What I intend to do today/tomorrow!

[Jungle Jane]

Tuesday jobs
Take compost that is currently in bucket 40 (grew tomatoes last year) to allotment for leek bed - done
Plant 2 Arran Pilot seed potatoes in bucket 40 using compost that grew kohlrabi, wrap in bubble wrap and put on hotbed - done
Assess situation at allotment, tidy out shed - done (sort of)
Spread compost on leek bed and cover with fleece to keep cat off - done
Prune more leylandii if time and not too wet - done
Harvest salads, swede - done salads

Wednesday jobs
Chop leylandii at allotment
Harvest carrots, calabrese

I was just thinking if the potato buckets were sunk into the hotbed,if the top inch of soil did freeze,what’s underneath won’t be frozen? I think someone on here sunk their potato buckets into a bed once?

[veggiechicken]

Today, Wednesday 21st was Weeding & Bed 21 DONE

Tomorrow, Thursday 22nd is Thinning/transplanting and Bed 22 (V).
Unfortunately, the Smart meter person is supposed to be here sometime in the morning - so I hope that the afternoon is sunny.

[Penellype]

I was just thinking if the potato buckets were sunk into the hotbed,if the top inch of soil did freeze,what’s underneath won’t be frozen? I think someone on here sunk their potato buckets into a bed once?

I did wonder about that, but the beds are quite narrow and I think I could have major problems getting the buckets out to harvest them if I sunk them in that deeply. Hopefully the heat from the hotbed will be enough.

[Small pumpkin]

Today mostly potting on chillies and little Bartholomew ( early tomato ).
A little bit of planning
And a bit of freezer juggling ( contents not the actual freezers )

[veggiechicken]

Tomorrow, Thursday 22nd is Thinning/transplanting and Bed 22 (V). DONE - but more clearing to do in 22.
Unfortunately, the Smart meter person is supposed to be here sometime in the morning - so I hope that the afternoon is sunny. DONE - sort of. Meter fitted by midday but very cold out so didn't get much done outside.

Tomorrow is Flowery Friday when I do things with flowers and, since its the 23rd, it'll be Bed 23 and something with a U.

[Penellype]

Friday jobs
Prepare for freeze (some of this will spill over into the weekend):
Empty water out of Hozelock planter (strawberries)
Remove water tray from saladgrow (mizuna & namenia)
Harvest remaining 3 leeks from under cover near hotbin
Move buckets of broad beans, corn salad and carrots under cover near hotbin (where leeks are currently)
Move 3 brokali plants temporarily onto hotbeds
Wrap buckets of carrots and parsnips in garage with bubble wrap
Set up greenhouse heater (should arrive today) in garage
Bring in tubs of compost and plant pots for seed sowing during freeze
Bring stored potatoes and onions into house so they don't freeze solid
Attempt to protect water butts and bins at allotment with bubble wrap
Sort out thick rugs for horses - requires moving large amounts of stuff in the garage so I can get to the rug trunk.

And what I would like to do today...
Weed front garden and deadhead violas on fence
Check back garden for weeds and remove any I find
Sieve compost for carrots
Dig raspberry bed again
Dig bed next to rhubarb and remove weeds and flowers
Chop more weeds/leylandii
Harvest salads, carrots, swede

I need a clone of me, or preferably 2!

[Penellype]

Friday jobs
Prepare for freeze (some of this will spill over into the weekend):
Empty water out of Hozelock planter (strawberries) - done
Remove water tray from saladgrow (mizuna & namenia) - no
Harvest remaining 3 leeks from under cover near hotbin - no
Move buckets of broad beans, corn salad and carrots under cover near hotbin (where leeks are currently) - no
Move 3 brokali plants temporarily onto hotbeds - done
Wrap buckets of carrots and parsnips in garage with bubble wrap - done
Set up greenhouse heater (should arrive today) in garage - no, didn't arrive
Bring in tubs of compost and plant pots for seed sowing during freeze - no
Bring stored potatoes and onions into house so they don't freeze solid - no
Attempt to protect water butts and bins at allotment with bubble wrap - done
Sort out thick rugs for horses - requires moving large amounts of stuff in the garage so I can get to the rug trunk - no

And what I would like to do today...
Weed front garden and deadhead violas on fence - no
Check back garden for weeds and remove any I find - done
Sieve compost for carrots - no
Dig raspberry bed again - no
Dig bed next to rhubarb and remove weeds and flowers - done
Chop more weeds/leylandii - done some weeds
Harvest salads, carrots, swede - done except swede

I was getting on really well, and then a dwarf patio apricot tree I had ordered earlier arrived. I rang and asked T&M when I ordered it whether it was bare rooted or in a pot, and I was told it was in a pot. It wasn't. It's also about 3 foot high. I used one of the 30 litre buckets I'd intended for potatoes to pot it up, and put it in the garage as the instructions say to protect it from frost until it has formed some decent roots.

I also had to chase up the greenhouse heater, which should theoretically have arrived on Wednesday. I think it has got lost somewhere in transit, so they are sending another, but it won't arrive until Monday. I hope that is not too late!

[Penellype]

Weekend jobs (this lot should keep me busy!)

At my friend's:
Put muck from mucking out both days into the empty hotbed and cover
Check lettuces in greenhouse and water if necessary
Feed slugs to chickens

At home:
Weed front garden and deadhead violas on fence
Sort garage and get thick horse rugs out, put everything away
Remove water tray from saladgrow (needs space in garage to dry)
Harvest leeks to make room for other crops under tunnel
Move buckets of broad beans, corn salad and carrots under tunnel
Bring in tubs of compost and plant pots for seed sowing during freeze
Bring stored potatoes and onions into house so they don't freeze solid
Sieve compost for carrots if time
Harvest salads, swede (make soup)

At allotment
Check bubble wrap on water storage has stayed put
Dig raspberry bed again
Dig fruit bed again
Chop more weeds and leylandii
Weed under hedge (full of goosegrass seedlings)
Check hotbed

[Penellype]

More jobs to add to the list today as I am becoming increasingly concerned about the amount of snow forecast.

At my friend's:
Remove nets over brassicas so that the hoops don't break under weight of snow

At the allotment:
Work out some way of getting the top piece of mesh off the tunnel (secured by cable ties) as I am certain the supporting pipe hoops won't support 4-6 inches of snow. How I get it back on again (assuming I can get it off) I have no idea.

The plastic tunnels at home and over the hotbed at the allotment will have to take their chances.

Bl**dy weather

[Small pumpkin]

Today I will be yet again improving security around my chicken run.
The otter came back and found another weak spot . He won't find any after today! He'll find new fencing and bl@@dy big rocks!

[Small pumpkin]

^^^^ done !

[Penellype]

Weekend jobs (this lot should keep me busy!)

At my friend's:
Put muck from mucking out both days into the empty hotbed and cover - done
Check lettuces in greenhouse and water if necessary - done
Feed slugs to chickens - done
Remove nets over brassicas so that the hoops don't break under weight of snow - done


At home:
Weed front garden and deadhead violas on fence - done
Sort garage and get thick horse rugs out, put everything away - got the rugs sorted but haven't tidied the garage
Remove water tray from saladgrow (needs space in garage to dry)- done
Harvest leeks to make room for other crops under tunnel - no, managed to squeeze things in around them
Move buckets of broad beans, corn salad and carrots under tunnel - done
Bring in tubs of compost and plant pots for seed sowing during freeze - done
Bring stored potatoes and onions into house so they don't freeze solid - no
Sieve compost for carrots if time - no
Harvest salads, swede (make soup) - done salads, also a couple of pods of peas from the spare room windowsill and a small tomato from the sitting room.

At allotment
Check bubble wrap on water storage has stayed put - done
Dig raspberry bed again - done half
Dig fruit bed again - no
Chop more weeds and leylandii - done a bit
Weed under hedge (full of goosegrass seedlings) - done
Check hotbed - done
Work out some way of getting the top piece of mesh off the tunnel - done

Also set up the heater (which arrived on Saturday) in the garage, sowed some peas (Meteor) for the allotment and sorted out the compost bins at the allotment.

Monday jobs:
Get a couple more dustbins from Wickes - I might as well fill them with snow as an easy way of collecting a decent amount of water.
Bring in potatoes and onions before the real cold arrives on Tuesday

After all these preparations for snow, watch it avoid York completely (as it has been known to do before). Somehow I think that is unlikely this time.

[Penellype]

Monday jobs:
Get a couple more dustbins from Wickes - done
Bring in potatoes and onions before the real cold arrives on Tuesday - done

Also wrapped the pot that the apricot is planted in in bubble wrap and covered the tree with a fleece bag - it is in the garage and staying there until the cold goes.
The thermostat plug for the heater is worrying me as it says it cuts out if it runs for more than an hour! It may well need to do so for the next few days so I might replace it with one of my timers - I will see how it copes tonight.

Tuesday jobs (snow expected)
Check heater in garage
Check tunnels and cloches, shake off any snow
Collect snow in dustbins if available.

[Jungle Jane]

A couple of years ago my nemesia self seeded into a potato grow bag,today I was out there & spotted a flower then I checked the leaves & it’s the nemesia self seeded again,this time into a washing up bowl! I’ll pot it up when the weathers not so icy

[Penellype]

Tuesday jobs
Check heater in garage - done thermostat is set at 1C and min was 1.4. Tonight will be the real test with -6 forecast outside.
Check tunnels and cloches, shake off any snow- done (twice)
Collect snow in dustbins if available - done

Also harvested carrots, swede and brokali from under the various cloches and used the last of the stored Desiree potatoes - just Sarpo Mira left now.

Wednesday jobs
Check heater in garage
Check tunnels and cloches and shake off any snow
Collect more snow if available (it may be ice by then).