The ups, the downs and the insides out of growing your own in 2024!

GreenBucket24

kiss_me_now9 said:

Finally got my shallots and onion sets into the ground today. Went to the outhouse after I'd planted them to get something else and when I returned to our little veg plot (at the other end of the garden) a cheeky little squirrel was running away rather rapidly and a few of the sets had definitely been disturbed! I didn't even consider they might be seen as a free snack  Hopefully he doesn't eat all of them!

@kiss_me_now9
During dry weather, sprinkle a powder black pepper around your plants that squirrels love visiting, they will not come back again when they experienced the flavour. That is how i saved my precious plants and bulbs for years now.

Silvertabby

TracyS66 said:

Went to a garden center yesterday and got some tomatoes plants all different ones, planning to plant them this weekend along with my potatoes, if the weather allows me to get in the garden!
I have 2 tubs for the potatoes and the tomatoes will go in my raised bed next to the already planted onions, I have to leave enough room for lettuce and some rocket so I hope I remember to!!
I have a tub that has one of last years old potatoes in it, who knows I might get something from it. It is growing,,,,
Fingers crossed for a bit of a dry spell over the Easter weekend.

Eek!  My tomatoes don't even go into my unheated greenhouse until mid May!

If you intend to eventually plant yours outdoors you'll need to grow them on on a sunny windowsill until mid May, then harden them off (outdoors during the day, back in at night) before planting them out in early June.

Kantankrus_Mare

Ive been putting off doing anything  strenuous at the allotment due to a bad back that just doesnt seem to be improving despite me doing a short routine of yoga stretches every day and having a deep tissue massage. Got a different massage this coming Weds with someone Ive never been to before and supposedly works miracles!

Anyhow......I have a bed that needs black sheeting down and holes cut for my strawberry runners to go into. My husband keeps saying he will come and help me but its always either raining or he is going to the gym or busy doing something else so today with a bit of nice weather and deep heat on my back I decided to have a go myself. Took me a couple of hours but I did it!! Probably wont be up to his standard but Im happy with it. 

KajiKita

Oh well done @Kantankrus_Mare 👏😊🎉🤩🥳
And there is no room for complaining from people if they don’t actually turn up to help! 😉

KK

Kantankrus_Mare

I actually need to retract my grumbling of yesterday. Husband said if it was nice this morning he would come to allotment for a few hours. Its been beautiful!! 18 degrees as we left the plot.

I put in some new strawberries that I had bought. Bit disappointed as I had 9 left alive out of 24 but have put them in anyway and hopefully get runners later in the year.

Weeded and put in a full bed of onion sets.

Between us we weeded and laid down weed membrane for my two blackcurrant bushes to be planted.

Husband:

Cut the well over grown grass on front of plot.

Fixed a hosepipe holder to the fence to keep hose tidy.

Made me a small tool storage hanger that he had seen on Gardeners world for the shed.

Used some old wire up to block some gaps.

Fitted some wood to front of plot to make it look uniform.



I have lots of strawberry runners left over now in greenhouse to tidy up ready for selling. Hoping I can make some money towards some new decking that I need in front of shed.

Really pleased with our mornings work. 

KajiKita

@Kantankrus_Mare, I think the grumbling of yesterday are still valid 😉 but delighted to hear that DH has redeemed himself so effectively and usefully 😊 Must have been lovely working together like that ❤️

KK

Silvertabby

Toms and chillies nearly ready for potting on, but as my greenhouse isn't heated they will live on the spare bedroom windowsills until they are big enough/it's warm enough to put them in their final pots in the greenhouse (note to self:  Don't forget to put sign on bedroom doors saying "Keep shut - cat not allowed in here under any circumstances!").  Cat owners will know why.....

Hardier seeds, mostly marigolds, cosmos, nasturtiums, sunflowers, sweet peas, etc are in the greenhouse.  Only planted a few days ago, so will be a while before I see any activity.

During lock down I put my spare plants on the edge of the drive, with a sign saying "Free - please help yourself".  It went down so well, I've carried on doing it.  The chillies "Ring of Fire", in particular, are very popular!  Does amuse me how some people seem to struggle with the concept of "Free".  I've had people knocking on the door asking if they are really free, and have even found pound coins in the tray.

FreeBear

Kantankrus_Mare said:

Ive been putting off doing anything  strenuous at the allotment due to a bad back that just doesnt seem to be improving despite me doing a short routine of yoga stretches every day and having a deep tissue massage.

I feel your pain - Had Christmas off work, and eventually got an MRI scan. A bulging L2/3 disc that might go back if I take it easy. So no heavy lifting, or bending/twisting.

Kantankrus_Mare

FreeBear said:

Kantankrus_Mare said:

Ive been putting off doing anything  strenuous at the allotment due to a bad back that just doesnt seem to be improving despite me doing a short routine of yoga stretches every day and having a deep tissue massage.

I feel your pain - Had Christmas off work, and eventually got an MRI scan. A bulging L2/3 disc that might go back if I take it easy. So no heavy lifting, or bending/twisting.

Oh good grief! Poor you! Its all consuming isnt it.? Strange thing with mine is its usually half way through my work day that mine becomes painful. I waitress three days a week so on my feet for up to 8 hrs. Have always done this kind of work so not sure why all of a sudden its become a problem. Got another remedial massage tomorrow with a lady Ive not been to before so see how that goes otherwise it will be an appointment at the doctors.

kiss_me_now9

GreenBucket24 said:

kiss_me_now9 said:

Finally got my shallots and onion sets into the ground today. Went to the outhouse after I'd planted them to get something else and when I returned to our little veg plot (at the other end of the garden) a cheeky little squirrel was running away rather rapidly and a few of the sets had definitely been disturbed! I didn't even consider they might be seen as a free snack  Hopefully he doesn't eat all of them!

@kiss_me_now9
During dry weather, sprinkle a powder black pepper around your plants that squirrels love visiting, they will not come back again when they experienced the flavour. That is how i saved my precious plants and bulbs for years now.

Thank you for that tip! Rightly or wrongly I've covered the whole bed (except the garlic) in fabric today because a neighbours cat keeps coming into our garden and leaving massive 'presents' in my veg patch. We have two cats ourselves who don't go out often so it's pretty much got free run of the outside space. It's only a wee thing - probably not more than a year old - and my two are big brutish Toms so I'm loathed to let them slip out when it's in the garden but hopefully that will sort both problems out! 

Potatoes in pots now, hoping I've done it right. I bought a tumbling Tom tomato for our hanging basket from the garden centre today as well which I'm braving in the unheated greenhouse as it's in too big a pot really to come indoors (it's quite well established) though if it looks like we're going to get freezing temps it'll fit on a windowsill somewhere for a few weeks.