Hobbit Allotment!

[horticultural_hobbit]

Dear Two_Sheds, thank you for that magic spade recommendation. Couldn't help but think of you as filled my wheelbarrow with mulch for the onions and things. It may have been an effort, and I took my time doing it; but the spade helped and will be earnings it's keep. It's not my spade. It's your shovel that makes things happen.

And, who was it, that said something about stamping up and down their brassica bed, think they migh have mentioned sprouts. Well, tomorrow after school, I'm tackling it. With the two_sheds magic spade and the hobbit fork. Plan to dig it over, but what I would like to know is what the stamping up and down is for. Before I pull out me cabbage netting and sink the slug traps.

Also, tatos. Next week-I'll probably ask again-on thursday after I break up from school; Id like to put the tatos in, with the bulb planter and some fertiliser. My question is, once the tatos are submerged and covered with dirt; do I need to cover over with a fleece?

[Two_Sheds]

I would like to know is what the stamping up and down is for

... brassicas like a REALLY firm soil. They tend to get knocked sideways by any wind unless they're really in firmly

once the tatos are submerged and covered with dirt; do I need to cover over with a fleece?

No. It's the foliage that gets damaged by frost: you only need fleece once you've got foliage to protect

[horticultural_hobbit]

... brassicas like a REALLY firm soil. They tend to get knocked sideways by any wind unless they're really in firmly

Cabbages, kohl rabi et cetra as well as sprouts? Have yet to sow the kohlrabi but everything else is still small and in modules. Having to be patient before I transplant everything.

Another question, if anyone can help. Bonel, boltardy and cylindra beetroot currently in 4Tb in modules. Baby's are five six cm high. When can they go down to the lotment?

[Sanjo]

I've already put my greenhouse sown Boltardy beets in the outside salad bed Hobbit and then it is all covered by fleece. They were about 2" high. (Sorry - don't do this modern metric stuff so can't visualise 5/6 cm!!) Can't find a ruler either!!

[snohare]

I think you will find that an inch is 2.4 centimetres, Sanjo. (I think the only reason I remember this is that it's a multiple of 12, same as a foot is with inches ! ) So they are about the same size.
Anyway, I would fear to give advice for your latitude Hobbit, but if you harden them off - you know, the whole giving them fresh unsheltered air for a couple of hours, several times, increasing the length of time, until the cuticles of the leaves have thickened to avoid too much moisture loss - then I would expect they will be hardy enough at the end of that. Aren't they a member of the brassica family, and therefore usually quite resistant to cold ?

[Sanjo]

Thanks Snohare. I have read your first sentence about 6 times and I'd forgotten what it said by the end!! No wonder I always had the blackboard eraser thrown at me. English I was fine. Anything else and I struggled.

[horticultural_hobbit]

I don't do maths either!

The modules are currently sat in the 4TB so I might start hardening them off. Yeah, I did read somewhere about brassicas being more cold resistant-think it was Zazen. Just need to work out where I want them to go.

[snohare]

I don't do maths either!

All those modules, and you don't do counting, Hobbit...!
I fear not much of the UK does do anything mathematical, myself included, and it is a grievous omission which stifles our inventiveness badly.

No wonder I always had the blackboard eraser thrown at me.

I feel your pain Sanjo, I was labelled an "academic underachiever"...they really were clueless about dyslexia in those days, never mind ADHD. Lack of exam results screwed my life up good and proper... Oh well, I am much better educated for it !

[horticultural_hobbit]

Hmm. Shall take a look at the beetroot. Not quite sure yet. Definitely not big enough to transplant; I'd like a bit more leaf.

Have modularised some more runners and peas today. Think I'm going to build me runner thing next week. What are they called exactly? Just need some more canes. Will probably do it myself and stand on a plastic stool. This was meant to be a job grandad mike wanted to supervise, only he's just had a double hernia op

Can safely say, that aqua dulce Claudia are odd creatures. Talk about hobbit sized. Less than a foot and flowering. Walking up and down my Alliuem patch-smells alpine fresh crossed with garlic and it's all right! Cos of the mulch-I don't think much of the electric onions. They've been bottom of the class since they were to be sown, to be honest.

[Sanjo]

All those modules, and you don't do counting, Hobbit...!
I fear not much of the UK does do anything mathematical, myself included, and it is a grievous omission which stifles our inventiveness badly.



I feel your pain Sanjo, I was labelled an "academic underachiever"...they really were clueless about dyslexia in those days, never mind ADHD. Lack of exam results screwed my life up good and proper... Oh well, I am much better educated for it !

Believe it or not I was in the top stream, having just missed out on the 11 plus. Thankfully I have never had problems with dyslexia although it runs very strongly in my family, from my father, two of my sisters, many cousins and to my grandchildren, however numbers and me do NOT go well together. No that's not really true. If it's imperial then I can just about manage and I did get much better once I was married and had to manage my housekeeping budget so learnt very quickly how to add up and subtract in my head, but when we went metric my brain fried. I just cannot remember it. Going Decimal was bad enough. Where are my pounds, shillings and pence now eh!

[Two_Sheds]

I'm going to build me runner thing next week....probably do it myself and stand on a plastic stool.

You don't need to tie them together right at the top of the canes: you can tie them where you can reach (so the canes form a vague X shape)

[horticultural_hobbit]

Bit a despondent today. Nothing major. Just seedling casualties. A few keeled over cucumbers and an okra. A couple of curcurbits that dont look too happy. I know, I know. Too cold, too early etc. i'll only try again...My tomatoes look a bit happier, though.

[horticultural_hobbit]

bean thingy

Ma helped in getting this far:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.ph...type=1&theater

I kept going:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.ph...type=1&theater

and I did it all by myself:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.ph...type=1&theater

[Sanjo]

It's coming along nicely Hobbit. Well done. When you are munching on your beans (which are lovely straight from from the plant, very crunchy) you'll really appreciate all the hard work now. Well done Ma too of course!

[horticultural_hobbit]

Thank you, Sanjo.

Still lots to do. It actually all looks a bit bare at the moment. I'll be much happier when I've got things planted. The only Greenary at the moment would be the allieums and broadies. There are also the tulips and hyacinths, but no fruit and veg yet. Might feel a bit more buoyant when things are transplanted. If they survive that is, the journey from my magic seed grower and the window sill.

Once the tatos/aloos are in and perhaps the cabbages have gone to ground, it might start to look a bit more healthier.