Awful weather - typical Brits talk

LessImpecunious

greenbee I've been mulching cardboard with woodchip but have run out. Do grass mowings work well? I'm going to have a lot of them when I get round to mowing… (I already have lots of cardboard).

I also need to work out what to do with all the hay/long grass that is left after scything the orchard (and the rest of it if I ever get round to it.

My plot was an overgrown (this year) "meadow" (rather dock-infested), so was scythed first, then laid scythings down (otherwise these would have had to be chopped up for adding to compost heap, seemed like a good lazy persons labour-saving way of dealing with them and especially their seeds), covered these with card, then mowings (some from the plot after scything, which involved moving materials around in the manner of one of those puzzles where you have to move counters between three posts 😅). Not done this before, so no idea if it works well, but seemed like a good idea at the time! (and saves scarce compost for other beds). The potatoes will be a "cleaning" crop (I hope!).

twopenny

Green bee, our posts crossed.

No. Don't use grass clippings. It clumps together in a soggy mess and leaches too much nitrogen. Been there. Done that 🙄

Dustyevsky

Farway: Naming "wild" tomato, have you tasted it yet? Could name it reflecting the taste and it's heritage. Or just Compostmentis as pun.

🤣 🤣I nearly missed that! You certainly are.

Less: Yes, that's the colloquial name. Apparently, they're solitary, but nest in the ground in numbers, emerging in September, ready to take advantage of the ivy flowering. Why so many ended-up in the polytunnel is a mystery, but it could be because the females are often mobbed by males wanting to mate, so if a few ladies went in……" Cherchez la femme"… and all that. 😉

I'd guess there were about 150. I managed to remove about 1/3 before getting stung, and a similar proportion were already dead. The rest were too high up and hiding in the niches between the bars and plastic. They're pretty docile, unless you to scoop them into a container! 😂 The sting wasn't long-lasting in effect, just enough to put me off, especially as one or two landed on my face and hair.

With that, and two surgery trips, I didn't get as much done as planned yesterday.😐️ I'd returned from the first trip, where there was quite a long wait, only to get a prescription request for a guy on blood thinners who'd cut himself. So, imaginary blue lights flashing, back I go, only to wait ages, as they hadn't even got to the prescription.😖 I forgot, we're on Deb'n time! However, while waiting, I noticed a big metal unit outside and a notice which read, "Coming soon, our prescription ATM!" People will key in details, and then be able to pick up their pills, anytime. That's handy for such a spread-out population, but it'll lose the personal contact aspect.

.2p: None of it predicted of course…

Me (yesterday) "We have unbroken blue skies currently, but there are some nasty red-centred blobs off to the west…"

I rest my case. 😁

GB: I also need to work out what to do with all the hay/long grass that is left after scything the orchard (and the rest of it if I ever get round to it.

At Regency House, visited in the summer, they make mini haystacks for wildlife to live/nest in:

OT: Today's predicted to be calm, mostly sunny, with occasional showers in the morning. 😃

greenbee

Thanks for the feedback on grass/hay. I’ve freed up some compost space, but am short of ‘brown’ material until I get a new shredder… and the grass keeps growing.

I think I know what kind of wildlife will live in those haystacks Dusty! I might keep the cat and dog entertained though. I seem to remember on GW they did something similar at Damson Farm and then planted straight into them as they composted down.

I need a huge amount of compost/mulch to improve the poor soil here. Veg plot is relatively straightforward as there is space round plants and the occasional empty bed. Borders are harder. As the soil is low in nitrogen as well as everything else, I’m not overly worried about that (and could scatter bonemeal under the grass clippings) but would need to make sure it was a thin layer as mulch. I might experiment in a defined area!

Farway

Rain did arrive here, and it's just chucked it down again. Blue sky now.

However the rain has revealed I now have a leak in my roof. 😭I may have swore as the drip drip rang in my ears while in bed. Sort of luckily it drips from the whatever the bit is called over the inside of a window, so I can catch the water in a container without it going everywhere. After me wishing for rain I now want ti to stop.

Job for today, find a roofer. Luckily I do have "rainy day money", so although unwanted it is not a massive financial problem, especially at my age, it's not like I'm saving for a mortgage or a long sea cruise. Just means kids will have less inheritance to spend 😁

I only found out about ivy bees yesterday, on YT. Seems they are a recent invader. I don't think I've seen one, but TBH I've not really looked for them but will now. There is some flowering ivy on a wall nearby. .

The "street flower beds" looks good, think I saw them doing something similar in the US. But I also seem to recall local councils here getting uppity over people planting up verges outside their houses, and also councils grass mowing contractors just mowing them down. Can't win at times.

2P, hope iron get fixed and phone gets sorted, I have a roof to add if you have a spare minute 😊

No gardening planned, roof & other on line financial messing today

LessImpecunious

2P No. Don't use grass clippings. It clumps together in a soggy mess and leaches too much nitrogen. Been there. Done that 🙄

Plus they harbour slugs … I wouldn't use them on beds where I was growing anything at the time, but in my case it's something to cover up cardboard on top of weedy grass as a light excluder to (hopefully) kill off the grass in an area which won't be planted till spring.

Interesting idea for the hay Dusty - may try that in other areas… Looked up the ivy bees too, they look quite distinctive, don't think I've seen any here but will be look out for them now 🙂

Hope the rain stops Farway 🤞