Bin AWOL

I have been walking in Derbyshire for a week but have been back for three days without bloggin'. Naughty me!!!!!

Anyway, got the last of my seven rows of tatties in as planned. Sowed the rest of my Marfona two per station and the same with my King Eds. Hate small seed as they throw all my planning out of key. If they had all been the same size as my Pentland Crown, Desiree, Arran Pilot, Home Guard and Kestrels, the planned seven rows would have been perfect. As it is, I have a rows worth of Kind Eds that I am going to have to give to my mate and cos they were so small, my yield will be down. Had to give up on the paper as I ran out so the ones without paper, got more grass - will probably be better. I have covered the rest of the solanum bed as I am going to virtually no dig my tomatoes - the previous tenant did nothing with this part of the lotty so I am just going to dig a hole where each tom plant will go, fill it with compost, grass cuttings and leaf mould, put the soil back and then cover with cardboard. The toms can then go through the cardboard.

Sowed my first sowing of squash tonight - that is:
Summer:
Black Beauty Courgette
All Green Bush Courgette
Sebring Courgette
Pattinson Patty Pan (well looking forward to these)

Winter:
Butternut (variety a mystery)
Anna Schwartz Hubbard
Burgess Buttercup
Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato
Jack o' Lantern Pumpkin
Sunnysideup Roadside Specials

Also:
Marketmore Cucumbers.

Have also sowed giant Sunflowers as that is the competition up the lotty this year.

Finally, trying to beat the pea curse on my plot so bought some guttering today and sowed Hurst Greenshaft peas.

No sign of my carrots, parsnips or spring onions yet. Have baby pods on by November sowing of Broad Beans.

My MIL has sown the marrows that we are all going to grow as part of a internecine competition, which I will undoubtedly win due to my undoubted prowess with all things courgette - where is the wink smiley when you need it??????

Short one tonight

Sowed a row of Parano and a row of Nantes 2 carrots with a row of White Lisbon Spring Onions in between today. Had to water two rather lumpy beds today, leave for an hour then rake to get the tilth I wanted - the second bed is for my parsnips which will be going in tomorrow along with some beetroot.

Oh aye, and the Imps at the moment couldn't hit a barn door - not that they bother trying. Loads of good build up then no delivery.

Barking up the wrong tree?

Well, seem to have had a bit of flack for this elsewhere but experimenting with my potato row spacing this year. As it is now April, tis not too early to get maincrop spuds. Maincrops need wide row spacing so had a thought - to save space initially, I am planting in sequence 1st, MC, 1st, MC, 2nd, MC, 2nd, MC on the basis that most of the 1sts and 2nds will be out as the MCs are doing the last of their bulking up. This way they will have an empty row between each one. It will also allow them to dry out quicker thus being less attractive to blight spores. If it don't work - I won't do it next year.

To that end, got a row of King Eds and a row of Arran Pilot in.

Oooh owww oooch

Last Friday (23rd March) a Scout elbowed me hard in the ribs. Raking the grass on Friday, really aggravated it and I haven't been able to do any heavy work this weekend :o( Not good timing - my Arran Pilots are now developing leaves at the end of their chits. Also, met teatree for a drink yesterday which numbed the pain a bit but did mean no (or little) plotting. Have been today and got my Feb sowing of Aquadulces in the ground. Also put the weed fabric back round my strawbs and hand weeded my onions and garlic. Since I came home, I have sowed another 60 broadies (Witkiem and Mastergreen Longpod). Hopefully going to get my tomatoes in later - and anything else that occurs to me - or to you ;o)

PS - just had a big helping of PSB for me tea - lurvvely :o)