Hobbit Allotment!

[snohare]

If they are arriving properly bare rooted (this being my former field, literally, as an ex-treenurseryman) they will not lift them until the leaves are off the trees, as this is when they become dormant. Also it isn't possible - or at least feasible - to lift a tree from frozen ground without damaging the bark at ground level, which runs the risk of killing the tree.
So the nursery will be looking for days after a period of prolonged frost, but when there is no actual frost and the ground is not frozen, before they start shipping orders. Heaven only knows when that will be.
I too spend a lot of time unable to garden; my allotment is almost thirty miles away, I have no car, can't afford the bus, and often am simply not fit. I spend lots of time researching - not just here but elsewhere, following links, reading books - and I think of that as just as much effort towards the task, as digging is. Not so easy or worthwhile in your first year because inexperienced you cannot relate so much to what you are reading, but worth doing in future years.
Or you could just hibernate, as I do...

[horticultural_hobbit]

Well, I'm quite happy with melatonin and serotonin. Have enough of the Happy hormone, what with being a half a glass full sorta girl i know what you mean though. I've taught SSAD, and then observed it too. It's more to do with not being able to play on the plot as much as I would like; I've made a commitment to it and really want to give it the best shot I can. There's just not enough hours in day! It's not so bad when I'm
On school holidays, and not doing school work.

I just don't like the Autumn term! I do smile though, when things start sprouting.

Trees will be going into pots, yes. They arrive bare root. Not too sure when they will
Come, delivery window is very wide.

[snohare]

"Sow according to conditions, not according to calendar." So garlic in winter..probably too late for overwintering leeks unless you can get half-grown ones, but you seem organised enough on the 'ingin front.

It's depressing, with the darkness and miserable weather; and feeling defeated by it.

That's SSSAD, that is. (Sub-Syndromal Seasonal Affective Disorder.) If you get the munchies a lot, sleep pattern goes haywire and your mood heads to dark places, that's it full blown. Due to lack of a daily calibrating dose of sunshine, to rebalance levels of serotonin and melatonin. I get it too - supposedly 10% of the population do at this latitude - where you are it will be a bit less common but still frequent enough. Full spectrum lightboxes are the cure, work a charm they do. (Thank God.) Very cheering, I really like waking up to my artificial sunshine. Exercise is the second best treatment.
If you have to plant your trees in pots, could be some good advantages there. Put in a watering tube, saves a lot of wasted water; and feeding the roots could be easy when you can repot with fresh compost whenever necessary.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Noted about the mushrooms. Will get sliced and diced properly, any protein might scare folks.

The broadies are at home in poundland tomato grow bag things. They have really come on, in comparison to the ones sown at the 'lotment. Those are only a couple of inches high, the four or so that have grown.

Think there are allotment rules that say that trees can't be planted. Not entirely sure, was hearsay from 'lotment neighbour. I'll check, when I can. I like the look and sound; novice na�vet� and frivolity are at play!
Have some mustard down; simply to contest the fact with my mum that it's like spinach. And there is fenugreek as well. So that's two out of eight beds. Have three beds, each 8x3 that I can poo poo between now and February I guess. I say Febraury as that is near enough time to think what to sow and sow seedlings.

It's depressing, with the darkness and miserable weather; and feeling defeated by it. However, I'm bouyed by the fact that it might all be easier after Christmas and with Springtime.

[snohare]

Bruno ? You ATE A BOXER ? !! Cor, you live in a tough neighbourhood...

Why can't you plant a cordon tree ? Careful and not get one of those dwarf varieties (no joke intended) that are advertised as "perfect for the patio" - and give about two apples a year.

Everyone I've spoken to in person about growing mushroom says the big problem is the little fungus flies that lay eggs in them, which turn into little worms...check carefully before throwing into the pan, young Hobbit ! Commercial growers have a posh airlock system for entry into their sheds, you might just want to have some polythene dust sheeting over them on a little frame. Maybe not needed at this time of year ?
I pick wild mushrooms - chanterelles and hedgehogs - but one of these days I am going to try the dowels idea. This is a proposed World Heritage Site for mushrooms, no shortage of the right wood here - hard to find a tree that doesn't have mushrooms ! (Flying reindeer/A&E/neolithic firelighter types mainly.)
Envious of your broad beans. I spent three weeks away housesitting, came back and all my peas and beans had stopped cropping - no one picking them.
Feed your soil all you can now, this is your best chance. Once it all starts getting used, it will be much harder to find a chance to dig in leaves and FYM or grow green manures - wish I had put a lot of leafmould into my soil the first year, but it was only going to be for a year I thought, so no need to bother.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Hobbit tales

Evening, my lovelies.

Well, it's been a quiet week. The clocks changed, and getting darker means that I get to spend less time at the plot after school. That and the rain, been very soggy this week. All hallows eve, saw Bruno have a reprieve for a few days. When Bruno did meet his maker later this week, Ma made short work of it. There is photographic evidence, that I was shown to my amusement.

Pops ate it, Ma ate it and I did. Hobbit siblings weren't convinced. Ma battles with us anyway when it comes to Bollywood dinners. Ma was adamant that since it was going to be sweet, it would need alot of spice. Fair enough. And boy did I know about it afterwards. Again, Ma was fine, as was pops. I ate it all like a good girl. Since I had grown it. But not so much red chilli next time >_<

The recipe is on the season to taste boards.

Think my wormery had shut down for winter, the poor babies. Still trying to fill up the compost bins.

I got mushrooms! About a dozen. Three big massive ones that are normal white ones, but look like portobello. And how? Through negligence. I left them for a week, and didn't water them. Dinner tomorrow, perhaps.

Er, onions sprouting, shallots too I think, and garlic.

Home broad beans are one and a half foot tall. Lotment ones still diddy.

And I'm hoping to add more farmyard manure to the beds.

Got all wide eyed yesterday; saw an ad in the GYO mag for Corden trees. Can't plant them direct. Quite fancy them in pots as a hobbit sized orchard.

[snohare]

Might consider it. Might go into onion bhajis.

Careful you don't become too wildly experimental young 'obbit, it could result in "cress stupidity" !

I wouldn't be without chard now, it is so reliable.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Two-Sheds was right...

Have done an awful lot of daffodil-Ing; the whole stop and stare thing. Looking at the plot as though waiting for it to talk to me.

I'm not turning into a Jedi, still pacing myself. It's autumn winter.

And what was two sheds bang on the money about? Swiss chard. I was walking home from my plot and I saw a funky shade of red and orange from the corner of my eye. Turned around, clutching the thermos mug. It was pretty in the generic green and grey.

Might consider it. Might go into onion bhajis.

[snohare]

Thyme alone will tell...

[endymion]

Question, for you. I've got some Thyme, that I had in a pot. Have harvested it, and the pot now is mostly stubble. Will that survive and be viable for next year?

Should do, it's quite tough.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Is this a typo ? Are you looking for a way to reduce dependence on chickens and horses ? Is it a twinseat, or are you going to be posh and have his and hers ?
Or do you know of a plant, of which I know nothing ?
FYI, I just put some chicken poo on my plot, it didn't smell that much. It depends on what it's mixed with, how old it is and what they ate - but mainly, how old. 'Tis the ammonia.

Spuds, snohare, aloos, potato. We're becoming polyglots here...

Chicken poo was in a box from the garden centre. Not so brave as to source the first hand stuff. Poo is poo, as far as I'm concerned. Getting sniffy about it is, well, sniffy.

[snohare]

Have ordered aloos

Is this a typo ? Are you looking for a way to reduce dependence on chickens and horses ? Is it a twinseat, or are you going to be posh and have his and hers ?
Or do you know of a plant, of which I know nothing ?
FYI, I just put some chicken poo on my plot, it didn't smell that much. It depends on what it's mixed with, how old it is and what they ate - but mainly, how old. 'Tis the ammonia.

[Glutton4...]

Take a bag of pegs, and hand them round tomorrow - tell 'em they're nose pegs! Silly s*ds!

[horticultural_hobbit]

Don't pretend your poo don't smell...

Had a nice play in the dirt today. Got some more fenugreek, mustard and coriander and threw it in ad hoc fashion. Dug up the would be cabbage patch. Has beautiful friable soil, might have to put rootie veg there instead as that bed is seriously clod-dy.

Then I got some comments about smelly chicken poo and how it hung around for days. (to be fair, i was following the box instructions where by Poo is Spread on dry weather. It was, and a bit hot-remember that heatwave). I said nothing about the equine faeces being brought in. Just went and paced.

[horticultural_hobbit]

I think we're on week 3

Evening my lovelies.

Have spent this last week hobbling like an old lady. I was sore anyway having done some clod smashing, but pottering around, doing bits and pieces; I must have been bad as I felt as though I was about to snap I half. Lots of painkillers, hot soaking, even deep heat.Tis getting better, else tiger balm is the last resort.

Anyways, the 'lotment.

Dug up again, the bed that will be the onion bed. Because the clay is stupidly hard. So that was fun, what with aches and pains. That spade as recommended by two sheds, is earning it's keep. Having a fight with clay, but doing a good job. I finally received my onions and shallots. Got a free bag of senshyu as dobbies had qualms about the size and quality. Not going to complain, the more the Merritt. I
Even shared some with my plot neighbour( the 17 year old baby of the plot, who is also a neighbour. Has the other half plot, is like me shiny and new to this. Pays to be nice really).

Yesterday, whilst feeling as though my trunk was about to part company with my legs, the shenshyu and shallots went in after the red electric onions. I have left space for garlic. Then one bed will have been cultivated.

The real highlight of this week, has been getting some free timber. I was going to
Create pathways. But I'm going to now semi raise the beds, and box them up, if that makes any sense. The wood is free from Ma's school, and is broken slats from pallets used to transport fixtures and fittings. Ma rescued something like forty planks, each a metre long.

So no pathways, but there will be some spring flowering bulbs around the borders. I've gone for some cheapy pound stretcher ones. No doubt, folks might think they will be problematic. Probably, might do. I'll find out! Lots of hyacinths(I want to shout BUCKET!) anemones, and various tulips.

That's the next phase, sink timbers, plant bulbs. Have emptied a jar of Ma's fenugreek across a whole bed. I did have her permission! Was labelled mustard...

Today, feeling sorry for myself, sown some herbs to sit in the greenhouse to take over in spring.

Question, for you. I've got some
Thyme, that I had in a pot. Have harvested it, and the pot now is mostly stubble. Will that survive and be viable for next year?

Have ordered aloos. Middle sister has requested Maris piper. Didnt fancy king eds.

So I haven't given up. I am still trying to pace myself. Else I will do myself a further mischief.

Happy thoughts, my lovelies.