What I Did Today Archive 2009

[solway cropper]

Took my OH to the caravan where she can spend a few days knitting and crocheting without fear of interruption from me. While i was there i had a walk along the riverbank and picked up some decent wood for the winter fire and filled a rucsack with sharp sand. The sand will be sterilized and used for seed compost. Got back home and took dog for a walk along the marsh where I collected a fertilizer sack full of seaweed for the compost heap. All in all a good day's ratching.

[A Life Less Simple]

Dug another bed over on the allotment and sowed some more 'Rabe 60' seeds, watered all the seedlings and looked at the ones that need either planting out or potting on. Think I need to go and rade the recycling centre for clear plastic bottles tomorrow to keep the rabbits and wind of things that need to go out

[sewer rat]

Went out to the field at 3 this morning so I could get stuff picked and packed for the Farmers Market. Just got back home 10 minutes ago, leaving again in about 45 minutes
I really enjoy being out in the field at that time - you see loads of wildlife Unfortunately I can now add to my list of pests at the field - I am now proud to announce the addition of hares , a fox and roe deer

[Newbie]

Edged the main big flower bed (another still to do), quickly weeded the veg beds (got the major ones out!), planted out final Chinese Kale plant (not quite sure what bits to harvest on these yet!), dug up courgette plant, potted it up and replaced it with sunburst squash plant (labelling error!), planted out three more Canoe Pea plants and one Sweetcorn (second sowing, only germination out of 9!), sprayed everything that is covered in green / black fly, tied up Broadbeans that have started flopping, watered GH, harvested LOTS and accidently decapitated a Sunburst squash plant

[Purplebint]

We harvested our first lot of charlotte potatoes, as well as some carrots

Sorted out some trays to try and help retain the moisture for my cucumber plants.

Had a good sort out and a bit of a tidy while I can, my baby is due on Friday so is the last time I'll be able to be hands on in the garden for a few weeks.

Photos and more info on the blog

[solway cropper]

Apart from the usual garden chores I hung lots of old CDs in the cherry tree to scare the birds in the hope that this year I might actually get to eat some myself. Trouble is the birds seem to like them just before they ripen and i don't! Got a serious crop of blackcurrants this year which are ripening nicely. To net or not to net, that is the question.

[NewbieGardenerRow]

Weeded, weeded and weeded, sifted stones out of about a meter square of soil so that I could plant out some of my cut and come again lettuce seedlings. Now I have some in containers and some in the garden and I have given some to my Mum. (I think I sowed a few too many)
My last cucumber has finally given up on life today but I have 2 small flowers on my tomato plants...whoo hoo. I have given away two of my mystery pepper plants (not sure if they are chillis or sweet pointed ones due to a mix up when my mini greenhouse blew over)I planted out some parsley and coriander that has been growning on my windowsill and misted the flowers on my runner beans. Also my extra runner beans finally germinated and have gone bonkers in my greenhouse but only 2 of my french bean mystery variety have germinated so far. I have no idea if its too late for them now but I'll give them a go.
Tomorrow I'm going to plant my radishes that I got with my magazine before its too late.
Apart from my poor cucumbers everything seems to be doing ok. I can't wait to eat something that I've grown myself.
Not long now I hope.

[taff]

Pulled up all the shallots, put kale in it's place, along with a few rows of beetroot. Pulled up 3 rows of garlic, I can't believe they're mostly good sized bulbs, woo!!, but the rest will stay in till the tops die. Put three tomatillo's in their place.
Made a makeshift cover for the shallots and garlic till they dry out a bit, thanks to next door for donating the windows.
Will finally pot on the poor cucumbers, making a climbing frame for them in the greenhouse which means moving yet more toms outside.

[thatshallot]

Moved a squashed looking tomato into a bigger pot, pulled up some potatoes for dinner, potted on a couple of baby sweetcorn and willed everything to grow faster! Should have cut the grass, but it's been a good hayfever day and I didn't want to spoil it!

[Meschuee]

I watered first thing, planted spring onions named "Deep Purple", pulled garlic and spinach for lunch. Took a look at the broad beans and peas and will soon be able to harvest some. It's clouded over so, hopefully, it might rain in the night.

Penny

[Snadger]

Watered all indoor stuff first as I knew I would be knackered later and not be bothered to do it!
Set too building another run for my ever expanding chook family. Managed to get the door made and hung and the front of the run framed and meshed over.

Now I'm knackered, but pleased with progress!

[sewer rat]

Watered all the tunnel stuff first thing -made sure boths sets of doors were wide open as we were forecast a scorcher - and they weren't wrong.
Picked up last load of tyres and got the stragglers of the courgetes and squash plants planted out. Weeded the first lot of courgettes that were planted out a while back - loads of baby courgettes forming.
Watered strawberries and tumbling toms that are under nets outside.
Tied up cukes and pinched out side shoots - did this on Sunday morning but some of the plants must have grown between 9" - 12" since then . I reckon I should be able to get a decent first picking ( about 40 or so is a good picking) from the Passandra plants before the weekend is out.
Tied in and pinched out toms.
Weeded another row of onions.
Peas and broad beans flowering like mad.
oing back out to the tunnel again shortly to water everything now the worst of the heat has gone.

[Winged one]

On Sunday, I spent a couple of hours weeding the borlotti and climbing french beans, the onions and the roots bed. Followed by sowing 2 more rows of peas (one greensage and one kelvedon wonder), complete with plastic support. And harvested a load of goodies to use up this week.

Next weekend, I need to sow more radishes, spring onions, parnsips, turnips and swedes, as well as plant out the last butternut squash plants. And do more weeding, and bring the clippers to keep the grass paths under control. And perhaps sow a few more borlotti and french beans to cover a couple of gaps.

[sewer rat]

Well, went out to the tunnel at about 8:30, watered and shut it all up at about 9:30pm - wandered down the field to have a quick butchers at my Hispi cabbages and ended up hand weeding two rows (approx 100m). Must be off my head, weeding at 10o'clock at night

[Two_Sheds]

- planted out a dozen Conqueror sweetcorn. I have found that they do badly in paper pots .. slightly better in modules, but best of all in 3" pots. Thing is, I don't have the room to start them all off in 3" pots.

- set up my bath pump to water the borders at home (brilliant: I got it with Nectar points)
- planted out 6 chillies on lotty (Joe's Long, Cayenne, Piccante)
- planted out Hatif de Juillet climbing French
- sowed chitted Gladiator parsnips
- sowed a row of French Marigolds in the brassica patch (to subdue the whitefly)
- turned the home Dalek: not good. Too wet & mushy (anaerobic decomp: must drill some air holes)
- staked the tall stuff: delphinium, dahlia, mallow
- banged in some more trellis to support the sweet peas & clematis that are now making for the sky
- weeded the borders at home, & fed with comfrey tea
- killed a vine weevil that was living in a hanging basket. No doubt it has already laid its evil spawn