Saturday 30 May 2009

Treading Water

Metaphorically speaking - on the plot at least.

Just maintenance & watering for the past few days, keeping it ship-shape, then next week I hope to start another phase of planting with more brassicas, beans & sweetcorn to go in.

Have planted out 34 tomatoes in the home garden where I can keep a close eye on them & hopfully they will not be exposed as badly to the dreaded blight if that rears it's ugly head again this year.

Tuesday 26 May 2009

The Plot Update

From the top......

The recovering peas

Told you there was a lot of netting

Look close, you can just see the lettuce

The caulis under the netting

Caulis & Gooseberries

The onion patch with guest beetroot.

The new pumpkin, marrow & courgette patch, (squash to come)

Enviromesh & carrots with 32' raspberry 'hedge'

Part planted bean fence No.1

Maincrop spuds & blackcurrant

Early spuds

Monday 25 May 2009

Sunday 24 May 2009

Brassicas Galore

Having got as far as I can with the beans, have started on the brassicas. 50 Brussels sprouts, Nelson & Trafalgar varieties, (must be some connection there), along with 20 Kilaxy cabbage and 10 red cabbage, (red drumhead).

Also dropped in another 36 lettuce and another half row of mange tout.

Began to dismantle the plum tree that has done just short of nothing in all the time it's been there, trying to do a branch each visit. Waste of space!

Thought about taking the camera, but at the moment a picture of one pigeon defence is pretty silimar to another!

Friday 22 May 2009

In with the beans

Nothing like changing a plan part way though.

I usually plant one bean per cane, but having seen how many I'd got, I doubled up. About 90 plants went out, leaving some 20+ canes plantless.

So - I've sown some more beans and these will hopefully mature a little bit later.

Hilled up the spuds, netted the fruit, & put lighter netting on the peas that now seem to be recovering & in fact look quite healthy.

Must remember to take camera!

Wednesday 20 May 2009

Time for a good caning

Been plodding along the last few days as best as could between the showers, but with a good forecast today, it was out with the canes.

This morning I had a diversion from my vegetables and put up a fence for the sweetpeas. I bought a tray a while back for £2.99 from a nationwide store that said "12 plants" on it. In reality it was 12 cells each with 4 seed. I potted these up into 48 small pots. Makes it hardly worthwile growing from seed.

This afternoon up went the bean fence. Nothing fancy, just a conventional "A" frame, 32 canes each side, 1' apart with the rows 3' apart. Next got to do something for 150climbing purple French beans!

Saturday 16 May 2009

Rain At Last

Rains came yesterday so took advantage & potted loads of things up & moved things around just to look busy.

Sweetcorn had chitted & there were 71 chitted seed out of the 72 I'd attempted, so quite pleased with that, they were also potted up.

Weather can't make it's mind up, but nipped up to the plot this morning, got as far as harvesting the asparagus, hoeing the carrots & putting the supports in for the enviromesh, when it came down again.

Popped some more radish in at home, bit more re-potting and also sowed some "Champion Of England" peas that a forum member kindly sent me. They're a heritage pea & grow up to 6', so I've planted them along next doors garage wall, which is south facing & we'll see how they go.

Thursday 14 May 2009

Slowed down

Things seemed to have slowed down a bit, but looking at the plants hardening off it's the calm before the storm.

Just done a bit of titivating and netted the peas in the hope it's not too late!

Looking at the 100's of plants, which are staring back at me, in a couple of weeks, if not before should the forecast be with me, I'll soon be busy again.

Have sown some more leeks today as a precaution should those the cat lay on not recover and also more squash as the previous lot seeme to be reluctant to show. If they all come up I'll have 18 plants, but hopefully have the space.

The sweetcorn I started chitting 2 days ago now needs planting. Didn't risk the airing cupboard this time!

Monday 11 May 2009

Back Home

Back from me travels.

Been to the plot and the bl**dy pigeons have been at my peas. Looks like I'll have to net again. They've never bothered before at this stage of growth. Buggers!

Apart from that, little to report, been no rain, so very little weed growth even. Wet forcast later this week.