What I did today - 2017

[mic]

Surgery tomorrow will leave me restricted from doing too much for a few days so spent the day on the self watering setup. All planters now sealed, have holes in the right places for water to soak from the bottom and planted a few bits. Left one empty to monitor for a few days. Still need to top them up they seem a little short on soil and need to rig up the water tank but I can still add water in the box for now when needed.

[Jay-ell]

Started the day looking in the propagator and taking out the dahlias that’s sprouted – oh hang on, no more pots of dahlias waiting to sprout. Well, hopefully I’ll soon be getting some dahlia seeds to sow.

The toms are sprouting well, Alicanti, Red Cherry, Red Currant, Moneymaker and Black Cherry all started popping up. Moved them into the kitchen. No sign of the chillies yet.

THE YACON HAS SPROUTED. There’s a couple of little white lumps poking up and opening in a few of the polypots. The windowsill is full so I’m leaving them in there today and I’ll check again tomorrow see how much further they’ve gotten.

Went down the plot and planted out 4 bags of Estima potatoes. 9 bags of spuds down – 15 more to go.

Done a bit more diggin – found the second layer of weed control fabric under the soil under the first layer of weed control fabric so having to back track on the bit already dug to dig down further and get the second layer. They’re offset so any persistent weeds just had to grow with a slight zig zag to get by them.

Done some cleaning out of the greenhouse – still need to relocate the 300 leeklets, chives, Chinese chives, tree onions, Red Welsh Onions, White Welsh Onions and unknown allium.

Weeded underneath the fruit hedge – strawberries are in flower, gooseberries and red currants are forming flowers, kiwi fruit buds have opened (hopefully they won’t get nipped by frost) and the grape has some buds fattening. Out in the orchard the apples, pears and plums are putting out leaves but no flowers yet. The rasps are romping away and the Black Currants are forming flowers – nice.

In the Vineyard at the front of the new territories the vines are budding up.

Gave my annual weed bed the once over and found if was full of Japanese onions

Pulled out some bolted kale and found a dozed elephant garlic growing under them – once you grow these they can keep popping up years afterwards as they grow corms at the base of the bulbs which break of when you dig them up and go dormant till they decide to grow. This year they will make a single clove brood ball and these will form cloves next year (although this year they can still produce corms).

Got home and had to redo the dining room – new table, a couple of shelving units and some lights.

[Jay-ell]

Forgot to mention I also cut some Jersey Kale - I say cut, I actually mean saw - that's the only way I could get through the stems - I've now popped a couple of stems into the shed to dry out. Hopefully, in a year or so, I'll be able to make a walking stick from each of them.

[bario1]

Pricked out my Mountain Magic and Terenzo tomatoes into 9cm pots. Must remember next year not to put F1 and non F1 toms into the same tray to germinate...

[Guest]

Made some windmill spinners (only been on the to do list a little while)
Sprayed my peaches and nec. with thyme, garlic and oregano spray (spoke to bladdy soon about leaf curl)
Put some seed pots in the fridge (I will get them to germinate!)

[vixylix]

I spent a lovely afternoon wandering round with my secateurs - rose bushes, ivy and buddleia have been my focus We're slowly scratching the surface of what will be a VERY big job!

[johnjohn]

Already posted in chatback that I got an unexpected trip to the plot in, so what I did today at the plot was:
Weeded out last years carrot bed
Watered the polytunnel spuds
Sowed 2 rows of salad spuds
Turned the compost
Caught up with a few plot holders I haven't seen for a while
Caught (probably) the sun

[Martin H]

I started sorting out my compost heap, untouched since last spring. I filled two old 50litre bags, stopped for a cup of tea... then the phone rang, one of my golf buddies wanted a game...

I'll carry on with the compost job in the morning.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Had a lovely day, sun on my back, a day on the plot, not been down in months, just ain't had time!

Yeah! in a state!

Nope! Not allowing me to upload pictures! Dead annoying!

But I feel best pleased for it! Another day at it in the morning!

[Bigmallly]

Spent most of the day getting back to norm after a 2 day journey to Belgium & back. Managed to clean the Fish TV & stripped & cleaned the pump out.

[Jay-ell]

Last year my Yacon Rhizomes took ages to sprout which is why this year I thought I'd start them earlier and in a heated propagator. Pulled 5 polypots out of the propagator in the garage so the new shoots can get the light in front of the window. Thats 16% up in 3 days

[susieq100]

Yesterday - lovely afternoon at the plot. Planted out my shallots and broad beans that had been growing in modules. Finished cleaning the strawberry bed - why does couch grass like to entwine itself in strawberry roots? Planted a row of beetroot and another row of peas. Prepared a 'raised bed' (it looks more like a burial mound) for my courgettes .... pick an empty, sunny spot on the border of my plot, put down weed suppressant fabric and cardboard - really thick layer of FYM, cover liberally with sieved compost from the heap, load of soil on top. Here's hoping! Back tomorrow afternoon to prep the bean trenches

[Snadger]

Did bit of work over on my retirement house garden as it was looking a bit tatty.Cut the grass last week, so did loads of hand weeding this week.
Planted a golden weeping willow at the far end of the garden as OH likes them. This will grow into a full size jobbie, hence it being planted well away from buildings, drains etc

Planted a dwarf holly that isn't It has a latin name which I can never remember but is heavily variagated with a pink tinge to the leaves and only grows four foot high. I planted it in between a red acer and a bright yellow acer so should give an interesting colour combination when it grows.
No veg in the garden....yet..........but did notcie the apple trees had budded up nicely along with the heavily pruned gooseberry and budded blackcurrant bush. I think I planted a goji berry in the border last year and did find a few sticks starting to green up with buds which i assume is it. From memory it is supposed to be quite a nice shrub?

[Jay-ell]

Not much today. Seeds came from thompson & morgan - 2 types of dahlia, 2 types nasturtium, 2 types calendula, sea holly, beetroot, tomatillo, poached egg plant. It also came with a little booklet on edible flowers.

Waiting to see if I get any from here before I sow anymore dahlias

Another 5 yacon plants in the propagator had shoots making their way up above the soil - thats 33% up in 5 days. One of my heated props doesn't seem to be working so it will get used as an unheated prop.

[johnjohn]

Gentle day today, potter in the garden and some seed sowing with a beer in the sunshine- fab