Monday 28 April 2014
Thursday 24 April 2014
Planting squashes
What a busy day!!! I spent nap time this morning digging out the weeds from the one bed I have in my back yard. I did have to don the marigolds for the nettles, but got it under control reasonably quickly, and then planted the herbs. I know have a very tidy looking herb bed. And O found a plastic "deep-sea diver" toy that another child had buried. He was very happy with that!!!.
All of the squashes are planted now too. I was going to go to the allotment this evening, but time got away from me. I pricked out the tomato seedings, and managed to get them down to 7 healthy looking seedlings. I also planted all of the squash seeds. No idea where on earth I am going to put them yet, but there you go!!! 3 crystal lemon cucumbers, 2 uchiki kuri, 2 honey bear, 2 marrow, 3 pumpkin, 3 butternut, 2 spaghetti squash and a couple of other that I can't remember, are all planted in pots ready to go. I am feeling very excited by this, but seriously - Where are they all going to go? They spread for miles. Okay, maybe not miles, but far!!! I have dug a bed for them, but it is no where near large enough. I suppose if enough of my other crops fail I can pop them in that space. Better to have too many than not enough. My knowledge of how to grow squashes is limited. For example, how many butternut squashes can you expect from 1 plant. Courgettes grow loads because they are constantly harvested, so it won't be the same principle. I suppose I shall find out come September!!! How exciting!!!
So tomorrows mission is to buy more plant pots. I have 4 different varieties of courgette to plant!!! Seriously, the supermarket is so boring. Who only wants 1 variety of courgette? Not me. If my ratatouille has anything less than 2 different types of courgette in it then I am not interested!!!. A new principle perhaps, but still sound I think.
All of the squashes are planted now too. I was going to go to the allotment this evening, but time got away from me. I pricked out the tomato seedings, and managed to get them down to 7 healthy looking seedlings. I also planted all of the squash seeds. No idea where on earth I am going to put them yet, but there you go!!! 3 crystal lemon cucumbers, 2 uchiki kuri, 2 honey bear, 2 marrow, 3 pumpkin, 3 butternut, 2 spaghetti squash and a couple of other that I can't remember, are all planted in pots ready to go. I am feeling very excited by this, but seriously - Where are they all going to go? They spread for miles. Okay, maybe not miles, but far!!! I have dug a bed for them, but it is no where near large enough. I suppose if enough of my other crops fail I can pop them in that space. Better to have too many than not enough. My knowledge of how to grow squashes is limited. For example, how many butternut squashes can you expect from 1 plant. Courgettes grow loads because they are constantly harvested, so it won't be the same principle. I suppose I shall find out come September!!! How exciting!!!
So tomorrows mission is to buy more plant pots. I have 4 different varieties of courgette to plant!!! Seriously, the supermarket is so boring. Who only wants 1 variety of courgette? Not me. If my ratatouille has anything less than 2 different types of courgette in it then I am not interested!!!. A new principle perhaps, but still sound I think.
Sunday 20 April 2014
House move and allotment check
Having just returned from the allotment, cold and sore-throaty, I can say, with much certainty, that I need to spend more time at the allotment. It is very weedy and looking a bit tatty. I am going to get on to Hubby about getting the strimmer fixed because quite a lot of the grass in between the beds is now knee high.
I was only there a short time, as a quite bit of eco-therapy after the house move and the in-laws visiting!!! I planted a couple of feet of peas, and finished planting the broad bean seeds. The potatoes in the bags are going great-guns, but the potatoes in the bed are still hiding. They have only been in 2 weeks though, so I'm sure they will peek through when they are ready. It was a bit easier to see the difference between the beetroot and chard seedlings and the weeds today, so did a little bit of weeding. The end of result of this discovery was that I need to plant more chard and beetroot seeds because they are a bit sparse. The pumpkin patch needs a good dig over as well.
Tonights emergency purchase is going to be a hosepipe though. I did many trips to the tap this evening and still barely touched the sides of what needed doing.
The final allotment job of the day was taking a few of the boxes from the house move down to Lottie, to put on the pumpkin patch to (theoretically) suppress the weeds.
We are loving our new house, and am looking forward to getting the tomatoes planted out, growing nicely in tubs in the sunshine. I am sat inside under a blankie, drinking Pimms and feeling sorry for my self, whilst writing my to-do list for tomorrow. It is looking dauntingly long!!!
I was only there a short time, as a quite bit of eco-therapy after the house move and the in-laws visiting!!! I planted a couple of feet of peas, and finished planting the broad bean seeds. The potatoes in the bags are going great-guns, but the potatoes in the bed are still hiding. They have only been in 2 weeks though, so I'm sure they will peek through when they are ready. It was a bit easier to see the difference between the beetroot and chard seedlings and the weeds today, so did a little bit of weeding. The end of result of this discovery was that I need to plant more chard and beetroot seeds because they are a bit sparse. The pumpkin patch needs a good dig over as well.
Tonights emergency purchase is going to be a hosepipe though. I did many trips to the tap this evening and still barely touched the sides of what needed doing.
The final allotment job of the day was taking a few of the boxes from the house move down to Lottie, to put on the pumpkin patch to (theoretically) suppress the weeds.
We are loving our new house, and am looking forward to getting the tomatoes planted out, growing nicely in tubs in the sunshine. I am sat inside under a blankie, drinking Pimms and feeling sorry for my self, whilst writing my to-do list for tomorrow. It is looking dauntingly long!!!
Monday 14 April 2014
My new garden
I spent a very small amount of time in my new garden today, but spent long enough in it to discover a small bed. This small raised bed was very well disguised by many voracious weeds, but once it is dug out will make a nice herb bed. There are also sufficient bricks lying around to make another small raised bed. I don't know what to fill it with, but the possibilities are endless!!!
I will need a decent pair of rubber gloves to get busy with those nettles first though!!!
I will need a decent pair of rubber gloves to get busy with those nettles first though!!!
Thursday 10 April 2014
Broad bean disaster
Some thing is eating my broad beans!!! Any ideas on what gratefully received.
In other news I planted some sprout seeds!!!
In other news I planted some sprout seeds!!!
Wednesday 9 April 2014
Burning
I am heading to the allotment tonight. I don't care what else I have to do, what jobs or packing or tidying or preparing...I am going. Getting very stressed out with all that I have to do for the house move. I need a spot of "eco-therapy". I just find it impossible to be stressed or sad or grumpy or anything negative whilst on the site. I always leave with a smile, either at a job well done, or successes growing nicely, or just the peace and tranquillity allowing me to get my head back into order so I can tackle the rest of my life with a better perspective!!!.
My new fire pit arrived this morning. This was a bit of an impulse purchase, but I am quite pleased with it. We have to burn a load of papers, old bank statements etc. and we were looking at buying an incinerator thingy-ma-jig. But we also need a bbq, and preferably something to take with us camping, so we have settled for this fire pit that fulfils all of the above requirements. I wonder if the ash from the fire is useful for any plant in particular or should be used as a general fertiliser. More research needed I think!!!
My new fire pit arrived this morning. This was a bit of an impulse purchase, but I am quite pleased with it. We have to burn a load of papers, old bank statements etc. and we were looking at buying an incinerator thingy-ma-jig. But we also need a bbq, and preferably something to take with us camping, so we have settled for this fire pit that fulfils all of the above requirements. I wonder if the ash from the fire is useful for any plant in particular or should be used as a general fertiliser. More research needed I think!!!
Monday 7 April 2014
Potatoes
We are moving house. NEXT WEEK!!!!! Very exciting and daunting. We have so much to do and very little time in which to do it. After the disaster of selling our house in London a few years ago and moving up here, we ended up in a flat owned by my parents. It has been fine, and definitely helped us out when we needed it, but now it is time to move on. Most excitingly it is an actual house. We have never lived in an actual house. And we will have a back yard. I am so excited. We will have a large kitchen and a space for herbs and I may even grow tomatoes in the back yard. So brilliant!!!
So this weekend my only job at the allotment was planting potatoes. They have been chitting for a number of weeks, but could have done with a couple more weeks really, but I don't suppose it really matters. I don't want to move them because they may be damaged, and I think we have enough to do without making special arrangements for the transportation of well chitted seed potatoes. So we have 10 maris pipers, and 26 desiree reds. Very excited about potatoes. Last year I was ill and left the planting up to my husband. But, love him though I do, unless it is to do with random nonsense on the internet he is not terribly interested. So it was done fast...and not terribly well. Infact of the 20 seed potatoes planted last year we only managed to harvest 18 potatoes. It didn't go well. This year will be better. Although I think the slugs didn't help last year. I may have to be a little more severe with the slugs this year!!!!
The allotment is growing well. The broad beans seem to be doing well, and we have sprouting garlic and the onions are growing well. We have some lettuce and radish growing nicely, and some broccoli doing nicely. But we are at the stage where I am not sure if things are weeds or seedlings. I think I may wait another couple of weeks before weeding anymore just in case!!!.
So this weekend my only job at the allotment was planting potatoes. They have been chitting for a number of weeks, but could have done with a couple more weeks really, but I don't suppose it really matters. I don't want to move them because they may be damaged, and I think we have enough to do without making special arrangements for the transportation of well chitted seed potatoes. So we have 10 maris pipers, and 26 desiree reds. Very excited about potatoes. Last year I was ill and left the planting up to my husband. But, love him though I do, unless it is to do with random nonsense on the internet he is not terribly interested. So it was done fast...and not terribly well. Infact of the 20 seed potatoes planted last year we only managed to harvest 18 potatoes. It didn't go well. This year will be better. Although I think the slugs didn't help last year. I may have to be a little more severe with the slugs this year!!!!
The allotment is growing well. The broad beans seem to be doing well, and we have sprouting garlic and the onions are growing well. We have some lettuce and radish growing nicely, and some broccoli doing nicely. But we are at the stage where I am not sure if things are weeds or seedlings. I think I may wait another couple of weeks before weeding anymore just in case!!!.
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