So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

the_cross_rabbit

Ahhh yes if they are young you need to squash them I’m afraid. My advice is to wear gardening gloves. To help bring in predators we’ve interplanted with borage, candelula, marigolds, nasturtiums, sunflowers and cosmos. They not only bring in hungry predators, they look nice and some of them can be eaten. Good luck it’s not a nice job.
CRx

themadvix

Eurgh… thanks! What I don’t get is that predators can’t get under the net needed to protect from butterflies and birds. Wondering if a finer mesh would help to exclude the aphids themselves. And presumably ladybirds and lacewings will be dying off/hibernating soon but the aphids don’t mind the cold… it seems very tricky! 

themadvix

Morning all,

My client didn't send me more work overnight (he's currently in western Canada, or at least I think he's still there) and it was Labor Day in the US yesterday, so no work from America. So when I've finished what I'm doing (which will take a while, but not all day), I'm hoping to get my tax return submitted. Started it a while ago, but needed some paperwork from the loft (I'd got a bit overenthusiastic in my filing!), which, as the loft contents are currently residing in both our offices, is not a problem. Also mustn't forget I have a Cambridge meeting at 10, although it looks like it might be a 'chat' rather than a meeting. Easier for me that way!

Roofer says his team will come when the weather improves.... so maybe a fortnight then! I hope it's not that long! In good news though, we won't be lumbered with a skip - he'll order it for delivery and collection on same day, which is helpful.

We had a cracking storm in the night - thunder and lightning right overhead and very loud. It pelted it down with rain too, so the allotment won't need watering Very grey here this morning though.

I think dinner will be veggie shepherd's pie. Might make galettes for lunch as we have loads of buckwheat flour that really needs using up (I kept getting this given as a substitute during lockdown 1's flour shortage!). Then Mr MV can take the remaining rolls for lunch tomorrow.

I need to start planning for next year on the allotment - I want to buy onion and garlic sets, but need to work out where they will go and when those beds will be free again! Does anyone have any tips for getting your head around crop planning? It is not something that I'm going to manage well in my head.

MS things:
* Up 8p on the HW - I'll be rich in no time😂
* PA survey - and a whole lot have cleared - balance at £8 again
* Sensible meal planning happening

Gratitudes:
* A chance to get my tax return done
* Homegrown food
* Tea!

themadvix

Meant to include my oven experiment in my MS things. Needed to reheat dinner last night (from Sunday's original cooking) - put food in cold oven (straight from fridge), on for 15 minutes (pretty much until it had reached temp), turned off, left to heat for another 10 mins and then chucked crumble in (also from fridge) as I brought dinner out (crumble left in there for an hour I should think). Dinner was hot through and crumble was nicely warm - so a good experiment. Just need to get in habit of setting timer for when I need to turn oven off and then another one for when the food will be done. Will do the same tonight with shepherd's pie - not sure there's anything else I need to cook at the same time - the problem is when I do this it's baking and we don't need anything else naughty in the house.

Our food was veggie, so I didn't probe it, but if you try this at home with meat, definitely probe it for temperature!

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, good oven use there, well done! 

I don't have any crop rotation tips other than just drawing the same plan of your garden four times and writing everything in pencil for each year 😂

Suffolk_lass

You could add bottled things or pickles in jars, if you want them to seal, stewing fruit is another oven use option, in a covered oven proof dish.

I believe that the Caroline Foley allotment book gives advice on what to locate where and why. I'll see if I can take a picture pictures and post them

Suffolk_lass

here you go, first 2

themadvix

Thanks ladies. Not so much crop rotation as there's less need for this with no dig (although I'll move the brassicas), but what can go in after what within one season - i.e. where can be planted up over winter but not hog the bed until it's too late the next summer!

Good point SL - and I wouldn't have thought about stewing fruit in the oven. Nothing to do on that front at the moment. But I did think I might make a Jamaican ginger cake (as per your diary the other day) as I want to use up the last bit of treacle - have had the replacement for ages! This will require restraint as it's better if you leave it and/or freezing, so better for the waistline.

Book sounds good. Imagine Mr Seymour might have some thoughts too - will see what he says.

Suffolk_lass

Second 2 pics. Hopefully readable and helpful re planting

themadvix

Thank you SL!