Grow Your Own Magazine

Salina · #**2066** (**permalink**) 18-06-2007, 12:31 AM

I replanted a few flowers into bigger pots. (pansy's, marigolds, lupins, sunflowers etc)
I put my watermelon seedlings into bigger pots.
Put a few hedge cuttings in soil, so fingers crossed they will root!
And, I also actually got around to sowing my squash seeds!

wellie · #**2067** (**permalink**) 18-06-2007, 01:43 AM

OK, I was going to tell you that I strimmed outside the gate and all round the dry-stone-walls, but I managed to get Trousers to do that 'by default?' whatever that means.......(Oh No, who's a Blonde?!)

So, with the "Cunning Plan, Baldrick" in action, and whilst Trousers was doing that, I planted the Romanesco Lime Green Cauli Plants, the Borlotti Beans, the Purple-Podded Mangetout, the Yellow and Green Courgette Plants, and just 'planned' a load of other stuff going on in my brain?
Before the strimming, Trousers took more photos for the blog.
When I'd had enough of the planting, I sat down, as I always do of a Sunday evening, and wrote words to his lovely pictures, and our joint efforts are there now for those of you who are regular visitors.

Bex · #**2068** (**permalink**) 18-06-2007, 09:18 AM

After all the rain I went to the lottie to see how things were, I lost a shoe, stepped on lottie and my feet sank literally about 6 inches into mud. Pulled foot out - no shoe. My plot is waterlogged - boo hoo! Will have to wait until its dried out abit before I can get on it but its raining again today.

Farmer_Gyles · #**2069** (**permalink**) 18-06-2007, 03:38 PM

went to see my babies in the greenhouse, gave them a drink
weeded garlic and spring onion tubs
pulled few weeds where they're coming through the holes in the weed control fabric
sowed some more sprouts cos looks like the slugs gottem
weeded my shrubs

pigletwillie · #**2070** (**permalink**) 18-06-2007, 03:41 PM

As its raining I hid in the greenhouse at home and tied in the tomatoes, pinched out all of the side shoots and updated yon blog.

Tea and a black and white film now methinks.

heebiejeebie · #**2071** (**permalink**) 18-06-2007, 07:25 PM

Pulled up a few handfuls of weeds.

Mrs Dobby · #**2072** (**permalink**) 19-06-2007, 07:19 PM

Today I was rudely awoken at 155am by Mr D handing me the phone, one of the routers at work had gone offline, so the alarm company rang me, just in case it was someone cutting the phone line (happened a year or two ago and they got £17K worth of stock before the keyholder got there!) I said I'd attend, before realising that I didnt have any keys, my new Deputy Manager started yesterday and as we only have 3 sets of keys (but 4 keyholders) and I was off today I gave him mine, so then I had to ring him at 2am and ask him to attend! Gods did I feel like a heel waking him up in the middle of the night on his first day in the branch!

Got back to bed for a few hours, then got up with Mr D at 5am, he went off to work, and I spent a couple of hours resizing all the plot piccies and posting them onto our blog, so for once its up to date with the piccies!

After that I went down to the plot, arriving at 10am, to start weeding! Weeded the whole of the carrot / onion bed, and the parsnip / onion / carrot bed, a total of 8' width by 40' in length! Head now feels dizzy from all the bending over, and back is twinging! Mr D arrived at about 3pm, and did some clearing on the asparagus bed thats full of thistles. I have a feeling we are going to have to double dig it to get rid of all the weeds in there!

Harvested a single clove of the thermidore overwintering garlic, to find it still very green under the outer leaves, but otherwise absolutely perfect, nice cloves, not massive but reasonably sized and well split! Think I may leave the other 30 in the bed until next week, to see whether the foliage falls over, as its already gone yellow on the outside, so not sure if I should harvest or not! Anyone any ideas which is the better idea?

Also pulled one of the overwintering onions, to see whether they are fully ready, the foliage has fallen over, but still very green, so I'm going to leave them for another few days!

Harvested another meals worth of new tatties for tea, along with enough mange tout and broad beans to go with them, then pulled a few carrots and 2 parsnips, which are already at a very decent size, about 6" long, nicely tapered and about 2" in diameter! Not sure if we should be harvesting them this early, but I thought we'd take a look and have some with tea!

sewer rat · #**2073** (**permalink**) 19-06-2007, 07:40 PM

Was at my field til late last night, came home, couldn't sleep, so went back to field at 2:30 am. As it wasn't dark up here, managed to bag another three rabbits, then decided I'd spray the quarry banking with glyphosate to stop the weeds invading from that side. Looked at my watch - 5 am, so started dibbing holes for my thousands of leeks.
Went home for breakfast, took Iona to school, back to field. Started to plant leeks, but was too tired so gave it up as a bad joke after 600. Went to strim roadside verges that are my responsibility - strimmer ran out of line ! Collected Iona from school, back out to field with her. Spent two hours watering everything, came home, had supper, gonna have a shower and go to my Bed

kirsty b · #**2074** (**permalink**) 19-06-2007, 10:23 PM

Harvested lovely webbs lettuce, spring onions and baby carrots for (another!) salad. Thinned out some foliage and sideshooted the more rampant tomato plants. Been getting on with lots lately, everything seeming to be growing well, even the nettles and brambles! Watering and tidying.

pigletwillie · #**2075** (**permalink**) 19-06-2007, 10:28 PM

I test fired the pizza oven today, mainly in an attempt to ensure that when it got hot enough the opening worked with the air flow ensuring a good burn.

Well it did and it gets bloody hot too. I may well give it a field trial with a pizza at the weekend.

After it started raining it was "plait the garlic" time. As we have over 400 bulbs, lots will be plaited nicely to give as gifts to family and friends.

ugly gourd · #**2076** (**permalink**) 20-06-2007, 10:14 AM

I was going to do so much but Ive got shingles so everythings being done very slowly with plenty of rests So Im not happy having to watch weeds grow

Flummery · #**2077** (**permalink**) 20-06-2007, 01:15 PM

I was wondering how the oven had gone Piglet. Sounds very useful!

This morning I gave everything a damned good looking at, then weeded a bit more. I potted on all the chillies - come harvest time the Flums will be breathing fire! I was so chuffed with the japanese mooli we had with last night's salad that I sowed another row for fear of running out.

I found 2 elderly arran pilot seed potatoes. The sprouts were strong and green but the bodies a bit wrinkly - sounds familiar - must remember not to look in mirror! I decided I'd nothing to lose and put them each in half a bucket of compost so the green just showed. I'll earth up as they grow like usual and see what develops as the camera salesman said to the young lady. With a following wind there will be a late cropping of new potatoes to gladden the hearts of the residents of Mrs Flum's Home for the Terminally Bemused!

greenlung · #**2078** (**permalink**) 20-06-2007, 01:36 PM

Took a bucket of water and followed a council workman walking up the road spraying everything in sight with glyphosate.

pigletwillie · #**2079** (**permalink**) 20-06-2007, 02:21 PM

Today I was supposed to be working at piglettes boss's house on my rest days but got rear ended by a bmw.The damage to my car was a dented bumber and a dented rear door, however the shunt has cured an airbag fault light which is good. The bmw bless it looks quite poorly.

Anyway, after a hospital visit as my hip hurt like billyo, a quick trip to the lottie to harvest some bored beans, and plant some crown prince was in order. I was there for about 20 mins as my hip really held me back.

Flummery · #**2080** (**permalink**) 21-06-2007, 06:03 PM

Picked 2lb plus of gooseberries from the Invicta bush I've raided already this season. (The other bush isn't ready yet.) Weeded onions, shallots, leeks, kohl rabi. Pulled Mooli for starters - with hummous - and I'm trying the leaves as greens - will report back! Dug a root of spuds and picked a couple of courgettes - not tired of them yet!

Cut my remaining bit of grass - a path in the front garden - as the weather looks grim.

wellie · #**2081** (**permalink**) 22-06-2007, 12:21 AM

I got up. Reluctantly.
You see? That's what happens when you 'Get an Early Night', and no cat wakes you at some ungodly hour to be fed....!
So, picked some red and green lettuces and some Bored Beans and Sugar Snap Peas before I left the cottage, and then when I got back, I harvested some more Mangetout and Bored Beans. This rain has really brought the harvest on full pelt.

And having bought more Strawberry 'Temptation' seed yesterday, I filled two P40 trays with compost, ready to sow said seed later tomorrow. I'm sure it's not a wonderful strain or anything, but the reason I like it is, that it does exactly what it says on the tin. It's good for container growing. And it's produced a fantastic crop from last Autumn sowing, for the price of £2.49 for 40ish plants. Those plants are now sending up a fantastic second crop of flowers, and very few runners. So, there's a potential second crop to follow maybe, if I'm Good?
It's all a bit of a Lottery when it boils down to it, but I love the fun of learning as I go along, and for a little effort, and very little cost, I've gained, not lost.
Thank you for listening,

momol · #**2082** (**permalink**) 22-06-2007, 10:44 AM

I have been doing some weeding yesterday and followed by mangetout picking, and removing some dead leaves of the courgette bush. Today, has just harvest some 11 baby corn, some of them are pretty chubby, ( 1.7 cm across ) and has taste one of them, it was not as sweet as it should be... perhaps due to days long rain.

Momol

Sebbster · #**2083** (**permalink**) 22-06-2007, 11:14 AM

Had my first crop of carrots last night, Early Nantes which had grown suprisingly well considering my stoney ground. Still not harvested any broad beans, although they are aproaching 7 or so inches long they are Giant Exhibition longpods so I am waiting a little longer.

Earthed up my broccoli and sprouts because it has been windy and the next weeks weather is supposed to be blustery also.

Beetroot is not swelling up as hoped, just read cutecumbers thread so will keep an eye on that. Going to sow some more over the weekend but will try a different variety. These are Globe 2 and are supposed to be alot bigger than they are.

Spinach still bolting like crazy even with the rain we're having. Not a huge problem still getting plenty of leaves from them.

Main Carrots appear to have germinated well now, sure did take a long time but are growing nicely. They are Autumn King which may be a mistake in my plot but we'll see.

Curly Kale ready to be planted once a few more new spuds are eaten, variety Nero Di Toscana Precoce.

Butler runner beans growing nicely, stringless they are so hoping for a nice crop.

wellie · #**2084** (**permalink**) 22-06-2007, 08:34 PM

I've had a fabulous day weeding in amongst all the 'Wedding Bedding' that's now looking so gorgeous.... Eight weeks ago we planted them, and it's just flown by! Lots of weeding yet to do tomorrow and Monday to bring the garden back up to scratch for The Happy Couple's return.....
Did get wet tho! Hey Ho!
Absolutely 'chucked it down' driving home, and managed to get half an hour of dry to take photos for blog update...
Trousers has parked himself in front of The Box for Sport yet again, so I think I'll go and lose myself in the kitchen with Lily Allen and a couple of chicken fillets, some mushrooms, just picked veg and a glass of Pinot.....

sewer rat · #**2085** (**permalink**) 22-06-2007, 10:02 PM

An elderly lady called me this morning and asked me to go round to hers as she had some plants that I might want as her garden wasn't big enough for them anymore. Anyway, came away with whitecurrant, redcurrant, blackcurrant & gooseberry bushes, 2 large clumps of rasps, and four "family" trees, with two varieties on each - got apple, pear, plum and cherry.
Then had to go back to the real world and planted 1200 Musselburgh leeks out, watered tunnel and now am off to my other job.

Vegmonkey · #**2086** (**permalink**) 23-06-2007, 08:39 PM

Have spent some of the day picking the snails off the sunflowers as they have breached our copper defences, have planted some french beans, and picked some leaves off my runners as am worried the dreaded blackfly are starting to take hold...oh and revamped the sidebar in my blog!

shirlthegirl43 · #**2087** (**permalink**) 23-06-2007, 08:56 PM