Urgh!!!!!!!!

The weather has been really crap today so haven't been to the plot. It takes a lot to make me want to stay inside all day - that's why I don't like winter - I like to be outside. But, pouring rain coupled with strong cold wind just about does it.

Conned by the weatherman

It was supposed to pee down yesterday so not plotting for me. The sun shone. Managed to finish what I was doing so got an hour up there and dropped my bean rigs and harvested kale, parsnips and my first leaks of the year.

Today, when I was supposed to go to the plot, the weather has been shoite all day. Oh well!!!!!!

Urgh!!!!!!!! and Not so Urgh!!!!!!!!

Yesterday:
Just been to the plot to plant my first lot of broadies. Tis cold! Tis wet! Tis very very mucky!!!! And I am skint and can't afford the footy

Today:
Now have four builders bags full of leaves - have calculated that each one holds approx 10 black bags worth. Also got give a load of manure whilst I was up there by someone who came to the gate adn has a horse. He has said I can have more soon too - organic and bedded on straw. Bonus!!!!!!

Harvested parsnips, Greyhound (last one ) and some blown sprouts.

What a difference a day makes
Twenty-four hours.......

Pointless?

Part of me says that I really must keep up with this but then I pop in and booger all people have been in to have a look so I think what's the point. Anyway, still harvesting runners and frenchies. Last of the sweetcorn is ripening. Trying to get through the summer cabbages before the frost. Will then have a hungry gap as the slugs ate most of my kale during the wet weather. The end of the summer has been better than the beginning but the end of the summer, autumn and winter would have been better is the beginning hadn't been so crap.

My pond has nearly dried up and it is deep. Why can't the rain sort of be steady rather than none in April, nowt but rain in May, June and July and none again in August and September. I hope the past couple of years have been exceptions and not the new rules. What really hacks me off is people like Valmarg on A4A. who really don't give a toss about the environment. She can't have children and if she does they must really hate her. She claims to listen to Radio 4 but I think she must stuff pages torn out of the Daily Mail into her ears to filter out the truth before sue turns the radio on.

Ah well - here goes.

Managed to harvest some beans this week - enough for me and my son to share for tonight's tea. Asked him whether he preferred the pencil pods or the flat pods and he said the flat ones. Cool boy - takes after his old man and prefers runners. Youngest daughter doesn't have a preference - she just loves veggies and other half and eldest prefer Frenchies.

Had an exploratory dig for King Eds and have some potatoes - small but there are some which is a relief with them being blighted so early.

Staked my full sized Brussels - one old boy on our site said that the weather we have had means they will all be blown anyway. Cannot believe that is true - not if the weather keeps up as it is at the moment. Anybody got any opinions on this?

Things are definitely beginning to pick up.

Sorry

...I haven't posted for a while but lottying is just too damn frustrating at the moment for little to no reward so can't be arsed.

Would you like broad beans with that?

One of the best gluts of the year is upon us. For the third week in a row, I have come home with a sack full of beans. For two weeks before that I was having small harvest. Can do loads with Fava beans though - handy as cos of the rain all week, some have got a little big so need something bit different doing to them. Am going to make Fava bean puree later.

Now have thirty tomato plants in, 6 sweet peppers, dwarf borlottis, French beans, and what Runners I have in at the plot. I have station sown more runners to make up for the pitiful germination rate I had at home. Did I say I have about 16 hot chillis at the plot so should not run out this year.

And, having just pulled an overwintering onion - I can say that I was self-sufficient in onions last year as I put six smallish maincrop onions from last year in the Lentil soup I made yesterday.

Too much school

Cuh - half term is only a week long. Think we work kids too hard and should give em more holidays meself.

Anyways - during the too short half term, I got in most of the rest of my brassicas - red cabbage, calabrese, kohl rabi, sprouts, swedes and a couple of curly kale that had evaded the snails at home. They are looking fine and dandy - watered in with nettle tea. Have also got 5 pepper plants in, sown some french beans around my chillies and planted out 2 Buttercup, 2 Hubbard and 1 Jack o'Lantern squash, half my toms and what runners have germinated (they have been rubbish this year). Got more winter and summer squash to do this weekend. Everything is looking good so far. Oh yeah, forgot - got about 25 sweetcorn in and sown a load more.

There was summat else I wanted to put but have forgotten what it was.

^&£$ it!!!!! :o(

Picture it...

Saturday evening, t'ad been on me mind all day. Did a web search for Norths Lincoln Horticultural Society to find out when their sale was on cos that was where I got me riduculously cheap rootrainers from last year and, yes, you've guessed it - that bloody morning!!!!!!! Oh well, plan B - "borrow" the rootrainer that the Woodland Trust sent me at school a couple of weeks ago with a load of Sliver Birch seed mixed in compost!!!! D'ya think anybody'll notice? Or I could gate crash the NLHS shop and pretend I am a member.

Oooh er!!!

Ain't been here for a while - but then again, been a bit quiet on the plot with me concentrating on ground preparation.

Last of my broad beans in up there - planning went a bit wrong cos calculations have shown that the sweetcorn will take more space than thought so had to do some digging to get the broadies in. Also have one runner area dug and an area for some Nantes and Autumn King carrots once I get the soil fine enough.

Parsnips are up but germination has been a bit patchy with whole areas that seem devoid. Carrot germination has also been patchy. Must have been the dry weather. Got half of my runners (two varieties) sown at the weekend. The other half will be sown when the others go in the ground.

Tonight I sowed half my sweetcorn (Double Standard) Will sow the other half when I get some more rootrainers.

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)

WoooooooooooHooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

WoooooooooooHooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!! WoooooooooooHooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!! WoooooooooooHooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!! Should have known it - they painted new white lines on the school field on Monday - they came to mow it today (need rolly eyes smiley!!!!) Anyway, fetched grass rake from plot - and did some hand weeding. Got "Big Hands" in my boot. Got black plastic bags. Tomorrow pm, before I come home for PPA, gonna rake the field and fill me bags!!!!!

PS - me shallots are starting to show signs of life.

Blogging for bloggings sake!!!!!

Gotta keep up the pace - seems somebody out there is keeping track!!!!

Curly Kale, Pablo, Forellenschloss and Bresson Rouge have all germinated - just waiting for Grandpa Admire now but as he such an old geezer, he may be a bit behind the others.

Broadies on my shed still looking mighty fine. Had something dig in one of my leeky washing up bowls - which are at the top of the growhouse so not want of the cats looking for a leak. Hope I haven't got rats again!!!!! The leeks outside are a bit sluggish but the ones inside (that are now out) germinated very well - did not sow as thinly as I thought so will be pricking out from there into the other two washing up bowls containing the outside sluggish leeks.

Gotta sow some toms at the weekend - and probably a ton of other stuff.

Need a ton more grass clippings - anybody got any??????

Keep up boys and girls!!!!

Following on from yesterday am, yesterday pm I got another 5m row of Home Guard in. Have Arran Pilots up me passage (ph-nar ph-nar) desperately trying to get out. As Icy puts it, the chits are so long, they will soon be developing potatoes.

After the calabrese poked its head above the parapet with 100% germination, the red cabbage followed (100%) again along with Kohl Rabi (also 100%) and the All Year Round Cauli (good germination). The sprouts and swede are coming up in dribs and drabs (older seed) and I have resown where nothing has shown just in case it doesn't. This year I am using the windowsill propagators more as they have handy modules that come in sixes. Sowing a bigger variety of things in smaller unit sizes. For instance - not a huge call for red cabbage, so only have six of them whereas have 12 each of the sprouts, cauli, calabrese etc.

Today, I have sown sweet peppers, some curly kale (only six at this stage, more to follow) and four types of lettuce - Grandpa Admire's, Pablo, Forellenschloss and Bresson Rouge. Trying to grow varieties of salad that aren't available in the shops - although Little Gem, Salad Bowl etc will probably find themtselves up at the plot at some point.

Spring deffo here

This morning I got a 5m row of Home Guard in (only 5m I here you say - but it is in the most difficult of this years tattie area having developed a nice covering of weeds over this mild winter, and I also dug out a compost heap). Bit experimental - trench dug, lined with shredded paper, potatoes in (33cm apart) another layer of shredded paper, a generous layer of grass clippings and then a generous layer of home-made compost (tis why I dug out my compost bin) Finally, a thin covering of soil. Hopefully that should get them through any dry spells alright. Will let you know how they do.

Calabrese poked their heads above the compost today - sharp little buggers they are. Only been in since Saturday night. They are now sitting on a coolish windowsill in the hope that they will not get as leggy as the Greyhound that were sown about 4 weeks ago.

Dig, dig, dig, dig, diggin - dig a little bed for me. Jeez me back hurts - more roots like below but the soil is looking good and at least I have done more than I had done last year. Now I just need to pull me finger out and start sowing some things to go in the lurrvely beds I have dug. Just had a look at Max's blog though and it looks like he has a bigger couch problem on his than I have on mine. And that rock will take some moving.

This evening I shall be sowing sprouts (Evesham and Seven Hills), dwarf curly kale, cauliflower (All Year Round), Kohl Rabi, Red Cabbage and Calabrese - finger well and truly pulled out.

Right - for Andy this the cheeky blighter. Got all me onion sets in, decided there wasn't enough so bought some more so have about 360 onions, 160 garlics, and 15 shallots (slight imbalance methinks). Now concentrating on digging bits that have not been dug in the two years I have had me plot. Tis a bugger. Tree roots, raspberry roots, bramble roots and bastard couch thistle roots. Need space for me parsnips (White Gem) and me cabbage (Greyhound) so that is what I will be doing this weekend. Just taken me last leeks out - spring onions me OH called them. Kale is going over but the sprouty bits are delish. PSB is heading up nicely so may have some of that Sunday.

Ooooooooooooh!!!! T'as been dry for a few days now and the sun has shone. Think I might get up the plot tomorrow and get my onion sets in. Bit more action on the plot equals a bit more action on the blog.

Ok, not really being read, but I suppose that is not really the point so here goes...

...went up to look at the damage caused by the wind. Not as bad as feared. My shed was where I put it - not like my neighbours that had been lifted up, carried and plonked down again 10m further down the plot - would have been good to watch methinks. Tried to help him put is back today but it is too flimsy a structure so needs four - one on all corners. I had a lot of plastic blown about and a wandering compost bin. Also lost some sheet mulch of my strawberry bed which will be a bit of a bugger to put back as it will need to be lined up so the plants poke out the holes. My cloche over my peas and overwintering lettuce also needs rebuilding but it will have to wait till the winds are gone.

Dug my last five parsnips which is sad cos they have been a revelation. Can't stand supermarket parsnips and as this was all I really ever had, just though I hated them. I grew them for my partner cos she loves them but I have found that I love the ones I grow too. Nothing like supermarket ones so I think they must really suffer from being out the ground too long. Fresh out the ground and cooked, they are totally different so I will be growing load more tomorrow. I also harvested cauliflower, kale and sprouts (and sprout tops - yummy).

Despite the weather, I also managed some digging cos I had an area that has been covered with plastic since September so it was quite dry.

All in all, a lovely sunny refreshing day up at the plot.

'tas been quite on here the past few weeks but then not much lottying has been going on and what has been going on ain't been worth reporting. Digging and harvesting the usual winter veg. Did demolish my raspberry bed last week as it is on the south side of my plot (not my doing) so casts shade where shade is not wanted. I will get round to moving what is left in the ground to the north side at some point!!! The winds have played havoc - blown the window out my shed, black plastic where it is not wanted and constantly having to reassemble to cloche protecting peas and overwintering lettuce. Broadies are looking a but big due to the mild weather so may have to fleece them if a cold snap is promised.