The ups and downs and ins and outs of growing your own, 2018

unrecordings · 20 April 2018 at 9:28PM

Two days of really good sunshine and I can still see evidence of groundwater. My Japanese Spinach is bolting and the pigeons are having a field day (as least it keeps them off my Kale, which is also starting to bolt.)
Perennial herbs like Lovage and Lemon Verbena are starting to come back to life, and the Blackthorns I planted a couple of years ago are just starting to flower, so hopefully I'll be making sloe gin in the Autumn. In a similar vein, the beech is just coming into leaf, so I plan to make some more Beech Leaf Noyau, and the Woodruff is just at the right stage for picking the young leaves. Lots to do...

Suffolk_lass · 21 April 2018 at 6:49AM

zafiro1984 wrote: »

I have a potting bench and next to it was a bag of compost about two/thirds full. As I reached into it something flew out - a robin had made its nest in there and laid six eggs. Now everything is being quietly moved into a polytunnel and I'll have to buy more compost.

How lovely. We have a wren in the corner of our lean-to outside the back door - the closed protected corner (it is open on two sides). Hopefully they will rear two batches again but we are a lot later than last year.

Bunnies - millions (well, tens) of rabbits. So cute but they are decimating our garden and my asparagus bed. I need a man with a ferret....

Jazee · 21 April 2018 at 7:25AM

Morning all. Today I need to cut the grass, do some weeding and pot on the courgettes as a minimum. It's nice to be eating salad from the garden though. I planted my cherry tree out earlier in the week.

zafiro1984 · 21 April 2018 at 6:40PM

I got told off on Wednesday by my surgeon at the Royal Brompton Heart Hosp for doing too much so soon after my op. The trouble is I feel very well and forget I'm not supposed to lift or exert myself. So in order to pace what I do I have decided to just do one raised bed a day plus one extra job come rain or shine. Fortunately the raised beds are only 6'x4' so I reckon I'll have finished them in a fortnight.

Thursday, (Bed 1) weeded and planted out my onions which I had growing in modules, covered them with fleece and netted them as I have serious problem with rabbits and pigeons.
Extra job - moved the germinated seedling from the utility room into the greenhouse.

Friday:- We were out most of the day so I didn't get onto the plot until 6pm. (Bed 2) Weeded and got it ready for shallots

Today:- Still on bed 2, planted out all the shallots that were in modules and put more onions in the space left, watered and netted them.
Started on Bed 3, I was going to pull out all the leeks that were still in that bed and then weed, muck and make a frame for the climbing french beans - but it started to rain - not just a bit but a real downpour.

As you may gather I'm already one day behind - I'm not sure whether or not I should just finish 'Bed 3' tomorrow or try to do 'Bed 4' as well - maybe one in the morning and the other in the afternoon - I'll see what the weather is doing.

unrecordings · 21 April 2018 at 7:01PM

I'd say take it easy. I know it's going berzerk out there, everything needs doing. I'm having to pace myself, as I'm getting tired very quickly. I'm sat here mildly annoyed that I've still another hour and a half of light and it's nice and cool, but hey ho. Tomorrow, hopefully finally planting potatoes. Then maybe figure out where to put the peas (which are maybe a month late). Finished my annual herb bed. Sowed Chervil, Cornflower, Spring Onions, and a handful of 'use them or lose them' seeds. Also need to clear out the Japanese Spinach, but in a non wasteful way - it does seem to keep really well in the fridge - maybe I should try drying some...

Gem-gem · 23 April 2018 at 9:57PM

1st courgette plant has just appeared ( germinated)
Tomato plants that I bought as seedlings doing well.
Beetroot plants - have some seedlings appear.
Cherry tomato - got 4 plants germinated.
Rocket and spinach coming through.
Carrots have started to make an appearance.
(I know it is early) have planed out two runner bean plants - needed the poles as support. They had been out over the past few days.
Blueberries/ black currants and raspberries all have lots of buds on.
Rhubarb ready to start picking.

Over the weekend did some weeding

??? Two of my black currant bushes - the leaves are being eaten - started to have a look for the culprit (s) can't see anything. Will look again tomorrow.

CAFCGirl · 24 April 2018 at 9:53AM

Slugs and snails decimated my peas and sunflowers down to the ground! Blighters.

Need to get some more seed compost and start again. Grrrr

wishuponastar · 24 April 2018 at 10:58AM

So I'd decided to try to germinate some butternut squash seeds, having never done it before. I threw a whole lot (about 40 from 1 squash) into two containers (about 8cm x 4cm each) thinking I'd not have such a good germination rate as it's been quite cold until recently so I was surprised, their embryonic leaves are huge! (I'm used to the tomato and pepper tiny leaves)

Anyway turns out they are all seeming to show signs of germination and I've now got about 10 that have come up with their leaves above the soil line. When the first two came up I repotted them into bigger pots each so they have more room but now gotta do the rest. It's exciting but now wishing I'd taken the time now to individually plant them as now it's more work taking care of the roots etc.

It is exciting though.

Kantankrus_Mare · 24 April 2018 at 11:06AM

wishuponastar wrote: »

So I'd decided to try to germinate some butternut squash seeds, having never done it before. I threw a whole lot (about 40 from 1 squash) into two containers (about 8cm x 4cm each) thinking I'd not have such a good germination rate as it's been quite cold until recently so I was surprised, their embryonic leaves are huge! (I'm used to the tomato and pepper tiny leaves)

Anyway turns out they are all seeming to show signs of germination and I've now got about 10 that have come up with their leaves above the soil line. When the first two came up I repotted them into bigger pots each so they have more room but now gotta do the rest. It's exciting but now wishing I'd taken the time now to individually plant them as now it's more work taking care of the roots etc.

It is exciting though.

Thanks for that......I saved some seeds from butternut squasy about a month ago and not done anything with them.

Will try and get them sown this week. I hope I have success like yours

Five of my nine courgettes are doing brilliant. Will need potting on soon. Will plant them out just before my twoo week hol at end of May. Put them out too early last year. They all died and had to start again.

wishuponastar · 24 April 2018 at 5:39PM

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

Thanks for that......I saved some seeds from butternut squasy about a month ago and not done anything with them.

Will try and get them sown this week. I hope I have success like yours

Glad to give you some encouragement with the squashes. I've been separating them into their own containers today being very careful with the roots. Don't make the mistake I did, start them off in their own yoghurt sized or seedling trays first then they are much easier to re-pot.

It's surprising how much the roots have spread out and only 2-3 days above the soil line with their embryonic leaves.

I'm sure you will do fine, let me know how you get on. Well done with the courgettes.

The ups and downs and ins and outs of growing your own, 2018

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