What I did today 2018

[4Shoes]

With all that talk today about soil types, fertility and ph, went and sown green winter manure. Thanks for the reminder.

[Greenleaves]

Dug the bean beds over and put a timber skirt around the new tunnel.

[Jay-ell]

The compost fairy popped round to pick up the 8 now empty garden bags.

And dropped off two more full of grass clippings.

I'll take them down on Saturday along with the scales and table for the pumpkin weigh in.

[Small pumpkin]

Harvested the tub of sweet potatoes. Left some of the smaller tubers attached to the main plant and carefully replanted it. Also Discovered the vine had rooted in a few different places. So just pruned it a little bit and covered with fleece. Don't think it'll make it through winter, no harm in trying.

[1Bee]

Moved a compost dalek at lightning speed to avoid my little wormies catching a chill. Mixed the uncomposted stuff in with new greens, shredded paper, kitchen waste and comfrey. Cleared away the bent and broken bean arches and started clearing the bed that will have Charlottes next year. Pulled some leeks and chatted with Not Our Cat.

[Jay-ell]

Sp - I think that it's impossible for sweet potato to Overwinter that far north - which is of course the best reason to try it.


Giant Pumpkin weigh in today and at least it wasn't raining.

It was snowing instead.

Luckily the snow had stopped before I loaded the car.

Took down a table, IKEA blue bag, luggage scales and 5 bags of garden waste courtesy of the Compost Fairy.

Going into the plot passed another plot holder wheeling a barrow full of spare pumpkins all of which looked good.

Out of seven entries 5 plot holders turned out - 4 with pumpkins 1 with a courgette

Rather than weigh mine beforehand I guessed at which one was the heaviest and manhandled it into the barrow.

The weights ranged from 6.5lbs (guess who's) up to 64.4lbs with mine coming in two pounds less at a bit over 62lbs and taking second place.

The winner was the daughter of last years winner who hung on to hear last year's results before he passed away. This year's competition was named after him and the committee had been chatting earlier how it would be nice for them to win. It was also them whom I had passed with a wheelbarrow full of spares.

Anyway, my other pumpkin weighed in at 60lbs so that's 122lbs of pumpkin for soup, pie, chips, curry, mash, etc. in addition to the smaller pumpkins from the other plant.

As you can see in the photo (second from the right) the stab wounds healed up and both fruits are nice and orange.

[Snadger]

Sp - I think that it's impossible for sweet potato to Overwinter that far north - which is of course the best reason to try it.


Giant Pumpkin weigh in today and at least it wasn't raining.

It was snowing instead.

Luckily the snow had stopped before I loaded the car.

Took down a table, IKEA blue bag, luggage scales and 5 bags of garden waste courtesy of the Compost Fairy.

Going into the plot passed another plot holder wheeling a barrow full of spare pumpkins all of which looked good.

Out of seven entries 5 plot holders turned out - 4 with pumpkins 1 with a courgette

Rather than weigh mine beforehand I guessed at which one was the heaviest and manhandled it into the barrow.

The weights ranged from 6.5lbs (guess who's) up to 64.4lbs with mine coming in two pounds less at a bit over 62lbs and taking second place.

The winner was the daughter of last years winner who hung on to hear last year's results before he passed away. This year's competition was named after him and the committee had been chatting earlier how it would be nice for them to win. It was also them whom I had passed with a wheelbarrow full of spares.

Anyway, my other pumpkin weighed in at 60lbs so that's 122lbs of pumpkin for soup, pie, chips, curry, mash, etc. in addition to the smaller pumpkins from the other plant.

As you can see in the photo (second from the right) the stab wounds healed up and both fruits are nice and orange.

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Very diplomatic Jay-ell. The lickle green one at the end just goes to show you the perils of buying seeds from a well known auction site.

[Snadger]

After the debacle of a pumpkin competition I had a very good day on my old plot. I lifted a half standard white currant,half standard redcurrant and two half standard gooseberry plants. I also lifted a Tayberry I only planted last year and two large clumps of Bocking 14 Comfrey.

All the above were put into bin liners and dumped at my new plot to be planted at a later date(probably tomorrow)


I also lifted my shallots, some of which I will re-plant and loads of leeks, most of which I will freeze.

Managed to get some tools and a potted grape vine in the car as well.

[burnie]

I've done next to nothing today, howling and freezing wind with a bit rain to add to the mix meant a wander round a garden centre was as close as I got to gardening today, mind at this time of year you have hunt out anything that's not aimed at the end of December indulgencies. Spent nothing so that was a bonus.

[Chestnut]

Didn’t get to the plot at all today - I got carried away in the garden instead. Did loads of weeding, and cleaned the greenhouse ;-)

[kitty12345]

Felt too cold to be doing digging so just went to harvest - calabrese sprouts, kale and the last giant beans.

Need to get onion sets in tomorrow.

[Baldy]

Filled two raised beds with woodchip and then put them to sleep for the winter.
Got given a slab of lager for cutting the plot hedges so drank2 of them - watched the birds messing about then hoped that Mrs Balders wouldn't notice the smell of 'pop' on my breath.
(Got away with it - so far...)

(Don't think she has an account here)

[burnie]

Thought scrumpy was the preferred currency in your part of the world.

[Baldy]

Prefered

..not the only...

[muck lover]

Yikes a mouse in the polytunnel!!!!
I was contentedly cutting down old tomato plants when a fistling under the potting bench drew my attention.
I watched for a few minutes and then saw a particularly well fed mouse bustling about.
It’s partially my own fault as there is a pile of stuff there I should have tidied up. Of course the polytunnel is an ideal place for a mouse to set up home- from the mouses point of view anyway.
That mouse better not start any long books.......if you get my drift.