Tweet
Yesterday was busy, as Thursday often is, so I only had time for a quick visit first thing to pick off any slugs and snails and an evening watering session. My new push mower arrived so I put it together ready to take to the plot today.
Another gorgeous day today, but quite a heavy dew so playing with the mower had to wait until after lunch when the grass had dried. I spent a good hour pulling out horsetail from the paths and raised beds. Some of it is making fruiting heads, which are already starting to release dusty pink spores. Wretched stuff! I just hope I don't bring it home on my clothes as I don't have it in my garden at the moment.
I'm still finding a large number of slugs and snails, and there is damage on most of the plants, mainly not too serious. However the carrot seedlings are really suffering. I decided to try a variation on the theme of the plastic bottle copper rings. When I sorted through next door's pile of rubbish some of the items I salvaged were 3 long pieces of white plastic strip, about 3 inches wide. I decided to cut one of these into 2 3ft lengths to fit across the width of the raised beds. I then put a strip of copper tape along the upper part of one side of each strip, and put them copper side out, one either side of a row of carrots, securing them from the "inside" with hooks that came with the plastic cloches. Of course there may already be slugs hiding in the soil inside this area, and I haven't (yet) made any end pieces. I'm going to see how this works before I make any more.
Next job was something I've been intending to do for a while - make a more sensible edge to the grass path. The previous plot holder put in some pieces of white plastic, which have done a good job of keeping back the grass, but stuck up about 6 inches making cutting the grass difficult, and had gaps between which the grass was growing through. At the rhubarb end there were 2 shorter pieces of plastic about a foot high, which were to be frank, a real nuisance. I took my spade down in the car along with the mower and 13 2ft pieces of edging that were left over from making the raised part of my veg garden at home.
Digging out the pieces of plastic was easier than I expected and I soon had them out. I cut the grass down the path (very unlevel, so the mower didn't do a great job), then started to put in the edging pieces. By this time I was getting very hot, so I went home for a rest and some lunch.
In the afternoon I decided to clear out the shed, as that was at least in the shade and I needed to make some space for the mower. I folded up all the bubble wrap that was round the water bins (which I have been drying in the tunnel recently) and put it in a bag and sorted out some seed trays that contained miscellaneous nails, screws, cable ties, plant labels and assorted jumble, most of which might be useful. I then mowed the rest of the grass. The mower is ok, and certainly does a better and quicker job than the hand shears. I will have to take a spanner down though, because 2 of the bolts that I'd tightened as much as I could by hand came undone and one of the nuts has got lost. Fortunately there was one in the shed amongst the things I had tidied up, but I don't want to be losing any more.
I finished putting in the last couple of pieces of edging which has done the path from the rhubarb to the far side of the last raised bed. The white plastic pieces fit nicely round the grass side of the raspberry bed, and hopefully I will be able to put these in over the weekend. They require a bit more digging than the ones I brought from home as they are deeper.
Finally I gave everything in raised beds and pots some water. I have nearly used all the water in the blue barrel already after just 3 days of sun and warmth.
Another gorgeous day today, but quite a heavy dew so playing with the mower had to wait until after lunch when the grass had dried. I spent a good hour pulling out horsetail from the paths and raised beds. Some of it is making fruiting heads, which are already starting to release dusty pink spores. Wretched stuff! I just hope I don't bring it home on my clothes as I don't have it in my garden at the moment.
I'm still finding a large number of slugs and snails, and there is damage on most of the plants, mainly not too serious. However the carrot seedlings are really suffering. I decided to try a variation on the theme of the plastic bottle copper rings. When I sorted through next door's pile of rubbish some of the items I salvaged were 3 long pieces of white plastic strip, about 3 inches wide. I decided to cut one of these into 2 3ft lengths to fit across the width of the raised beds. I then put a strip of copper tape along the upper part of one side of each strip, and put them copper side out, one either side of a row of carrots, securing them from the "inside" with hooks that came with the plastic cloches. Of course there may already be slugs hiding in the soil inside this area, and I haven't (yet) made any end pieces. I'm going to see how this works before I make any more.
Next job was something I've been intending to do for a while - make a more sensible edge to the grass path. The previous plot holder put in some pieces of white plastic, which have done a good job of keeping back the grass, but stuck up about 6 inches making cutting the grass difficult, and had gaps between which the grass was growing through. At the rhubarb end there were 2 shorter pieces of plastic about a foot high, which were to be frank, a real nuisance. I took my spade down in the car along with the mower and 13 2ft pieces of edging that were left over from making the raised part of my veg garden at home.
Digging out the pieces of plastic was easier than I expected and I soon had them out. I cut the grass down the path (very unlevel, so the mower didn't do a great job), then started to put in the edging pieces. By this time I was getting very hot, so I went home for a rest and some lunch.
In the afternoon I decided to clear out the shed, as that was at least in the shade and I needed to make some space for the mower. I folded up all the bubble wrap that was round the water bins (which I have been drying in the tunnel recently) and put it in a bag and sorted out some seed trays that contained miscellaneous nails, screws, cable ties, plant labels and assorted jumble, most of which might be useful. I then mowed the rest of the grass. The mower is ok, and certainly does a better and quicker job than the hand shears. I will have to take a spanner down though, because 2 of the bolts that I'd tightened as much as I could by hand came undone and one of the nuts has got lost. Fortunately there was one in the shed amongst the things I had tidied up, but I don't want to be losing any more.
I finished putting in the last couple of pieces of edging which has done the path from the rhubarb to the far side of the last raised bed. The white plastic pieces fit nicely round the grass side of the raspberry bed, and hopefully I will be able to put these in over the weekend. They require a bit more digging than the ones I brought from home as they are deeper.
Finally I gave everything in raised beds and pots some water. I have nearly used all the water in the blue barrel already after just 3 days of sun and warmth.
Comment