Author Topic: What have you done on the plot today? (Read 252445 times)

spindrift · « **Reply #225 on:** 17 January, 2010, 11:38:09 am »

the garden's stunned after the snow and ice. I think I've lost a Washingtonia palm, it's black and limp. We'll see. This winter will have been a positive Stalingrad for slugs and white fly and grubs, they'll all have frozen to death. Maybe we'll get an imbalance of pests this year, a species taking advantage of an upset in the balance?

Pancho · « **Reply #226 on:** 17 January, 2010, 12:09:15 pm »

The snow certainly took its toll here as well.

I have a lot of box hedging here - around lawns and beside paths - about 3 feet high. The ones I've looked after and kept trimmed survived and wore the snow like a hat. The out of sight ones that I'd been a bit slack with and didn't bother to trim last year have been flattened. Not sure what the prognosis is as there seems to be broken wood.

Also lost a few big branches of big trees - also to sheer weight of snow. Gave me a bit of a fright when I was out in the snowy garden and started hearing tearing and falling limbs around me.

The melt and rain has flooded the veg patch but I'm sure that will drain away to its usual gravelly arid condition.

spindrift · « **Reply #227 on:** 25 January, 2010, 08:22:44 pm »

Wyevale had a sale yesterday, all the veg and flower seeds half price and some plants at 75% off. I got an Actinidia Kolomikta for £2, a stunning plant with green leaves splashed with pink, as if they'd been dipped. The plant's also a drug for cats, they munch the leaves and fall over.

Technically I suppose this is theft, but on a bee keeping forum I read about guerilla gardeners in Eccles. On the day the green waste is collected these two chaps went round early in the morning and swiped all the bags from a posh street. The houses had large, established gardens to the bags were stuffed with laurel branches, privet, bay, viburnum, escallonia, beech and yew and so on. The two bods got three hundred and fifty cuttings from the sacks. They planted a mixed hedge the length of the allotment.

Wobbly John · « **Reply #228 on:** 01 February, 2010, 09:34:22 pm »

Started planting seeds indoors: Red onion, Cauli, Peppers & Tomatos.
All in mini-plugs on the kitchen windowsill.

docsquid · « **Reply #229 on:** 09 February, 2010, 06:20:47 pm »

I always plant my tomatoes too early - end of Feb is when I usually do it.

We have now got the greenhouse built and sealed and the raised beds inside it ready for the topsoil/compost mixture though! Exciting stuff to have plenty of indoor room to grow salads and things without worrying about weather.

clarion · « **Reply #230 on:** 09 February, 2010, 09:31:03 pm »

I actually have done something on the plot today

I built the first of three raised beds. I need loads more compost to fill the other two.

Handy hint: If you are going to use a cordless drill to assemble your raised beds, ensure that there is at least a tiny bit of charge in the battery

spindrift · « **Reply #231 on:** 10 February, 2010, 05:07:09 pm »

Mature horse manure £38 a ton round Norfolk, Clarion. Weedkiller free, and beautifully rich and crumbly, like a Christmas pud!

TimO · « **Reply #232 on:** 10 February, 2010, 05:56:21 pm »

Quote from: spindrift on 10 February, 2010, 05:07:09 pm

Mature horse manure £38 a ton round Norfolk, Clarion. Weedkiller free, and beautifully rich and crumbly, like a Christmas pud!

I bet you don't eat it with custard though.

clarion · « **Reply #233 on:** 10 February, 2010, 06:10:03 pm »

Well, I assembled the other two beds today, but I need to dig out the grass to put them in place. Tomorrow, eh?

I don't fancy bringing a ton of horse manure home from Norfolk. $:-\$

hairyhippy · « **Reply #234 on:** 10 February, 2010, 06:44:48 pm »

Main bed cleared and manured. Side bed clear. Stinky stuff tomorrow. Apple trees pruned. Leeks planted. Toms planted.

Pancho · « **Reply #235 on:** 15 February, 2010, 03:25:27 pm »

I have aching limbs.

Two veg beds are now dug and ready for planting. I also made a start on a third which has been ~~neglected~~ kept fallow for a couple of years.

I may plant parsnips tomorrow.

Si · « **Reply #236 on:** 16 February, 2010, 11:07:34 am »

Spud beds now all dug and mucked.
Legume beds also dug but need the leaf mould adding.

Not planting anything for at least another month I reckon - much too cold.

spindrift · « **Reply #237 on:** 16 February, 2010, 02:17:01 pm »

It's too cold or wet to do much at all. Dug a compost trench for the spuds and beans, a barrow load of semi-rotted stuff writhing with tiger worms.

Wobbly John · « **Reply #238 on:** 16 February, 2010, 03:22:14 pm »

Quote from: spindrift on 10 February, 2010, 05:07:09 pm

Mature horse manure £38 a ton round Norfolk, Clarion. Weedkiller free, and beautifully rich and crumbly, like a Christmas pud!

I used to be able to have all I could ~~eat~~ carry, free of charge from a local stables just over the border in Cambridgeshire. Hauling up to 1/4 of a ton, a mile to the allotment in the bike trailer is 'character building'

Stables has changed hands tho'.

I must contact the new people and see if an arrangement can be made.

Pancho · « **Reply #239 on:** 16 February, 2010, 03:47:08 pm »

Wet and cold here - a real change from yesterday's hints of spring.

So no further on with digging remaining beds over.

Instead, I went to the garden centre and bought most of their display of vegetable seeds - serves 'em right for having a half price sale.

clarion · « **Reply #240 on:** 16 February, 2010, 10:42:32 pm »

Same here. I've only got one veg bed ready. It was raining all day.

clarion · « **Reply #241 on:** 19 February, 2010, 06:09:49 pm »

Done the second one. The boys were helping me. It took longer

Never mind, I also managed to turn the compost heap over, and got some nice dark GudStuf in amongst the eggshells, corn cobs and 'compostable' bags.

Butterfly · « **Reply #242 on:** 19 February, 2010, 06:13:23 pm »

clarion · « **Reply #243 on:** 19 February, 2010, 06:22:41 pm »

Found loads of bulbs, too, which we've replanted.

PS: three of your daffs are flowering.

Pancho · « **Reply #244 on:** 19 February, 2010, 07:05:10 pm »

All the veggie beds now dug and ready for planting when things get a bit warmer. Very cold here - usually by this time of year it's really springlike here on the South Coast.

You know, if I turned over a bit more grassland to veggies, we could be close to being self sufficient here. Not sure I can face the effort of converting, though.

Butterfly · « **Reply #245 on:** 19 February, 2010, 11:25:00 pm »

Quote from: clarion on 19 February, 2010, 06:22:41 pm

Found loads of bulbs, too, which we've replanted.

PS: three of your daffs are flowering.

Yay! My favourites

Wobbly John · « **Reply #246 on:** 20 February, 2010, 07:49:15 pm »

I dug the compost heap out on the allotment.

23 wheelbarrow-fulls

Mostly now piled on: Asparagus bed, raspberrys, currant bushes & rhubarb (cue the old "I have custard on mine joke"). the rest being spread on the section that will have brassicas and courgettes.

clarion · « **Reply #247 on:** 20 February, 2010, 09:57:42 pm »

Third and final veg bed done with the help of Superstoker.

Charlotte · « **Reply #248 on:** 20 February, 2010, 10:38:42 pm »

Been out and mucked out the chooks, changed their bark chippings for Aubiose and generally swept up. All the old, wet, turdy chippings went in the new tub I made last week. We're getting everything ready for what I'm hoping will be our first season of "use every square inch" urban food growing.

Wobbly John · « **Reply #249 on:** 06 March, 2010, 08:19:02 pm »

It's dried out enough to make a start on the allotment.

Seed bed raked out and 2 rows of parsnip, carrot & red beet planted, 3 rows of red onion sets, and some aubergines in the greenhouse.

Tomorrow I hope to get shallots in and more broad beans, and some bedding plant seeds

At Easter I am getting another greenhouse - FREE - so long as I take it down and move it.