What I did today - 2017

[Small pumpkin]

Yesterday moved spud that were growing in the wrong place into spud grow bags. Extended the spud bag holding area.
Weeded sweet pea and sunflower tubes ready for planting. Filled 2 fish boxes & 1 tub with mix of home made compost and farm yard manure, ready for planting.
Dug over 6 beds (with help from mantis).
Applied nematodes to all of that.
Hope to plant a few things today.

[bario1]

Potted up some Padron pepper plugs I ordered on a whim a while back - look like good plants.
Potted on my rapidly expanding courgette plant and a couple of stalled aubergine plants to see if that'll stimulate them back into growth.
Opened up the tunnel after the cold snap to blow the cobwebs away, and watered a few bits and bobs on the plot.

[Jay-ell]

Last night I remembered that one of the bananas had been put outside to catch the sun a bit on Thursday. Events overtook us and it was forgotten about.

So after a couple of days of exposure to cold nights and hail sadly it wasn't in a good way. I cut off the pups and pared them down taking off the frosted leaves. They've now been potted on the see if they survive.

[1Bee]

Sympathies, Jay-ell. Hate when that happens...

[Cadalot]

I always keep an eye on Freecycle especially for paving slabs and kerb edgings, this little photo popped up with the following note



"We have 9 concrete blocks used for garden borders available if anyone
wants to pick them up. They just need a bit of a scrub to get the moss
off them, but they're definitely re-useable. We are redoing our garden
and no longer need them."

I sent my request to give them a new home on my allotment and Neil emailed back letting me know that I could have them and that they were stacked in his front garden. They were retrieved this morning and taken to my Spencer Road plot and laid out along the boundary with my neighbour as there is a difference in height between our plots and it will tidy it up and nicely define the boundary between the plots.

My brother-in-law dropped off two giant woven sacks of grass cuttings last night and these were taken to my Mill Green plot as I had room in one of my the compost bins there, I have not emptied three of the five.

My sister also has a number of sacks of grass for me to collect and convert into compost so I decided I need another couple of compost bins, one on each plot.



I saw on Freecycle that someone was making a Dalek homeless and I am a sucker for Daleks especially when its a shape and size I don't already have so I offered to take it in and care for it and I've just been informed that I can rehome it.

I'm just waiting for an email with the address where to collect it from.

[burnie]

First brassicas out in the raised bed today, white cabbage for summer salads and coleslaw and romanesco for my wife as I don't like cauilis of any type.

[cheapskate chaz]

Life has it`s ups and downs, and the past three weeks have been a roller coaster for me. My mum had suffered two strokes on good friday, so that weekend was taken up at the hospital, then my son travelled down to help me erect my replacement polytunnel, it`s only been a year since I bought it! I replaced the nuts that came with it with stainless steel lock nuts, the standard ones will rust!

Then my mum took a turn for the worst and I kept a vigil till see passed away last friday. Her favorite flower has been Lily of the valley, I bought the only plant I could find, it has the most glorious perfume, I will be keeping this plant as my memorial to her up at my allotment, so every time I go there mum will always be with me.

Well, what else? the Marmande tomatoes are coming on a treat, I have grown around 36 seedlings in seperate plugs, then I re-planted three into a grow bag with collars, about 10 inches tall now, the next three a week later into the same brand grow bag with out collars, 6 inches tall, the rest are still potbound at around 4 inches tall, I will re-plant these into buckets and move them into the new polytunnel till beggining of june, then I `ll place them outside.

I have made a small propagator from an ice cream container and the top from a grapes punnet, they fit very well, thing is, I can`t remember what I sowed in there, but they`re growing!

The last thing is that I was munching through a georgous PinkLady apple, when I noticed one of the pips had sprouted, I planted it into some compost so hoping that it will continue to grow, If it does I will need to graft it onto a dwarf root stock to keep it small.

Still lots more to do, will keep you posted.

[craftymarie]

I'm so sorry to read about your Mum passing, Chaz. The Lily of the Valley seems like a beautiful way to remember her by.

[Jay-ell]

Sorry to hear about your mum CC. It's nice to have a memorial plant so you can talk to her and share family news. That way it doesn't look as if you're talking to yourself.

[burnie]

Condolences for your loss Chaz

[Ms-T]

sorry for your loss Chaz

[Cadalot]

Deepest Sympathy for your loss Chaz

[Nannysally99]

Sorry about your Mum Chaz. I have Lilly of the valley in my front garden, the ancestors of these plants are from my Nanna's garden about 75 years ago. I always remember her with these

[Bigmallly]

Sorry for your loss Chaz:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7K1_g31H0s

[burnie]

Morning all, winter seems to have let go today, so most of the plants that came out the greenhouse last weekend are now going back in again. Plus 4 last night, so tender stuff should be ok in the blow away inside the g/house. Dwarf French beans are up and growing, no sign of any sweetcorn yet.