Preparedness for when

Cappella

Thanks for the warning MrsLurcherWalker. We do have a wonderwall ( http://www.walk-inwonderwall.co.uk/ ) on the big allotment so should hopefully be ok. It keeps out whitefly, which are tiny, and has very fine mesh. We treated ourselves to it years ago because the pigeons and Canada geese were decimating our brassica I was shocked at the price though when I googled it just now, we are lucky to have bought ours when the company had only just set up in business. Most people on our site make brassica cages with tall canes and cane separators as the cabbage white butterfly is prolific here. Hopefully these will be equally moth proof.
It's worrying though how many insect pests are pesticide resistant. We really don't need any new species introducing themselves - it's hard enough coping with the ones we already have.

jk0

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

An item on the news at lunchtime is saying there is going to be a problem with brassicas and major shortages in the colder months because cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower are being decimated by a continental moth that has been blown in on these warm winds from Europe. It is resistant to insectisides and there is nothing to treat it with, it's apparently going to wreck the entire crop across the country. We're going to fill the polytunnel with as much cabbage as we can and some kale too as it's been successful in there before. It's got butterfly netting across all the doors so we stand a chance of keeping the pests out. I always seem to be the one bringing bad news these days don't I? but forewarned we might be able to cover with fleece etc. and hope to get some of the hard worked for produce that we all try to grow.

I thought you were going to say that they were warning we'd have a problem getting them if we leave the EU.

milasavesmoney

I wish I had a waterbutt. But then we would have to have rain... .98" so far this year. Way below our usual 3.4" for the first five months. *sigh*

mardatha

I think we could sell you some Mila...

maryb

Mila, is it true that in some states you aren't allowed to save rainwater?

GreyQueen

milasavesmoney wrote: »

I wish I had a waterbutt. But then we would have to have rain... .98" so far this year. Way below our usual 3.4" for the first five months. *sigh*

:eek: Blimey, are you in a desert? That amount of precipitation can land here in one day and often does. Even in summer, due to being a maritime climate, 2-3 days of hot weather usually ends in a thunderstorm and torrential rain.

Come to the UK, we can offer you weather typical of all 4 seasons in any given 24 hours.:rotfl:

Chatting to Dad last night about how pleased I was that the first part of June has been very wet thus far, unlike last June. Reason being was that last June's drought fell when my potato plants would have been bulking up, and they didn't, and the tops had died back before much rain came, so the crop was much less than usual.

He told me that the old boys on the farm used to call these potato rains, for that very reason.

I'm hoping to grow some effing potatoes again this year, as in passers-by who can see into my allotment when harvesting saying to each other Would you look at the size of those effing things!

mrs-moneypenny

This is the first year I've attempted to grow spuds GQ so I doubt mine will be that variety. I'll just be happy if I get any. I've grown mine in bags and banked them up with straw I read it on pintrest to do that instead of using more compost. The tops are big green and bushy with lots of leaves and I'm just getting flowers forming. My strawbs are forming but all still green at the mo. I must pick some sweetpeas toninght as loads are in flower and I don't want them to go to seed and stop producing yet.

Have a good day all.

thriftwizard

I'll swear OH is more interested in the green & flowery bits of our spuds, than in the tubers! He's not interested in earthing them up, just how much greenery they're producing. And he adores butterflies & moths so it's no good trying to grow brassicas; he'd see them as a wildlife attractant, not something for us to eat! Bless him, our garden is an oasis for wildlife, but not all of it beneficial... though as he'd say, that depends on your point of view, and every creature has its place. He gets very cross with my chickens for eating slugs, snails and butterflies...

[Deleted User]

A scary moment today at lunchtime when we got an SOS alert from DD1s phone and a map reference which when checked was the school location saying 'I need help', couldn't get her on the phone and my phone and his phone and her sisters phone all kept receiving messages in quick succession from the same number, mine because it's a very basic phone just Message cannot be read. I had 18 in all one after the other and we just thought Oh My God WHAT!!! so He Who Knows phoned the school who contacted DD1 who was teaching and fine and completely unaware that the phone had triggered in her bag! She had recently added an SOS app as a sensible precaution and as soon as she turned that off the messaging stopped. Thank goodness it was NOT an emergency and also thank goodness because we now know that if there IS an emergency the app works and we can tell appropriate authorities where she is, scary though!!!

Karmacat

Woah, MrsLW! That really is scary. But can I ask, how come it switched on like that, do you know yet?

You must be on adrenalin overload right now from all that

Not much to report here, I'm just trying to keep going at the moment, and making plans to cover all the bases this weekend in what could be a great or absolutely awful time, no way to know which yet.