What I did today - 2015

[Snadger]

Yesterday- ground rock hard where I was intending to dig so decided to hoe tall weeds in jungly areas instead. Watered most needy plants and still have many seedlings to plant out but springwatch forecast mentioned grass frosts next week with some wind between times. Plagued with indecision at the moment.

Got home at 8.30 and realised borders were full of nettles and other plants were being smothered by buttercups. Worked until dark to restore order.

Looking much better this morning. My attention has been completely focussed on the allotment lately as there is always so much to do there. Must do better!

The problem is that once a hobby becomes a chore its no longer enjoyable. I'm beginning to think of my 'weeds' as beneficial areas for wildlife. A completely tidy plot,although good for my esteem, isn't necessarily ecologically smart!

[kris1960]

Thanks Snadger, I am feeling a bit disheartened. I, too, like my wild areas but don't want other allotmenteers to worry because some are going to seed.

You are right, I have been so intent that I have stopped sitting and enjoying the tadpoles and birds.

I'm normally the first one there on Saturdays and the last to leave most days. Today I have been dithering because I am unsure where to start.

Will go now and spend half an hour enjoying it before I pick up a tool.

[Lumpy]

Good for you Kris. Life is far too short to try and force nature into order.
Our back garden is a complete hotch potch of flowers, fruit, veggies, weeds and happiness.

p.s any chance of shoving some tadpoles in an enevelope and sending them too me as we have a very lonely frog - I'm joking, I'm joking!

[Lumpy]

Decided that yet more lawn can be ripped up (sorry - removed carefully) to allow space for more fruit bushes.

[Penellype]

Blowing a gale here today. Cut down the last PSB plant in my friend's garden and also some bolted and rusted leeks. Harvested the last of the over wintered greenhouse carrots which were starting to bolt. Pulled out a few weeds, then decided it was too windy to do anything else on my list as it all involved messing with nets, plastic cloches or large leaved plants like courgettes and beans which would simply blow about. There's another day tomorrow!

[21up]

Thanks Snadger, I am feeling a bit disheartened. I, too, like my wild areas but don't want other allotmenteers to worry because some are going to seed.

You are right, I have been so intent that I have stopped sitting and enjoying the tadpoles and birds.

I'm normally the first one there on Saturdays and the last to leave most days. Today I have been dithering because I am unsure where to start.

Will go now and spend half an hour enjoying it before I pick up a tool.

Hi kris1960
stick with it mate i got a bit like that,but now its done i can sit and watch.
And go down a couple hours every 2 days and keep on top of it.

If you leave it too long you are chasing all the time then its hard work and seems too much
all the best with it mate

[Ovce domácí]

Finished of the barriers against slugs and long grass, sowed the last of the carrots. Planted out the grushovka bush toms and chillies.

[Martin H]

Lots of weeding and watering again today.
Sowed the last three short rows of carrots to fill up my carrot bed. These were Early Nantes 2.
I noticed a couple of my overwintered onions had gone brown, so pulled them intending to cook them for tea. They have got the dreaded white rot! Straight in the bin with them. No alliums in that bed for ever more now. It's impossible to know whether the spores come from diseased sets or maybe they were in the soil from a previous plotholder - I've not grown onions in this bed before. Most of the onions seem fine though:



Oh well, at least by using no-dig, no-walk beds I stand a chance of isolating the problem.

[Jay-ell]

Planted out my chives - as individual bulbs 2 inches apart.

Pricked out my roselle - I originally only wanted about 4 plants but my original sowing produced none, so next sowing I chucked in loads in the hope enough would germinate - I've ended up with 56 seedlings all pricked out.

Sowed basil, squash and dwarf French beans.

Weeded my alliums, root veg and brassica nursery bed giving me 2 buckets of weeds to make weed tea with.

Potted up my banana and noticed that it has a couple of pups. Will wait till later to split them off.

[kris1960]

Lovely day at the allotment, got there late(for me) and watched the tadpoles for a good while before wandering about with no plan. A lot of watering, a lot of weeding, some mulching and did final prep on raised bed.

All the flowers are looking lovely- daisies, scarlet geums, lupins, foxgloves, delphiniums, nicotinia, jacobs ladder, sweet william, geraniums, perennial wallflowers( can't remember there proper name) so far.

Looked round at 8.30 and I seemed to have got a lot done while flitting from one thing to another- thanks Snadger!

Highlight was seeing the vulcan flying over at about 2.15. Incredible plane!

[Scarlet]

They have got the dreaded white rot! Straight in the bin with them.

My garlic is the same half of the bed has collapsed and gone brown. I'm hoping to use another bed.

[Snadger]

Put a pane of glass on the end of a contraption I've rigged up to protect my pumpkin from windy conditions at the allotment. Its now covered two sides and the top.Re-fastened debri netting around sprouts (windy night last night) and applied water to recently planted brassicas.
At my house I cut the lawns, watered some perennials and planted some new perennials. I also weeded and planted up a bed under the window with purple petunias (50p in a sale) and Cineraris Maritima dotted between.

Then I went fishing!

[Lumpy]

Threw 600 ltrs of bark around the new beds where flowers, corn, pumpkins, Q's and strawberries have replaced most of the front lawn - I love the smell of it!

[susieq100]

Yesterday - spent all afternoon at the allotment, weeding and strimming. Then I forked over the final bed and planted my free seeds from GYO Magazine. Thank you guys! It is beginning to look as if someone lives there . Harvested some radish for supper. Came home and labelled tomato plants to sell at the Car Boot today (sorry Grenier Vide only I don't keep tomatoes in the attic).

[Xepher]

Just planted out the last of my squash, pumpkins and courgettes. Sown some more beetroot, kohl rabi and turnips and gave everything else at the plot a good weed.