What I did today - 2017

[forgetmenot]

Talked to my plants indoors, small whoop of joy to find that 4/12 seeds of my 3rd sowing (and only surviving sowing) of tomatoes have now germinated. The year of the tomato may be making a resurgence!

[johnjohn]

Yesterday, emptied a shed at home ready to relocate it today and got a tip run in. Afterwards managed to pot some struck/cut tomatoes that have been sitting in water since the beginning of April. After some debate decided to pot on my 6 early tomatoes that I started under lights in January. These are pretty big now, they're all fruiting and most have 3 trusses. I was hoping to get away without potting them on again but the weather's looking cold overnight this week so they're going to stay in the porch for another week before considering the move to the poly.

[Baldy]

As its Sunday and the weather has been good I've overdone it and am now feeling sorry for myself... I can't even go take a bath till I've finished fiddling with the battery in Mrs Balders car (needs a charge every few weeks, short circuit somewhere I reckon).
Anyhow - have taken 6 buckets of topsoil up to the plot, dug out a 1m*1m circle (ish) for pond to a depth of approx 80cm. plus more for a 'boggy' area to see if I can implement a natural filtration system for the pond with gravel and plants. (No idea what I'm doing but reckon I'll pick it up as I go)
40 tomatoes potted on in the hope that they'll reach a sell-able size for the weekend's May fair.
GH plants watered, re-potted where needed. Ordered to move my Bhut (Jolaka) and Choc. Habanero from kitchen windowsill so off to the unheated GH they go - I've bubbled wrapped 'em and it doesn't look like it should get too cold overnight here midweek - fingers crossed.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday peeps

[happyhumph]

Planted out 5 apple trees 4 as cordons along a fence and one in splendid isolation at the bottom of the garden. All been pruned appropriately & watered. Involved lifting turf by the fence which went to the neighbours to cover a hole they'd dug in their lawn, & lots of weeding at the back.

If I can get children to bed soon this evening will involve more potting on and hopefully some seed sowing....

[Jay-ell]

Put up a couple of wigwams for my tall peas.

Spent quite a bit of time chipping away at rock hard putty that was keeping in the glass and shards in the old greenhouses. Some of it isn't budging so tomorrow I may engage in a bit of defenestration

Relocated a dozen volunteer elephants who have sprung up in my beds.

[Guest]

Magic trick. Now you see it.



Now you don't



Followed by shower, deep heat, stiff drink and hot water bottle. Happy dance, no more looking at that (add appropriate word) rubble!

[Bigmallly]

Well Done You................

[Cadalot]

A swift Sunday morning visit to add some additional battens to the side panels at the top to fix the tri-wall polycarbonate sheet.



I'm going to make a frame up to fit into the front which will be held in place by a couple of toggle latches so a stop has been fixed to the inside of the side panels.

The two sacrificial feet were cut, sanded and all the timber and cuts was painted apart from the bottom tie, I did manage to paint the cut ends but I need to open another tin of red cedar shed and fence paint.

The bottom member has been positioned such that two double tray gravel trays can be slid under it.

As I was cook of the mess (when I cook it is a mess), and as my wife is still bed / first floor bound at the moment, my time on the plot in the morning was limited to getting the frame ready and painted so that it was dry for a second visit in the afternoon after lunch so that I could go back and fit the roof and the sacrificial feet.

As the shed has finally had a coat of paint I have fixed the plot numbers on the side of the shed.

I've bought the timber home to make the hinged shelving but it will not be needed quite yet as I have moved all of the cardboard that my brother-in-law had allowed me to store in his shed into the store as he is relocating his shed on Wednesday.

[happyhumph]

Managed to pot on a few more toms - new gh is going to be nothing but toms! No seed sowing done - will have to try tomorrow.

[johnjohn]

Well, not as productive as I would have liked but busy nevertheless. Managed to relocate the shed in the garden with success but that led to reorganising the other one so one shed for gardening and one for DIY type stuff.
Massive pile for a tip run tomorrow.
Really good job to have got out of the way but didn't manage to get to the plot and didn't have time to sow the seeds that needed sowing.
I've a day off tomorrow so hopefully will manage a catch up..

[Bigmallly]

Picked up 10 bags of hoss manure, started a lasagne bed of trimmings & manure & planted some more King Teds in it...........Put car battery on charge as it was flat again, I must start taking it for a drive..........................just finished watching the El Clásico........excellent!

[Hazel at the Hill]

Went to the Hill today after I painted the newly plastered bathroom ceiling with a watered down emulsion. I spent some time afterwards cleaning paint off the tiles, me and both cats then - in a bad mood as it will all have to be done again with another coat - I went to the Hill with the express task of planting the potatoes, which is something I have intended to do for the best part of a month.

Spent a couple of hours weeding and digging over a bed, hoed it level and poked the first earlies (sharpes express) and second earlies (charlotte) in the ground. Dug out the remaining leeks from the next bed, where the maincrop will go, and ran out of enthusiasm and came home.

Put the overalls back on and painted the bathroom ceiling with emulsion. I spent some time afterwards cleaning paint off the tiles, me and both cats If it is patchy in daylight (in all likelihood) I may learn to live with it. Decorating, it appears, is not one of my life-skills.

[the big lebowski]

today i made the base for my greenhouse ,its going next to my shed which i had to move 90 degreas so i could fit the greenhouse next to it ,after a bit of head scratching we used a block and tackle chaind to my next door neighbours trees to persuade it to move ,it fought us for a while but we got it done in the end ,this weeks job is to get the gh frame built then put the glass in next weekend ,cheers

[johnjohn]

Put car battery on charge as it was flat again, I must start taking it for a drive.............

Never used one myself but might this sort of thing help?

10w Solar Panel 12v Battery Charger top up c/w 4m cable & Block Diode & Clips CE | eBay

[1Bee]

[bits and pieces over several days]

Weeded half the hedge-side bed and transplanted poor, abused raspberries into place. planted out old, pot-bound blackcurrant and redcurrant. Could almost hear them squeal with joy as their roots hit the rich, damp soil. Decided two of the aforementioned raspberries were actually some sort of currant (supermarket labelling problems? Who knows what I've got, although one of them smells distinctly of Sauvignon Blanc....) and moved them again.

Stressed about fruit bush spacings. Decided stress has no place on the plot and I can move them again next year if I have to.

Planted out and mulched a buddleia. Ref butterfly thread.... it's all your fault, folks.

Limed and covered the brassica bed. (Yes, I KNOW I'm late. Better late than never!)

Weeded one side of the bean tunnel and part of the other side. Uncovered Bed 4 (beans and squashes) and started digging.

Earthed up potato ridges (they're not showing yet, but we're getting frosts) and fleeced again.