What I did today - 2016

[Containergardener]

Snadg' the bee magnet

[Bex2012]

Well its not stopped raining, which has made doing stuff very unpleasant! Popped to the plot last night and spent 1 1/2hrs weeding, as well as strimming. Harvested my first peas and strawberries, along with some rhubarb. Debating whether to move 3 x butternut squashes, as they dont seem to be doing much, along with my aubergines and sweet peppers (which are in large pots still, and being nibbled by something).

Tonight I potted on a load of tomatoes, Ive already given half a dozen plants to the local primary school, and still have a load to rehome. I also potted on my James Wong veg collection... Why oh why did I not label the squashes? Somethings been at the leaves (probably woodlice or earwigs), and I have no idea what is the troboncino and whats the patty pans!

[Gillykat]

Checked stuff in greenhouse and polytunnel this morning as it was 22c outside, 32 in PT and a stonking 45c in the greenhouse!!!! My melons looked perfectly happy though!

Also tied up a few beans to encourage them to get a grip on the canes, ditto a couple of borage that were getting leggy and threatening to fall over, watered my strawberries in the tunnel and picked the first strawberry of summer

Then at work from 12.30 until 5.30pm and I'm not saying it was quiet at work this afternoon but......I had time to flick through my diary and work out how many hours I have spent working on the allotment this year from January 1st until May 31st and it is 92 hours and 55 minutes

That works out as 3 days, 20 hours and 55 minutes

[Jay-ell]

Gill cat if that's the time spent working how much was spent chatting, procrastinating and just faffing around. I think my ratio is about 10 to 1.

Yesterday on the way home I popped into the pond shop and W1LK0S and ended up with a bag of onion sets and more bean seeds (the dwarf Canadian kidney bean).

Today I planted the sets in the square foot garden - only enough for one square at 100 sets per square foot. The beans went out at a 9 per square and 4 per square plus some in front of the yacon.

Planted out 7 more skirret and in the greenhouse planted the cucamelons, honeydew and watermelons.

Nipped the tips on the side shoots on the fruit trees. Stood there for half an hour with secateurs in hand uming and ahing about pruning off the three teeny weeny apples on the Jonagold. It's new this year so I should take them off so it can concentrate on roots etc BUT it's my first 3 apples.

In the end I decided that I'd leave that decision till next time.

Loads of pricks on the allotment today - i cleared out some weeds (including nettles and brambles ) under the hawthorn hedge so that I can plant out comfrey later in the week. I can honestly say I've put blood sweat and tears into the plot today (hot today and my hayfever played up) - also a bit of lliquid gold.

[Hazel at the Hill]

At the Hill this evening I

• Prepped the final two beds and finally planted out the courgettes and squash. Resorted to a few slug pellets
• Looked with the tinist bit of optimism a the decimated sticks that were my dwarf and climbing beans - they have the beginnings of shoots to have another go following the carpet bombing they had from the slugs last week.
• Dug up the first Red Duke of York and have enough spuds for tea
• Got wet in the rain, yet again
• tackled about a tenth of the 'wildlife patch' at the back of the plot which due to optimal growing weather is now a 'wildlife jungle'
• Nipped into the clubhouse for a swift half and 20mins entertainment from Mike Rubery's Alpha Swing Band

Superb!

[Snadger]

Bought four grow bags from B&M. I had 12 tomato plants growing in 7" pots so just cut holes in grow bags and sunk pots as they were into top.Gave a good watering and fastened a training wire along the apex of greenhouse. I intend affixing twine to this wire to support toms............that's after I've bought twine.

My auld sickly hen finally gave up the ghost and went to the great coop in the sky. I had the unpleasant job of cremating her in the woodburnewr.

On a happier note the chicks are doing well and the other broody hen is still sitting tight on her clutch of eggs.

I managed to get a few of the branches chopped up I'd lopped off the trees surrounding my plot whilst still avoiding the bees.............especially as I had no shirt on with it being so sunny.

[Snadger]

Gill cat if that's the time spent working how much was spent chatting, procrastinating and just faffing around. I think my ratio is about 10 to 1.

Yesterday on the way home I popped into the pond shop and W1LK0S and ended up with a bag of onion sets and more bean seeds (the dwarf Canadian kidney bean).

Today I planted the sets in the square foot garden - only enough for one square at 100 sets per square foot. The beans went out at a 9 per square and 4 per square plus some in front of the yacon.

Planted out 7 more skirret and in the greenhouse planted the cucamelons, honeydew and watermelons.

Nipped the tips on the side shoots on the fruit trees. Stood there for half an hour with secateurs in hand uming and ahing about pruning off the three teeny weeny apples on the Jonagold. It's new this year so I should take them off so it can concentrate on roots etc BUT it's my first 3 apples.

In the end I decided that I'd leave that decision till next time.

Loads of pricks on the allotment today - .

Charming, I'm sure!

[Jungle Jane]

Today I planted out 6 summer purple brocolli with 4 leeks in a SFG style but staggered & more squashed in. Yesterday I sowed some spring onions,lovage & salad leaves in my little trug with a couple of petunia pink cascade plants toppling over the edge.

[happyhumph]

Weeding flower bed again - really have let it go. Watered everything lots. Planted out more turnip greens (new favourite cooking leaf). Sowed more lettuce, carrots & Turnip greens (again, quite obsessed with these). Found adoptive homes for several spare huazontle plants. Was given 2 plants which are either peppers or chilies - OH work mate has lost the labels - seems to be a theme this year!

Also removed dog fur from lettuce after a mammoth grooming session

[Gillykat]

Gill cat if that's the time spent working how much was spent chatting, procrastinating and just faffing around. I think my ratio is about 10 to 1.

I tend to have a little sit down on my stool about halfway through to have a glass of juice and just look at the plot and plan things out. Probably do a bit of faffing on too....usually when I first arrive Not so much chatting done as my plot is right on the end next to the big wall around Hulne Park so is a nice sheltered peaceful spot. Chap behind me has fancy pigeons but I only tend to hear him on a Sunday afternoon when he has his grandbairns with him....the postie guy to the side I'll see two/three times a week and we'll spend a few minutes chatting and Tony who has the corner section next to me - I'll have a wee chat with him and ask his advice if I'm stuck on anything. Some weeks I'll see him twice then it'll be weeks before I see him again but I know he's been around because his plot is well tended. But most of the time it's just me and the wildlife.

I love my peaceful wee spot as after working in a noisy shop and serving & chatting to customers most days it's the perfect way to relax in solitude with just the sound of birds and insects.

Had another half hour there tonight just after 9pm when I locked up the greenhouse (still 18c outside!) and gave the polytunnel and outside crops a good watering

[Cadalot]

Wednesday finally a respite from the rain and a day before flash floods in the South East and I managed to pot on 12 different types of tomato into flower buckets until time and running out of coir blocks stopped play. Six of the remaining toms in the greenhouse will make their way to the lower step and the rest will be going to the allotment greenhouse and covered extension to the shed at Plot 1A.

Now they just need to grow and hopefully develop fruit before blight hits them.

[Containergardener]

They're looking good Cadalot, great tubs!

[Cadalot]

They're looking good Cadalot, great tubs!

I asked at TESCO a couple of years back just after Mothers Day when the store was heaving with them and a guy gave me shed loads, and I filled the car up with them. I have asked since because I wanted some to grow potatoes in and now they will not let anyone have them as they reuse them.

I melted holes about 15mm up from the bottom with my soldering iron and I fill the bottom 20mm with pure coir to hold the moisture in so the roots go deep for the water but the drainage holes prevent flooding. During those flash floods there was 50mm of water in one with no holes that I use for rehydrating my coir.

[bario1]

Gave everything in the polytunnel a thorough soaking.

[Jay-ell]

Popped down the plot at 9:30 this morning - in between work and hitting my bed. Mainly just watered the plot and done a little bit of weeding. Whilst packing straw underneath my strawberries I figured out why they're not going red - these are Pineberries. Tasty as well.