What I did today - 2017

[Newt]

Today went pretty well!

We got a bunch of big things delivered recently, and smaller things that the delivery companies decided to send in massive packages (thank you, Habitat, for sending our new set of crockery packaged is such a way that it arrived in a box large enough to to fit an armchair in!). So as a result, we have a huge amount of cardboard in big pieces, which I took down the allotment.

The newspaper layer unfortunately got blown about a bit at the corners although it stayed in place due to the boards I laid over it, but the result was frozen solid lumps of newspaper that still left big gaps everywhere, so the cardboard we have went over all that.

Got confirmation the straw bales will be coming on Tuesday, so I'm going to ask work to let me possibly work from home that day so I can take them straight up once they arrive.

Picked up 2 more bags of our fortnightly complimentary horse-poop-and-used-bedding, bringing our total to 6. 4 of those and the entire last month's worth of heaped weeds and cuttings completely filled the plastic compost bin, so the 2 new ones are stacked by the shed.

Got some more of the grass cut with my shears, and pulled up a few more of the boards around the beds.

Made another allotment friend, chatting to them with the allotment manager, and this new friend keeps a no-dig plot so will be very helpful with advice and such I hope!

[Chestnut]

Washed some pots and tidied away the canes which had dried overnight, put the Xmas decorations up, then curled up on the sofa with the university of Sheffield’s ‘myharvest’ website and entered my growing areas and harvest weights for everything except the Purple sprouting broccoli ;-)

[Newt]

Ran home at lunch to collect the straw bale delivery, which is now safely tucked in the back garden until I can wrap them up enough to be able to carry them without losing half the straw. Also collected a bunch of large cardboard boxes from the office. Gradually building up my mulch supplies!

[lolie]

Surveyed the heat damage from the last few days. I had to cut and chuck about half a dozen zucchini babies which didn't pollinate due to the heat. A few tomato flowers have dropped and a few tomato leaves have turned crispy. Overall, there's little damage in the garden beds.

The seedlings in the greenhouse are looking pretty poor, though and I'll probably end up starting more inside.

[Chris11]

Got some more self-saved seeds packaged up and sent off to a fellow grower

[lolie]

Spent the last couple of days mowing after getting a new lawnmower for Christmas.

[hortus]

I took wood ash and veg peelings to the compost bin, added rabbit litter to the pumpkin patch and swept snow off the greenhouse roof.

[Chris11]

The 2nd heated propagator has been cleaned up and now ready to use.

It's only a basic one, and ideally I'd have a better one with more heat and a thermostat.

I put bubble wrap sealed with duct tape around the base of one of them last year to increase insulation around the base. It seemed to maintain a bit more warmth so I've now done the same with the second one.

[Chestnut]

Washed another stack of pots and seed trays, which are now drying themselves in the garage. Fingers crossed the next batch will be the last

[hamamelis]

Set up my new growlight kit, and got the heated propogator out. I'm just waiting for the new year to start sowing, which feels like the right thing to do, somehow.

Maybe I'll start planting at midnight, I ain't going out

[Newt]

Weather was miserable, but I had stuff to do!

Got the last of the straw bagged up at home - was too heavy to lug to the allotment and am going to wait and see if a coworker who helped me out a couple of weeks ago will be willing to let me load their car up again!

Got enough extra cardboard to the allotment and laid down to let me mulch over with another 2.5 sacks of straw - about another full bail's worth. Bringing the total coverage to date to about 1/3 of the allotment, and I'm now confident I'll be able to get almost all of the remaining space mulched with the straw I have.

[mrsbusy]

Went down to the lottie to water my winter salad crop in the cold greenhouse; a couple of the baby kale plants looked a bit peaky and on closer inspection I could see an infestation of grey bugs. I inspected them all very closely and brought the contaminated ones home for emergency care; they are hopefully recovering in isolation.

[Baldy]

Got soaked walking to pick up the car where it was left overnight after a pleasant cocktail evening last night. Rather put the ca-bosh on a vague plan to visit the plot. So instead it was back to Homebase who have new sale stock out - boght a Worx cordless strimeer/mower/edger thing with 2 batteries for £30 down from £78 and a B&D cordless screwdriver for £10
And 450 wood screws for £2.50
Worked out what I'll ask Chris for from his give@way list of seeds
Its still raining so I'm now typing this message on the Vine...

[Chris11]

Washed another stack of pots and seed trays, which are now drying themselves in the garage. Fingers crossed the next batch will be the last

That's something I've done in the past
This year I'm just using a brush to clean up the pots ready for use.