What I did today - 2015

[skeggijon]

Watering, strimming, more watering. Pulled up the onions, and planted 30 Fenella Strawberry plants.

[kris1960]

Yesterday- continued tidying,dug and prepared 8'x4' bed.
New phone is driving me to distraction(where are grandchildren when you need them) but am hoping to be able to post photos more easily when I get to grips with it.

[bario1]

Weeded paths - patches of grass and dandelions coming up through the woodchip now, they need re-doing.
Cut some comfrey and put it in the compost bins.
Found a module tray with some calendula seedlings still in it under the comfrey jungle! Found a spot to plant them out.
Watered everything in the tunnel, coldframe and pots.

[Scarlet]

I'm going to have a major weeding session today. Also need to plant some spring cabbage seeds, so looking through my seed box now. Found a pack of "pixie" will sow some of those as well as a trial.

[Lumpy]

Ordered another raised bed to go into my new (and still very small) growing area - struth I love link a bordy

[CaroleL]

Checked everything that's being grown upwards to see if any help needed. Tidied the courgettes and removed a few of the tatty leaves to open the plants up a bit.
Fed and watered, although not much watering needed after the rain we've had recently.

Must go and attack the weeds soon.

[Bigmallly]

As I don't fully utilise the Kite over winter, I thought I'd improve the irrigation so............."Off with it's 'ed."

[Penellype]

Removed the remainder of the early peas and their supports and weeded behind it. This is the area that didn't get a mulch because I had run out of cocoashell and couldn't get any more. Planted out 2 Shirley tomatoes that had been lurking in the growhouse waiting for space, and was absolutely horrified to find that the soil where the peas had been was dry to a depth of at least 6 inches. I know its been dry, but this is my water retentive clay soil, not the sandy ex-patio area! Drenched the soil before planting and covered it will a load of fresh compost. Note to self - find something - anything - to mulch things with!

Dug out the bottom of the hotbin to provide the above compost and to make room for the rest of the pea foliage. Moved the bucket of Geisha peas from behind the fruit cage to next to the newly planted tomatoes, where they will get more sun. I do like these 30 litre buckets - big enough to grow decent crops in but easy enough to move around.

Now I need to think of a new home for my florence fennel - I was going to put it where I have just planted the tomatoes, but I think soil that dry would cause it to bolt in no time. Perhaps another of those useful buckets, if I eat some more potatoes...

Deadheaded some of the flowers, trimmed the pieris and pruned the wiegela. Harvested more peas, a few beans, carrots and the first of the calabrese for tea.

Now I just need to water everything as its been really warm today.

[pandasyard]

I forgot about this thread so its a weekly update for this post and I'll be sure to update more often.

We planted 3 runner beans and 2 are showing already, also tried spring onion but they are not showing yet. Our carrots seem to be going well as are our potatoes that I top up with compost everyday too, all have been planted in the last 2 weeks.

[kris1960]

More digging and crop removal to plant seeds tomorrow(with labels!), unloaded of large trailer of horse manure delivered by kind local today free for allotments- it was humid and between that and digging required a long shower this evening. Son in law returned my forgotten seeds so looking forward to filling all my new found space and remembering to note varieties in seed sowing thread.

[Ovce domácí]

Just been forced in by a storm, got wet but managed to finish defoliating my Tomatillos. I think they've got blight. The outside ones were worst with the inner ones near the pea/chicken wire windbreak look the best.

Would a polytunnel reduce the chances of blight? Its hot enough here to grow outside but the
garden is taking a battering at the moment, the tomatoes always look ragged after a good storm.

[CaroleL]

Did some weeding today and some general tidying. I think I've spotted flowers coming on the butternut squashes so I'm a bit excited about that. Never grown them before

[kris1960]

Sowed about 15 things, planted out leeks and was just getting into my stride and ready to plant the next bed when I noticed that my outside tomatos desperately needed armpit and foliage removal and staking.Two hours later decided to plait shallots and put garlic under cover to finish drying.
Only time left to harvest more fruit. Will carry on with planting tomorrow.

[veggiechicken]

Prepared more onions for stringing. Although they all bolted, they look OK.

[Penellype]

Spent the morning at my friend's harvesting a bucket of Charlotte potatoes and a nice big Piccolo courgette for soup. Tied in the tomatoes, which have reached the sloping part of the greenhouse roof, and the melons and cucumber which are not far behind. One of the melons has a flower on it but I have no idea if it is male or female - it looks like half way between

Came home intending to get some things done at home, but developed a migraine, probably due to too much sun . Managed to pick some peas and another courgette for tea and take the plastic cover off the Sungold tomatoes as it was flapping about and in danger of damaging them.

Picked yet more sawfly larvae off my gooseberry bush. The single fruit is still there and starting to change colour - I may yet eat my first ever home grown gooseberry!