What I did today - 2017

[Hazel at the Hill]

First visit to the Hill since before Christmas - I thought I might find my gardening mojo there.

I looked for it in the raspberry bed where I cut the canes down, in the first of the four dalek composters that I emptied, moved and refilled with uncomposted stuff; and then in the two beds that I forked over.

I'll keep looking.

[bario1]

Mulched my second brassica bed with semi-rotted leaves. Underestimated how cold it would be out there this morning!

[Bex2012]

I had a lovely couple of hours over there today, sun was out & it felt warmish, so I took my coat off!

Moved a rhubarb crown from where it got chucked in last year, to a dedicated rhubarb bed. I underestimated just how well rooted it was! Took brute force to lever it out. It was starting to bud, so i hope I havent killed it. Top dressed the rhubarb bed with spent compost & well rotted manure.

Weeded and raked over the raised beds, found a lovely footprint from the recent break in.
Top dressed the blueberries with coffee grounds and ericacious compost. Think they might need to be repotted soon.
Did a spot of weeding and raking in the other beds.
Gave the redcurrent bush a stern talking to, as it doesnt appear to be doing anything, the blackcurrent next to it has big fat buds already.
Put in the pansies and violas that I bought before xmas but hadnt done anything with. Also put in some tulips that i found in a shed drawer. Its probably far to late, but hey-ho!

[Cadalot]

An hour and a half of excavating three buckets of hardcore from a strip 450mm x 2.4m along the boundary with my neighbour resulted in rough levelling more of the paved area where the greenhouse is going to be located.

See http://cadalot-allotment.blogspot.co...-extended.html

[JustPotteringAbout]

Received a 3m and a 6m soil warming cable in the post today. Installed the 6m one in my sandbed. Bought an extension leed from Poundland so I didn't have to cut off the 13 plug to connect it into the PID controller.
Far more even heat than the plate heater that was buried in there before.
Nothing else as cold, windy and wet outside.

[bario1]

As it was raining this morning I did a couple of jobs in the polytunnel - replaced the small hanging shelf with the large hanging shelf ready for seed trays, and sowed 30 Red Baron onion sets in modules.

[bario1]

This morning I turned two half full pallet bins into one full one, so it should now rot down more efficiently. I'll fill the other one with leaves for leafmould at the weekend. Also mulched my new cherry tree with rabbit muck.

[Penellype]

Blowaway greenhouse arrived this morning - 4 shelves just 18 by 20 inches. This is now assembled and in position in the corner of my new fence. I've tied it to the fence upright with cable ties and its jammed into the boards at the sides of the bark path, so hopefully it won't live upto its name.



I'm hoping it will be useful for hardening off seedlings ready to hang on the fence, and I may use it later to grow a tomato plant. Because its tucked into the space next to a really wide hedge it should be sheltered from the wind on 3 sides and its hardly visible from my front room.

Apart from 2 pots of bulbs weighing down the bottom shelf it is currently empty, but I can't see that being the case for long!

[Bigmallly]

I guess it won't be long before that fence is covered in pots................

[sparrow100]

Spent the morning running around with fluffy chubby ponies. Filled the boot with bags of horse muck & added it to the rhubarb, greenhouse and half the potato bed. Really should look into hiring a van for a few days for some proper muck shovelling.

[Penellype]

I guess it won't be long before that fence is covered in pots................

I have a stack of pots designed for hanging on fences in my spare bedroom, and supplies of perlite and vermiculite in the garage to use to make the compost less heavy. I am (with difficulty) sitting on my hands with regard to planting, but some of my seeds, particularly the peas and silene have February as the starting month for sowing. A bit of sunshine and warmer weather next week and my resolve to leave it until March is likely to crack.

[bario1]

More trench digging this morning. Connected the soakaway that will sit under the 'keyhole' of my asparagus bed to the main drainage trench. So satisfying watching all that water rushing over my wellies when i dug out the last plug of soil!

[Cadalot]

Yesterday put the portable grow light station together, Alans Allotment: LED Portable Grow Station this morning sown three of five varieties of Brussels Sprouts Alans Allotment: Sowing Brussel Sprouts awaiting the other two packs of seed to arrive today, looking at the warm glow of the LED Grow Lights and have a nice feeling inside as I finally have something on the go.

[bario1]

You must really like sprouts Cadalot!!

[Cadalot]

You must really like sprouts Cadalot!!

Just like puppies a sprout is for all year round not just for Christmas ;0)