Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Wednesday 28th May 2008
Some sort of solitary bees nest, as yet unidetified, size is slightly smaller than a golf ball and the colour is teracotta. Reason it looks white is that it is in a well shaded place and the automatic flash came on.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Tuesday 27th May 2008
Seems to be that I am going to be updating about every two weeks, obviously at this time of the year a lot happens in two weeks. The weather has been quite bad the last few days with heavy rain and very strong winds. The wind has flattened and snapped off about half the globe artichokes, still I did want to reduce the size of the bed. It has also snapped three of the tomatillo but high enough up that they should regrow from lower down. Also snapped off one of the new shoots on the goji berry, still stuck the new bit in a bit of compost and with a bit of luck it will root.
The robins managed to finally raise a family after the first nest was raided by a rat and the babies eaten. Below is one of the four babies, would not recognise it as a robin if I didn't know the parents.
Green house plants are doing alright, although I have lost about half the cucumbers due to low temps and wet soil. Still have 6 on the go so still plenty for two people. Tomatoes are doing very well and should have some set in the next week. Below is the five baskets of tumbling toms, both red and yellow. As you can see flowers are starting on them
Below is picture of one of the remaining cues, also in the picture is an achocha just right of centre, and in the foreground some aubergines, as yet no flowers on them.
Two tomatillo with flowers.
Someone on the GYO forum was asking about potatoes in tubs. Below is a tub which should be ready for harvesting in about two weeks, the foliage is about two feet above the top of the tub.
Trays of brassicas waiting to go out once the potatoes on the lottie make room for them
Spring sown garlic, which looks a lot healthier than the autumn sown garlic. However no swelling of the bulb on these where as the autumn sown ones have some plump looking bulbs.
One of the brassica beds with summer cabbage early sprouts and some kale. At the far end is some courgettes
The other brassica bed with hispi and greyhound cabbage, summer PSB and two types of red cabbage.
The bean bed with 6 rows of beans 3 climbing french and 3 runner.
Home made tomato house with 8 tomatoes 5 aubergines a cape gooseberry and a golden berry.
One of the new beds with pumpkins and climbing pea beans. At top just out of picture is currant bushes, goji berry and huckleberry.
The carrot bed with January sown carrots furthest away, they are ready for a little thinning which will be usable as a veg (about the thickness of a pencil)
Far end of the bean bed with 3 rows of peas, furthest feltham first, middle jaguar and closest kelvedon wonder. In foreground is some dwarf french beans.
Picture of one of the red cabbages kalibos which is a new one to me.
Root vegetable bed showing some parsnips, doing very well. Lets hope there is something underneath when we come to harvest.
Some of the potatoes are doing well, my big problem was that I planted to close and have had problems in trying to earth them up.
Solved the problem to a certain extent by using collars (tubs with bottoms cut off) and earthing up inside the collars with compost, in other words growing in bottomless tubs. Seems to be working alright.
Well I think that is enough for today.
The robins managed to finally raise a family after the first nest was raided by a rat and the babies eaten. Below is one of the four babies, would not recognise it as a robin if I didn't know the parents.
Green house plants are doing alright, although I have lost about half the cucumbers due to low temps and wet soil. Still have 6 on the go so still plenty for two people. Tomatoes are doing very well and should have some set in the next week. Below is the five baskets of tumbling toms, both red and yellow. As you can see flowers are starting on them
Below is picture of one of the remaining cues, also in the picture is an achocha just right of centre, and in the foreground some aubergines, as yet no flowers on them.
Two tomatillo with flowers.
Someone on the GYO forum was asking about potatoes in tubs. Below is a tub which should be ready for harvesting in about two weeks, the foliage is about two feet above the top of the tub.
Trays of brassicas waiting to go out once the potatoes on the lottie make room for them
Spring sown garlic, which looks a lot healthier than the autumn sown garlic. However no swelling of the bulb on these where as the autumn sown ones have some plump looking bulbs.
One of the brassica beds with summer cabbage early sprouts and some kale. At the far end is some courgettes
The other brassica bed with hispi and greyhound cabbage, summer PSB and two types of red cabbage.
The bean bed with 6 rows of beans 3 climbing french and 3 runner.
Home made tomato house with 8 tomatoes 5 aubergines a cape gooseberry and a golden berry.
One of the new beds with pumpkins and climbing pea beans. At top just out of picture is currant bushes, goji berry and huckleberry.
The carrot bed with January sown carrots furthest away, they are ready for a little thinning which will be usable as a veg (about the thickness of a pencil)
Far end of the bean bed with 3 rows of peas, furthest feltham first, middle jaguar and closest kelvedon wonder. In foreground is some dwarf french beans.
Picture of one of the red cabbages kalibos which is a new one to me.
Root vegetable bed showing some parsnips, doing very well. Lets hope there is something underneath when we come to harvest.
Some of the potatoes are doing well, my big problem was that I planted to close and have had problems in trying to earth them up.
Solved the problem to a certain extent by using collars (tubs with bottoms cut off) and earthing up inside the collars with compost, in other words growing in bottomless tubs. Seems to be working alright.
Well I think that is enough for today.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Have had some really warm dry days but back to rain the last two days. Still it had got to the point where we need a bit of rain. If nothing else it will make the weeds grow even quicker.
Pleased to have recieved some decent goji berry plants and after a couple of weeks in a pot I have planted the most vigorous one out on the lottie picture below. The other two I will keep in pots for the time being.
The carrots continue to grow well and as you can see from the picture below the ones started in pots and then planted out will not be to long before I can start taking a few thinnings.
Peas are now well in flower and one row has a few pods formed so they are only going to be a few weeks now before we can start picking. The ones in the centre of the picture are feltham first and just in the fore ground you can see a row of kelvedon wonder. In the background is the three bean frames which are all planted up now. There are three varieties of french climbing and three of runner bean. Am also growing a couple varieties of dwarf french.
Have two beds of brassicas growing at the moment, in the one closest is greyhound cabbage. some early sprouts. Some perpetual spinach and some courgettes. In the far bed are hispi cabbage, two varieties of red cabbage, a summer solid type cabbage, summer PSB and some ironman broccoli. The fleece is over the cabbages mainly to try and keep the pests off.
Greenhouse veg are going great guns although reading the forum I could have been just a shade earlier with the peppers and aubergines. The picture below is one of the baskets of tumbling tom, I have both red and yellow this year. Three baskets of red two of yellow. They are just starting to flower, so not to long before tomatoes. Cucumbers planted out on the lottie and a couple in the greenhouse. Tomatillo are just flowering. Achocha have been planted out on the lottie and are about two foot high.
Third tub of potatoes have been harvested, result below. Enough there for two good meals and well worth the effort, will definitly increase the number of tubs next year. Will now have to wait a few weeks before any other potatoes are going to be ready. Want to make sure that next year I have a more appropriate potato for early growing.
Al in all this is, so far, a very successful growing year with less than usual fatalities. Have had at most half a dozen plants dampen off, have had one row of swiss chard go to seed which we had for tea tonight. Onion sets are not doing as well as the seed sown onions so will do more seed sowing next year. Shallots not doing to good in that they haven't split at all well, with some still as a single bulb, and most of them have thrown up a seed stalk which means that they wont keep.
Pleased to have recieved some decent goji berry plants and after a couple of weeks in a pot I have planted the most vigorous one out on the lottie picture below. The other two I will keep in pots for the time being.
The carrots continue to grow well and as you can see from the picture below the ones started in pots and then planted out will not be to long before I can start taking a few thinnings.
Peas are now well in flower and one row has a few pods formed so they are only going to be a few weeks now before we can start picking. The ones in the centre of the picture are feltham first and just in the fore ground you can see a row of kelvedon wonder. In the background is the three bean frames which are all planted up now. There are three varieties of french climbing and three of runner bean. Am also growing a couple varieties of dwarf french.
Have two beds of brassicas growing at the moment, in the one closest is greyhound cabbage. some early sprouts. Some perpetual spinach and some courgettes. In the far bed are hispi cabbage, two varieties of red cabbage, a summer solid type cabbage, summer PSB and some ironman broccoli. The fleece is over the cabbages mainly to try and keep the pests off.
Greenhouse veg are going great guns although reading the forum I could have been just a shade earlier with the peppers and aubergines. The picture below is one of the baskets of tumbling tom, I have both red and yellow this year. Three baskets of red two of yellow. They are just starting to flower, so not to long before tomatoes. Cucumbers planted out on the lottie and a couple in the greenhouse. Tomatillo are just flowering. Achocha have been planted out on the lottie and are about two foot high.
Third tub of potatoes have been harvested, result below. Enough there for two good meals and well worth the effort, will definitly increase the number of tubs next year. Will now have to wait a few weeks before any other potatoes are going to be ready. Want to make sure that next year I have a more appropriate potato for early growing.
Al in all this is, so far, a very successful growing year with less than usual fatalities. Have had at most half a dozen plants dampen off, have had one row of swiss chard go to seed which we had for tea tonight. Onion sets are not doing as well as the seed sown onions so will do more seed sowing next year. Shallots not doing to good in that they haven't split at all well, with some still as a single bulb, and most of them have thrown up a seed stalk which means that they wont keep.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Thursday 1st May 2008
Been a couple of weeks since last entry so loads to catch up on.
Greenhouse is bursting at the seams, but so far managing to keep every thing inside. Need to get some growbags as the tomatoes need planting in their final position. Photo below.
Made a new top for one of the propagators as the other one wasn't tall enough, it is filled with tomato plants at the moment. See photo below.
The rest of the greenhouse stuff is doing alright, the peppers and aubergines are still growing slowly. One achocha is doing really well and is about 6in tall, will get photo for next entry. The tomatillo seem to be surviving and starting to show some signs of recovering. I think I almost cooked them hence the white leaves. Cucumbers and gherkin are starting to put a spurt on now and will need repotting this week.
The vegetables out on the lottie are now romping away. I am now getting to the stage of strugling to find space for plants. This is where I find that the crop rotation goes out of the window as you end up putting plants in where you have space.
Have several rows of parsnips but am concerned as to how they will grow as some have been started in shallow pot and there was a bit of root disturbance when they were transplanted.Will have to wait and see end results. Below is a row that were done in loo rolls and they are looking good and should give me at least one good row of parsnips.
October sown broad beans are full of flowers and at last the beans are starting to set. As you can see from the photo there is plenty of flowers on the beans and so far no sign of the breaded black fly. Will definitely autumn sow again next year.
Now have two good rows of peas, feltham first shown below and under the net is greenshsft. I have a small row of feltham first in another bed and yesterday I noticed the first flower on them. Roll on the first peas.
Carrots are doing really well this year. Below is a photo of some sown in Jan, that I am growing in the pot. Have half a dozen pots at varying stages of growth. The bed out on the lottie is also doing extremely well with 100% germination. No gaps in rows and every row up. First for me.
Potatoes in the tubs are growing well, emptied the first one 10 days ago and got just enough for a meal for two. Plenty of potatoes, which was nice to see, just a bit to small. Must have been at least 30 to 40 potatoes but many were only the size of peas. Will leave for another couple of weeks and then try another one. Have planted up another 5 tubs. Some of the potatoes on the lottie have started to appear, although in the main it is the charlottes. Must remember next year to get some first earlies.
Cabbages and rest of brassicas are growing well and yesterday I rebuilt the fleece frame over them. So far not one loss to the cabbage root fly only hope none got in yesterday while rebuilding went on. Will post photo next time.
Onions are growing well, the strongest look to be the seed sown ones, with some of the sets very slow to start growing. Final yields are the final test to seed or set. First year of growing from seed.
Strawberries are just getting first flowers, and plants are looking strong. Need to take some runners this year. Goji berries arrived last week and have been potted up, one is already showing signs of growth with a good few green leaves on it. Kiwi fruit is well into leaf now but as yet no sign of any flowers.
Greenhouse is bursting at the seams, but so far managing to keep every thing inside. Need to get some growbags as the tomatoes need planting in their final position. Photo below.
Made a new top for one of the propagators as the other one wasn't tall enough, it is filled with tomato plants at the moment. See photo below.
The rest of the greenhouse stuff is doing alright, the peppers and aubergines are still growing slowly. One achocha is doing really well and is about 6in tall, will get photo for next entry. The tomatillo seem to be surviving and starting to show some signs of recovering. I think I almost cooked them hence the white leaves. Cucumbers and gherkin are starting to put a spurt on now and will need repotting this week.The vegetables out on the lottie are now romping away. I am now getting to the stage of strugling to find space for plants. This is where I find that the crop rotation goes out of the window as you end up putting plants in where you have space.
Have several rows of parsnips but am concerned as to how they will grow as some have been started in shallow pot and there was a bit of root disturbance when they were transplanted.Will have to wait and see end results. Below is a row that were done in loo rolls and they are looking good and should give me at least one good row of parsnips.
October sown broad beans are full of flowers and at last the beans are starting to set. As you can see from the photo there is plenty of flowers on the beans and so far no sign of the breaded black fly. Will definitely autumn sow again next year.
Now have two good rows of peas, feltham first shown below and under the net is greenshsft. I have a small row of feltham first in another bed and yesterday I noticed the first flower on them. Roll on the first peas.
Carrots are doing really well this year. Below is a photo of some sown in Jan, that I am growing in the pot. Have half a dozen pots at varying stages of growth. The bed out on the lottie is also doing extremely well with 100% germination. No gaps in rows and every row up. First for me.
Potatoes in the tubs are growing well, emptied the first one 10 days ago and got just enough for a meal for two. Plenty of potatoes, which was nice to see, just a bit to small. Must have been at least 30 to 40 potatoes but many were only the size of peas. Will leave for another couple of weeks and then try another one. Have planted up another 5 tubs. Some of the potatoes on the lottie have started to appear, although in the main it is the charlottes. Must remember next year to get some first earlies.
Cabbages and rest of brassicas are growing well and yesterday I rebuilt the fleece frame over them. So far not one loss to the cabbage root fly only hope none got in yesterday while rebuilding went on. Will post photo next time.
Onions are growing well, the strongest look to be the seed sown ones, with some of the sets very slow to start growing. Final yields are the final test to seed or set. First year of growing from seed.
Strawberries are just getting first flowers, and plants are looking strong. Need to take some runners this year. Goji berries arrived last week and have been potted up, one is already showing signs of growth with a good few green leaves on it. Kiwi fruit is well into leaf now but as yet no sign of any flowers.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Tuesday 15th April 2008
And finally for this entry a final picture of the potato bags planted just before Xmas. Grandaughter (age 11) is visiting this weekend and am going to give her the honour of digging out one of the bags to see what we have in the way of potatoes.
Will try and take some pictures of the lottie at he weekend, in the meantime the above is a picture of the blueberry patch, 5 of them I have had a while and are into their 3rd season with me. I have added a sixth one this year and may well buy one each year just to keep them going.
Continuing to prick out and pot up tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, achocha, pepino, cucumbers, gherkins and tomatillo. Beans continue to germinate and grow. Above picture is of one of the greenhouse benches.
Busy week at work so not much time for any gardening. Have been using a lot of mouse bait in the greenhouse just lately, looking at the picture I can understand why. Rats do not come much bigger than this one which I found dead on the greenhouse floor yesterday.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Sunday 13th April 2008
This is the second edition, had to come out of the last post as the computer started to play up and I had to restart it.
In the garden and on the lottie every thing has started to show signs of life. Beds are filling up very quickly now. All potatoes and onions are out in the beds had some spuds left so have planted up another 3 buckets with spuds. The ones planted before Xmas look great and I may have a look next week to see if I have any new spuds. All the carrots have been sown, although I may sow some late Autumn King if I get some space later on in the season. Early cabbages are doing well and I redid the fleece yesterday to try and keep the root fly out. The first of the parsnips and beetroot are out and doing well. Replanted the broadbeans that the birds had destroyed and have pot a net over them.
Continuing to pot up boards for raised beds and not many to do now, as boards are put up then the beds are dug over ready for planting.
Robin in the greenhouse is sitting on nest, can't see into nest so don't know how many eggs there are, Hopefully I will find out when the birds hatch.
Seed sowing has really slowed down now, mainly because of lack of space.
In the garden and on the lottie every thing has started to show signs of life. Beds are filling up very quickly now. All potatoes and onions are out in the beds had some spuds left so have planted up another 3 buckets with spuds. The ones planted before Xmas look great and I may have a look next week to see if I have any new spuds. All the carrots have been sown, although I may sow some late Autumn King if I get some space later on in the season. Early cabbages are doing well and I redid the fleece yesterday to try and keep the root fly out. The first of the parsnips and beetroot are out and doing well. Replanted the broadbeans that the birds had destroyed and have pot a net over them.
Continuing to pot up boards for raised beds and not many to do now, as boards are put up then the beds are dug over ready for planting.
Robin in the greenhouse is sitting on nest, can't see into nest so don't know how many eggs there are, Hopefully I will find out when the birds hatch.
Seed sowing has really slowed down now, mainly because of lack of space.
Sunday 13th April 2008
Been gardening every day for at least an hour a day since wed. Now so much is happening that it is difficult to keep the blog up to date with everything.
Greenhouse is bulging at the seems and I am trying to clear non tender veg out as soon as I can. Tomatoes are doing well and I have 2 or 3 varieties in 1lt pots now and some more to do tomorrow, there is also some to prick out into individual pots. Peppers and aubergines continue to grow very slowly, but at least they are growing. Several types of cucumber have been pricked out and are growing well as is the gherkins and achocha. Tomatillo are not doing at all well but I don't know what is wrong with them. Have started off all types of beans and will be planting out the first of the dwarfs in a couple of weeks time I know it will be a big risk as far as the frosts go but as soon as the beans are out another lot will be sown just in case
Greenhouse is bulging at the seems and I am trying to clear non tender veg out as soon as I can. Tomatoes are doing well and I have 2 or 3 varieties in 1lt pots now and some more to do tomorrow, there is also some to prick out into individual pots. Peppers and aubergines continue to grow very slowly, but at least they are growing. Several types of cucumber have been pricked out and are growing well as is the gherkins and achocha. Tomatillo are not doing at all well but I don't know what is wrong with them. Have started off all types of beans and will be planting out the first of the dwarfs in a couple of weeks time I know it will be a big risk as far as the frosts go but as soon as the beans are out another lot will be sown just in case
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