What I intend to do today or tomorrow number2

[Snoop Puss]

Do you have a lot of aphids normally, Penellype? Or is this an especially bad year?

[Penellype]

Sunday jobs

At my Friend's
Continue removing greenhouse plants
Weeding

At allotment
Check state of flooding
Check for aphids

At home
Tidy garage
Harvest carrots

[Penellype]

Do you have a lot of aphids normally, Penellype? Or is this an especially bad year?

I often have trouble with grey cabbage aphid, but this year has been the worst I have known. I grew 5 calabrese plants at home, under fine insect mesh and in 3 completely different parts of the garden. None of it was even remotely edible as all the florets were full of aphids. Some of the leaves were encrusted with aphids to the point that the leaf was invisible.

At the allotment the aphids seem (at the moment) to be confined to the tunnel - the romanesco and the later PSB, both in raised beds, appear unaffected so far. I have had aphids in these beds before. Currently the PSB plant nearest to the shed is much the worst affected. I am trying to spray this with dilute washing up liquid every day, although sometimes that is not possible. So far broccoli harvested from this plant has been inedible. The plant next door has had occasional infestations which I hope I have nipped in the bud - I ate the central head of this and the next plant and these were aphid-free. The washing up liquid works, in that it kills the aphids it hits. The challenge is finding every colony on huge plants, and if they get into the florets that's the end of it.

Interestingly when I went to the Harrogate autumn flower show, some of the cabbage exhibits had colonies of grey cabbage aphid on them, so it isn't just me!

[Mark Rand]

Wouldn't that count as an instant disqualification at a show?

[Penellype]

Wouldn't that count as an instant disqualification at a show?

I don't know much about the rules for showing, but the ones I noticed aphids on were in the "biggest cabbage" class. Some of the veg in these classes looked awful, particularly the parsnips, some of which had dreadful canker.

[Penellype]

Sunday jobs

At my Friend's
Continue removing greenhouse plants - done some
Weeding - done some

At allotment
Check state of flooding - done
Check for aphids - done

At home
Tidy garage - no
Harvest carrots - done

Monday jobs (expecting rain all day)
Garden photos (1st of month)
General tidy up if possible.

[Snoop Puss]

I struggle with grey mealy aphids. Drive me mad on sprouts. I'm afraid I use pyrethrin powder. It's the only thing I've found that works. And even then there are so many brassica-family weeds (wild rocket and rape) in the area that they just reappear very quickly. Very frustrating going to all that effort and then, just when it comes to harvest time, the results are inedible.

[Penellype]

Monday jobs (expecting rain all day)
Garden photos (1st of month) - done
General tidy up if possible. - no

Tuesday jobs
Check for aphids
Weeding
Clear leaves
General tidy up
Harvest romanesco, carrots, parsnip, spinach (if any edible)

[Penellype]

Tuesday jobs
Check for aphids - done
Weeding - done a little
Clear leaves - done some
General tidy up - no
Harvest romanesco, carrots, parsnip, spinach (if any edible) - done carrots and parsnip

Wednesday jobs
Check for aphids
Weeding
Tidy garage
Harvest carrots, check satsumas

[Penellype]

Wednesday jobs
Check for aphids - done
Weeding - done some
Tidy garage - no
Harvest carrots, check satsumas - done

Thursday jobs (before the rain)
Check for aphids
Weeding
Trim strawberries
Tidy garage
Harvest beetroot

[Penellype]

Thursday jobs
Check for aphids - done
Weeding - done some
Trim strawberries - done some
Tidy garage - no
Harvest beetroot - done

No gardening time today

[Penellype]

Weekend jobs (weather permitting)

At my friend's
Continue clearing greenhouse
Weeding

At allotment
Check for aphids
Weeding
General tidy up
Harvest beetroot, romanesco

At home
Weeding
General tidy up
Check plants under cover for water
Harvest lettuce, carrots, check satsumas

[Penellype]

Weekend jobs

At my friend's
Continue clearing greenhouse - done some
Weeding - no, too wet

At allotment
Check for aphids - done
Weeding - no
General tidy up - no
Harvest beetroot, romanesco - done beetroot

Couldn't get at romanesco due to flooding

At home
Weeding - no
General tidy up - no
Check plants under cover for water - done
Harvest lettuce, carrots, check satsumas - no

Monday jobs (flooding permitting)
Check for aphids
Weeding
General tidy up
Harvest lettuce, salad leaves, carrots

[Penellype]

Monday jobs
Check for aphids - done
Weeding - done some
General tidy up - done some
Harvest lettuce, salad leaves, carrots - done plus a leek

Also cut back the crocosmia under the sitting room window.

Today looks likely to be unpleasantly wet and windy, so I am giving gardening a miss and in any case I must get started on the Christmas cards!

[Penellype]

Wednesday jobs (flooding permitting)
Check for aphids
Weeding
Remove dead bedding plants
General tidy up
Planning for next year