to chit to control sprout growth but it is not necessary to persuade the spuds to grow.

[hollychap]

first job today was to let the chooks out into the run , i have an automatic pop hole door which didnt open so they got a lie in second job was sort out the pop hole door (now working) . third to do was defrost the bird bath and fill the bird feeding station then it was snow shoveling to clear the paths . next was to finish my week three project which i did in the garage watched by two well slept chooks . now sat thinking of my week four task with a single malt

[happygirlie]

Today I cleared yet more snow from the paths, re stocked bird feeders. Defrosted my dogs! Now chilling with some homemade leek and potato soup whilst deciding what to do next.

[Prince of Durham]

After defrosting the padlock on the gate for the umpteenth time this week, finally had a brainwave and put it in the shed and replaced it with a big bent nail.
Then spent ten minutes clearing snow from the greenhouse and at least half an hour de-icing the water troughs for the hens. Laid a bit more rat poison under the potting shed, were the solitary trail ended. Then I toyed with the idea of relaxing next to the pot bellied stove in the tool shed, but thought better of it as yet another wall of white cascaded across the site. So I stood and watched the hens for as long as my fingers would allow.... Hurry up spring.

[Bigmallly]

Just had a couple of hours at lottie, squared up the cages & put in place ready for spring..................Was gonna make it my week 4 challenge but couldn't wait that long due to the weight of the snow..........now what can I think of for next week?.............