Preparedness for when

mardatha

Snow back on here. I'm not going to read any more posts that involve planting/gardening/seeding, ok? And if this bad behaviour continues then I'm off to join an Icelandic gardening forum instead!

GreyQueen

maryb wrote: »

BTW Grey Queen, meant to say, Lidl seem to have a special offer on big candles at the moment. Can't really visualise whether they are good size for the price without seeing them but thought I'd mention

Funny you should mention that, I was in Liddly yestermorn with my hot little hands on those. They are large pillar candles for £2.99. I routinely get ones almost as large 2nd for 50p-£1 so passed on them although I would have gone with that if they'd been those 100 hour ones. But if you haven't got access to a 2nd hand supply they're good value for money.

maryb wrote: »

This may seem obvious to anyone who does garden on a regular basis but why do people pot on seedlings before planting out or transplant seedlings raised in a seed bed? Does it achieve anything that you couldn't do just by thinning out?

If you thin stuff, you throw away the thinnings, which means that you've wasted quite a bit of the money you spent on the seeds. Some thinnings are edible as saladings (cabbage, beet, lettuce) but that wouldn't be the case with others like tomatoes as the leaves are poisonous.

Smiling with recognition at the tales of aching muscles. I have been gardening on both weekend days and have aches in interesting places. You're not normally aware of your glutes, are you? How the heck I ended up overusing a butt-muscle I don't know. At least I'm mobile today, which was more than I expected as I figured we'd be in block-and-tackle territory to get me out of bed.

I had a change of plan and didn't plant stuff (it's very dry here atm) but concentrated on earth moving activities. OK, I cleared an "embankment" caused by the numptyness of them-next-door-three-allotment-tenancies-ago. When I'd got the horrors out (glass, plastic, nails, chicken bones, more plastic, binder twine bogies, glass, more bleeding plastic, you get the picture) I got out the organic nastiness (hello, Mr Bindweed) and then bucketed the soil a few meters to where it'll do some good.

Bygorry, a bucket of earth is a heavy beastie, is it not? Hats off to the moundbuilder culture of Cahokia and bad cess to the ex-lottie neighbour.

I've often observed that there is a tendancy to take stuff onto lotties and, once present, there it stays - forever. I've been dragging stuff off my lottie for years. Yesterday's top find was a semi-usable buried flowerpot.* Digging on another allotment years before, in a not-dissimilar bank, I found an enamel saucepan very much underground. The mind boggles.

Unfortunately, I found that I have Buried Chickenwire at one point. I don't know if you've tried excavating chickenwire before but it's high on the Sweary Index, but the beggar's in the way and I will get it out eventually.

Hokay, time for more tea then off to the saltmine. Laters, GQ xx

* I have always hoped for a box of gold doubloons, but all I ever dig up is trash.:p

ETA, Sorry Mar, cross-posted. But you will note that I wasn't actually planting anything myself. Except my rear into the deckchair from time to time to rest me back.

sb44

For those members who have a B&M store nearby.

I saw some camping toasters in there yesterday for £2.99, the ones that you rest your bread on and can put on top of your camping gas stove.





May be worth adding to your stash of SHTF equipment.

maryb

I promise I haven't been doing anything very energetic. Nor will I - eye is sore today (Day 3) But that's how it was last time as well, took about three days and then it was fine.

But it's wonderful having real eyes - that work!

I know I should ask this on the gardening forum (and I apologise Mar, just look away) but it is prepping related, because I'd like to see if I can have a more reliable continuing source of home grown veg.

Am I right in thinking Calabrese is a late summer veg and Broccoli (as in sprouting) is a spring to early summer veg? If so, what's best to fill in the bit in between? So many different types of cabbage and I know they take a lot of room. And what do you plant on the ground where the calabrese was? Because the books say you should follow brassicas with peas and beans in the rotation but you don't sow those until late spring. So that's quite a bit of ground just left empty, isn't it?

ETA I meant, what should I plant to fill in the gap over the winter after the calabrese is finished and before the Purple Sprouting is ready. I realised after I posted this, it could look as if I was asking what I could grow to eat after the broccoli is finished and before the calabrese - I would hope to have some peas and beans for that part of the year.

All very confusing all this cyclical lark

daz378

Ginny ..... I asked on the other forum about potential future meets, only just posted so no answers yet

boultdj

[QUOTE=mysterywoman10;60486049

Garden centre was disappointing to be honest apart from that, we needed a new garden pop up sack as we find it very useful, old one is falling to bits. They wanted £12.99!!! Outrageous will have to have a look in Home Bargains or somewhere similar, sure the last one only cost £3.99.[/QUOTE]


Have you got a £land? We got one last year from there and it's lasting well.

D&DD

ok Mar erm I need to pop outside for a bit does that sound better It must be very frustrating for you and others with yet more bad weather I think the warmer stuff later in the week is predicted all over though hopefully *crosses fingers* If its any consolation I was brave and walked the dog without my hat this morning and my ears are still trying to defrost!

I'm dusting off the Cobb later if I can find the camera I'll start posting some pics of our creations (or disasters as the case may be) as we go. Hoping to use it a lot this year,outside rather than in the greenhouse would be nice too :rotfl:

Have a great day all XX

mardatha

When the sun comes out its cold but bearable if you're wrapped up - but most of the garden is frozen and you can't get a spade in. I know it's coming, I just wish it would get here before July!!

D&DD

I give up only went out there an hour ago and had to answer the phone 3 times already..decided to stay inside in the warm,I need to get some food ready for later anyhow.

Is anyone making/taking any extra precautions for the 10th? Just asking as kim ping pong is still ranting away about stuff..
I've not really done anything different besides double checking my essential stores and moving my water storage containers/purifying stuff to a more easily accessible place.

dandy-candy

Daz so sorry about your dads dog, it got to a good age tho so must have been well loved and cared for
Polly how awful! Can you put up a sensor light?

Spent the weekend in garden making and planting up an apothecary garden of medicinal herb, garden centre was doing 8 pots of herbs for £10!
Been charity shopping today and got a skirt and top so happy.
Thought I would check how I was for candles so looked in garage - over 300 tea lights (ikea), and about 50 pillar types lol.
Also got some lovely pillar candles last week at Cargo for half price, which come in useful airtight storage jars.