Author Topic: What have you done on the plot today?  (Read 249429 times)

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1075 on: 02 April, 2020, 07:00:16 am »
BTW, I'm on a couple of Facebook groups for allotments and 'Growing your own', and am getting fed up with all the newbie stupid questions. I'm sure most of the answers are on t'interweb already.

Todays gem, was someone asking how they get seeds out of the potatoes they had bought...  :facepalm:

Possibly related to yesterday's date? No? Oh well.

As it happened I stuffed some in the ground yesterday (as well as preparing the bean bed).

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1076 on: 04 April, 2020, 05:59:36 pm »
Had a good couple days on the plot.

Yesterday I spent an hour or so having a general tidy.

Today I had a good session over there. Weeded all the beds, hoed a little to loosen the soil (I work on no dig and never walk on the beds), planted some extra raspberry canes from home, built a cage/fence/thingy from canes to support the canes in the raspberry patch (the plot is windy- can see the Mor Hafren from the plot- so the canes otherwise end up horizontal which hs not good for picking fruit). Transplanted some strawberry plants from a friend's plot to mine. Sowed a couple of rows of chard. Watered in all the transplants/seeds.

Watched a big bumbly bee fly into a tunnel into the soil and marked the spot with a tag so I don't inadvertently dig up Ms. Bumbly's nest. Watched lots of other bees enjoying the borage patch. Noticed the Mobile Fan (police helicopter) patrolling around down towards the Island. Sat and had a think about what I will put where and how I can cover the polytunnel frame without having access to horticultrual supplies (I have  an idea involving pallets and a large clear builders' tarpaulin- which I already have).

Was good to be out in the spring sun. Allotments are healthful things in many ways.

GC

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1077 on: 04 April, 2020, 06:26:24 pm »
Last Oct a friend gave me some Jerusalem Artichokes which i added to various meals and were good for my digestion, I think. I kept some JA tubers for planting, which I did mid Feb. Unfortunately i didn't use any canes to remind me exactly where they were planted. I am worried that if i weed something that i don't recognize as a weed it will be a JA. I know they grow very tall but won't know when it is just breaking above the soil.

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1078 on: 04 April, 2020, 08:03:37 pm »
Last Oct a friend gave me some Jerusalem Artichokes which i added to various meals and were good for my digestion, I think. I kept some JA tubers for planting, which I did mid Feb. Unfortunately i didn't use any canes to remind me exactly where they were planted. I am worried that if i weed something that i don't recognize as a weed it will be a JA. I know they grow very tall but won't know when it is just breaking above the soil.
I can take some photos tomorrow. Here in SW England, they are just emerging. Pretty easy to identify and actually hard to get rid of too. I have some that have split paving slabs.


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ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1079 on: 05 April, 2020, 08:17:09 am »
Working through the beds in the garden, weeding and tidying. A few more things in modules to germinate in the greenhouse.

Beetroot, chard, asparagus kale, runner and French beans, squashes and some flowering plants for the borders. Also been moving some things around for aesthetics, and took some root cuttings of sea kale.

Today will be lawn mowing and edging, more weeding and control of overgrowth, and dealing with the parsley. Its gone mad. Probably some pruning of the bonsai as well.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1080 on: 11 April, 2020, 07:17:07 pm »
Loads done in the garden this weekend including building a secure covered run for the chickens after having a big fox caught on wildlife camera earlier in week. Also moved the baths I use as raised beds. Took a lot of emptying before they were light enough to shove. Then emptied the plastic compost bins into the baths and the stuff that needs to rot down more went into the bigger compost bins I built our of pallets

Also got up the allotment this morning to any my earlies and give it a water. Highlight was the black bird that was so tame it took worms out my hand.

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1081 on: 11 April, 2020, 07:36:18 pm »
Went to the allotment today, picked rhubarb and some of the remaining parsnips. Did a bit of hoeing, but it was really too hot to be doing much.
The water still hasn't been turned on to the troughs, so I'm hoping for a bit of rain to help the seeds along - the special rain that helps plants but not weeds!
Too many angry people - breathe & relax.

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1082 on: 11 April, 2020, 08:54:05 pm »
We could do with some of that rain here too.

Planted a couple of 10 metre rows of leeks and lettuce, from trays of plants grown from seed. I needed to water the rows before and affter dibbing them in.

Had the first 'bait' (possibly an East Angian term) of 'sparrow-grass' from the allotment.
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1083 on: 12 April, 2020, 04:52:28 pm »
Luck you, too heavy in my garden for asparagus.

Been getting stuff into trays, germinating nicely, taking cuttings of herbaceous things which will hopefully work this year.

Continued pruning stuff but nowhere to put he trimmings at the moment.Other general tidying, tying in of the fig tree, lawn edges, distributing  snowdrops from the large clumps. Also built a new raised bed sized for the cold frame to drop on top of it. Pruning/shaping of the bonsai and a couple of repottings.

The prunus cerasifera that I put in the garden to recover after its top suffered die back is going like the clappers, to the extent that I'll probably pot it tomorrow. 

One more big patch of weeding to go.  Good news that not ringing many brambles this year, or much bindweed so far. Previous efforts clearly working.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

offcumden

  • Oh, no!
Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1084 on: 12 April, 2020, 05:11:20 pm »
I have a few seedlings coming on in pots/trays, but last night's close inspection revealed none of the seeds sown directly into the ground had emerged (bit of a slow start following the soggy winter).
Absolutely delighted this morning therefore to discover lettuce, radishes, spinach, broccoli and rocket had all burst through. Lots more to follow.  This year particularly, the emergence of new life is an exciting moment.

Our planned May/June holiday in France is almost certainly off, so will enjoy the enforced stay at home nurturing my crops. 

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1085 on: 13 April, 2020, 11:06:01 am »
Attacked the over grown raspberry area on the allotment. We only took it on last autumn. Managed to hack most of it down and get permeable membrane over most of it with the raspberries allowed through. Disturbed a slow (sloe?) worm which I moved to compost bin.. Wish I don't this job Saturday as was cold and windy making the sheeting difficult.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1086 on: 13 April, 2020, 12:43:12 pm »
Playing with a couple of bonsai today and a bit of weeding.  Now in best Forth Bridge tradition will be starting going back round again, only problem is no-where to put anything at the mo with refuse site closed, and green waste bin full.  Some of this stuff I don't want to put on the compost heap.

This was the Myrobalan Plum (prunus cerasifera) that I've grown from a pencil thin cutting, over 15 years ago.  It's been in the ground for a couple of years recovering from some winter dieback.  Despite 2-3 years in the ground, it went back in its original pot fairly easy.



Deciding on the "front"


New front is actually the opposite of the original front


Long branch to the right will be gradually shortened to give the right silhouette


Also repotted this from a rectangular pot that I didn't think really suited it (it's in the background above)


This one is next (wife was complaining it was scratching the cars, it wasn't  ::-) gonna take a while to dig out though)



Remember that bit in Jaws, "we're gonna need a bigger boat?" I "think" i have a pot it "might" fit in
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1087 on: 13 April, 2020, 03:00:26 pm »
I saw some bonsai in er the bark for the first time last year and was amazed by it. I'd ways assumed they were special small trees not normal trees kept small. The oak tree was particularly amazing

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1088 on: 13 April, 2020, 04:26:10 pm »
My largest is a group of three plum trees I've grown from seed for about 20 years, they now stand about 1.2m tall, similar span - I'll dig out a pic of them in full bloom, quite spectacular. I can only just move that one on my own.  The pine is also grown from seed, planted in 1997. 

The most common size of bonsai is 1-2ft tall, just about the right size to be easily moved around.  They also go down to mame size which are essentially palm or fingertip sized.  They need attention every day, soemtimes several times a day as they can dry out so easily.  I just couldn't keep any of those with my travel, it's a chore for my wife or kids to water them when I'm away in the summer as it is.

This is also one of my favourites, by one of the top bonsai masters, an 11-tree group, one for each of his grandchildren. He named it Goshin "protector of the spirit"  The man in the pic is the creator John Naka, who died in 2004 aged 89.



“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1089 on: 20 April, 2020, 06:48:16 am »
Oops forgot about my main crop seed potatoes which were under the stairs and have chitted through the net bag. Will have to try and get them in this week but feel a bit bad going to allotment after work as the wife has had the kids all day while I'm at work and I normally take over to give her a break.

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1090 on: 23 April, 2020, 07:59:27 am »
A couple of early morning trips to the allotment for watering. Need to try and remove a very low wire fence the previous plot holder had as its allowing grass and stuff to grow through but it's half buried so can't just pull out

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1091 on: 24 April, 2020, 10:27:22 am »
Got  lot of the stuff that was in seed trays and pots in the greenhouse out into the veg beds today.  Need to get the supports up for the beans, cucumbers and tomatoes and they'll go out as well.  I've had to resort to filling one of the water butts from the hose as it's been so dry here, filling the butt will allow the chlorine to dissipate.

Most of the flower cuttings I took are going well, but not ready to plant out yet - I've still not got the packet seed I ordered 2 weeks ago, they've taken my money already of course.

Ride this afternoon, and then tomorrow will be some more general tidying, trying to get some of the bindweed out mechanically befroe I need to nuke it, and the weekly lawnmowing. 
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1092 on: 25 April, 2020, 01:23:12 pm »
Repaired the last of the scaffold plank raised beds with proper pressure treated timber.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1093 on: 25 April, 2020, 05:14:58 pm »
Got my main crop spuds in. Earthed up the earlies that are just starting to come through and ripped out the fence. Neighbour plot said he will strim the grass where the fence was when he does his which saves me dragging my Strummer up there. Gave it all a good soaking as well

Hightlights were hearing a wood pecker and seeing a fight between buzzards. Looked like 2 v 1 but hard to tell as one wasn't as much involved. Feathers flying mid air

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1094 on: 25 April, 2020, 07:15:53 pm »
Planted two 10 metre rows of mange-tout peas and 2 rows of parsnips. Because the frost didn't break the soil down enough to make a decent seed-bed, I started beetroot, carrot and parsnips in micro-modules. My back ached by the time I was half way through the pasnips. as I had been hoeing and moving cold-frames before.

I am taking 30 litres of water down there twice a day for watering in the trailer behind the bike.

Planted more Mange tout pea seeds in the freed-up modules from the ones I planted.

I had been having trouble getting dwarf beans to germinate. I thought it was because I only had old seed, but now have it sorted using a propagator on a heat-mat. I'd expect to plant about 5 rows of 50 plants a row, so need to get lots going.
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1095 on: 25 April, 2020, 07:26:19 pm »
My courgette seeds did ok 4/5. When the first came up I thought that it looked a bit strange. Then when the second came up I realised that the first one was upside down i.e. roots up first, I have not seen this before. Anyway, I replanted it the right way up and seems to be doing ok. I have not grown courgettes before but have heard that they can take up some space. Might grow 2 outside.

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1096 on: 25 April, 2020, 07:35:12 pm »
I planted 5 courgette plants out yesterday, and covered them with a cloche. The 5 I had under the cloche previously now have no cover. I probably have a dozen plants still in the greenhouse.  :o

Potatoes started to show through yesterday.  :thumbsup:

I had aspagus and pizza for tea  ;D - I'm cutting asparagus every couple of days at the moment!
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1097 on: 25 April, 2020, 09:31:56 pm »
Planted out the myriad sweet peas my wife had grown.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1098 on: 25 April, 2020, 10:27:50 pm »
Over this last week I have dug up a stip of lawn 600mm x 10m as it was mainly moss and dandelions. Today I dug in well rotted manure into the heavy clay soil, mulched the raspberries and planted 144 bedding plants into the new bed and the one on the other side.

Now it will just be the weeding and watering.

Re: What have you done on the plot today?
« Reply #1099 on: 25 April, 2020, 10:34:41 pm »
One bed dug over and several rows of zinnia seeds sown.
Courgettes planted in the patented knackered old tyre towers.
Runner beans planted.
Sweet peas planted.
(All plants grown from seed.)
Rust never sleeps