Hobbit Allotment!

[horticultural_hobbit]

Yes, yes, aunties. Will sow them.

In amongst the weeds that would make your hair curl.

[Matt94]

ooh ive been wanting to grow mooli too - ive got the seeds, i just didn't know what to do with them , i may sow a row of them today

[Two_Sheds]

i may sow a row of them today

I'd wait until August, personally. Most Asian veg likes cooler conditions (and I'm still hoping that July & August will be hot in the UK)

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...oli_59412.html

[snohare]

Tis very depressing. Only get to pop to the lotment briefly at the moment; and it's starting to get carpeted by weeds that are rising with the rain. Can't see to get a window to bash them all.

Cor, tell me about it ! Haven't been to the allotment in two weeks and I'm getting flashbacks to the year that I had my allotment in town and was trying to garden in about half a dozen places, all separated by miles of arduous journeying. It just about ran me ragged trying to do it - I had always forgotten where half my tools and gardening kit was at any time - and my allotment weeds grew like...weeds. It was extremely disheartening...verging on soul destroying.
I will say though, it fairly taught me (the hard way ) how to be super-organised with things in transit, in organising priorities, and shoehorning (or not) extra aims into my plans. In the end, I simply had to learn to say "No, it can't happen - yet."
Only quick fix which occurs to me Hobbit is, do you have any cardboard to lay down on the worst bits, while you wait for better weather ?
Don't be disheartened by your family's high expectations of you - it's only because they are treating you as fit to bear the burden. (Ha ! There is considerable irony in me saying this.) You may or may not be, but it's a compliment anyway. And you can always point out to them your problems in getting stuff done, tell them how many other time consuming things you have on your plate, ask them to help you...then watch them disappear at a rate of knots...
Anyone know what pests affect mooli ? Is it really hot ? I have to watch my ulcers with anything too pepperish, but I love growing roots that like to survive...

[horticultural_hobbit]

You know what, Uncle Sno, it's just the borders. Where I had sown tulips and anemones. There are of course weeds in the beds, where there is nothing sown.
This is the one side:

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

On the other side, the potato bed has potato in it, but weeds where some of the spuds have failed. That in itself is disappointing. Most of the half dozen king eds have come up. Only a few of the maris pipers have come up.

Have put newspaper mulch down, as an experiment. My next couple of tasks are to firstly, to chop down the long grass and mare's tail. Just so that it looks neater. I can pull out/ exterminate that later on when I have the proper impetus. I have a box of dahlias and summer bulbs to plant; simply because I want to. Thirdly, I need to fill the new raised beds with soil.

Cucumbers are dead or nearly so. I really wanted cukes, but the temp drop was too much for them even whilst sat inside.

[Two_Sheds]

There are of course weeds... firstly, to chop down the long grass

I don't kill myself trying to get rid of every weed that appears: you can't. Just let them grow until they start to flower, THEN pull them out.

By letting them grow big, they shade out other weeds, so at the end of the day: you end up doing less weeding, less work. Plus, you have some nice big weeds to put on the compost heap.

I don't even stress about the horsetail (school's Wildlife Garden is riddled with it). It doesn't compete well and other plants soon swamp it. I'm pulling the biggest ones and bagging them up in black sacks to make a super-nutritious leafmould

[binley100]

My horsetail gets drowned in a bucket of water .......If I've got something to plant out or sow then I weed that area , the rest gets done as and when. A couple of our longest serving members never seem to weed but they get some fantastic produce so don't stress about them .

[horticultural_hobbit]

It looks a disgrace though, Binley! I am just waiting for someone to wag their finger. That said, I'm taking as hint that mother nature does as she pleases. Doesn't half make me feel
Abashed though, when people walk past. Looks very wild and untidy.

I might dig around on my tato patch, great deal have failed. Should have come up by now. Disappointed by the number that haven't.

[binley100]

At least you've got stuff growing ...there is a fullsized 20 rod plot next to me which is waist high in weeds .......and they better not be thinking about spraying it

[horticultural_hobbit]

Psst Aunty two_sheds, I got broad beans! Think Ma wants to use them like peas. Boil, freeze, save.

[Feral007]

My house yard has been a shocker this year HH. But the no-dig garden was going great guns so I just tried to pretend I couldn't see all the long grass. Of course, another problem for me, is the snakes in the grass

Now the grass is dropping off and we're about to tidy it up and try to make it easier to look after next year. And the poor garden is just some oasis of cabbage in the desert of hay. It's just so hard trying to do everything! I agree in putting down some cardboard, thick paper or plastic over any areas you can't manage atm. And also about not hassling all the weeds. I'm considering the grass in the tree gardens as green manure until such time as I can get to it And I'm cultivating 'The Shaggy Garden Look' for next spring/summer

[Two_Sheds]

Psst Aunty two_sheds, I got broad beans! Think Ma wants to use them like peas. Boil, freeze, save.

Yay yay !

Get Ma to make them into those fried crunchy spicy broadies you can get in Holland & Barrett. I don't know where they originate (Middle East perhaps?) but they're nommy

[horticultural_hobbit]

I know what you mean about the crunchy stuff. Like the crunchy peas in Bombay mix.

Well, were only frozen for a few hours. Have just had them with dinner. Went down well!

Today, I took a pair of shears to the lotment; cut down the grass and left it as mulch through laziness (that and I'm physically knackered). It is all annual weeds, and what look like the leafy bits of dandelions. Potato bed is all carpetted green. Most of the spuds have failed.

Small high for today. Two white pound land lilly's that drew compliments.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Evening my sweets, nearly good night actually.

In the morning, when you wake, could you suggest when my various overwintering onions, garlic and shallot should be harvested.

Nothing as of yet has Raffia type foliage. I'm jus harvesting as when with regards to onions. Ma ordered me down there and I came home with five nicely sized shenshyu. I was rather impressed with how big they are. Just very very wet. Which brings mento the Garlic. Think I've dismissed one naively as rotten -yes, silly girl, I know. Pulled one up today, as the foliage had gone down. It's split! But is sodden.

The fact that one off the shenshyu looked like a sainsburys sized onion did make smile inside. Have Yet to lift a red one yet though. I have electric and red baron I think.

[snohare]

In the morning, when you wake, could you suggest when my various overwintering onions, garlic and shallot should be harvested.

I seem to remember seeing another thread - in the New Shoots section I think it was - that had the same query. From what I remember of that, the answer is, "once the leaves begin to go brown and die back"; but garlic at least can be harvested earlier, and of course onions can be harvested for the greenery too. (I've never tried them myself, don't know if that's just hypothetical.)
That ends this post, the dog just farted under the desk so I think I will go outside !