Things are still looking bleak,and the weather certainly isnt playing ball yet with more snow and freezing tempratures last night,plots still covered hopefully the worms are doing there job and pulling all the rotted compost and manure into the soil ,when its not frozen that is.
This is where the chickens were should be nice and rich,and weed free.
But there are signs of spring around the corner ,Daffodils starting to bud up.
And Goja berries starting to come into leaf.
An update on the lettuces sown on new years day ,looks like 7 of the 10 going to make it,only set single seeds so 70% not to bad. Hopefully 2or3 more weeks and maybe weather will start to settle.
Last edited by billnorfolk on 08 Feb 2013, 14:40, edited 1 time in total.
That looks like some great plots you have there Billy We've hardly had any snow this year but its still icy so the ground's brick hard. Hope you get to lift your covers soon
The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don't have Woody Allen
MissEllie wrote:That looks like some great plots you have there Billy We've hardly had any snow this year but its still icy so the ground's brick hard. Hope you get to lift your covers soon
Things are stirring in the garden MissEllie,so hopefully weather will soon warm up ,cant wait for spring.
Was a very nice morning even if the afternoon is starting to look a little bit iffy,was 13 degrees earlyer on encouraged me out into the garden,well shed anyway . Made a start on chitting my early and second earlys,will leave main crop for another couple of weeks.Eyes up or end with most eyes up,other end eyes can be rubbed off once chitting is achieved.
The early are an international kidney more of a salad type spud,second early home guard,make sure if doing in a shed you keep some fleece or old newspaper to cover them in case of sever frost.
Thought i would replace my strawberries,ordered some called whiteberries,love to try something different,also a dozen Fenella hopefully should look nice once fruit is ripening.
I've got red and white alpines that escaped from the pot - they are happily growing through bricks and membrane - I have no idea how they manage but we get great fruits off them.
I'm starting proper strawberries again this year, so a mix of those would be really good.
Thanks for the link.
1 dumbo rat still without a name; 2 top eared rats Octavia and Ursula 1 Rhode Rock, 1 Sussex Star, 1 Blue Ranger - The New Monochrome Set
You are very welcome Stef,grown among ordinary strawberries they should look great. Never grown the alpine type but heard they are very hardy ,bet the fruits are delicous.
Going to try growing through weed controll mat sounds like you do the same,keep the berries off the ground and may deter the slugs ,just lay some down and plant through slits cut with a pair of scissors.
I am putting a crushed granit path up the garden at the moment and put that underneath to stop the weeds(another grass path i havent got to cut) .
so have got some going spare at the moment. What do you like with your strawberries ? we love fussels milk yummy
Last edited by billnorfolk on 16 Feb 2013, 15:49, edited 1 time in total.
Another lovely day no wind just right for the job i had in mind,had a ton bag of crushed granit sitting on my drive since well before christmas,it is ideal for foot paths,a layer of weed controll mat underneath stops any future growth,and though i dont like the use of weedkillers a spray twice a year takes care of any weeds that do get on there,do it early morning on a wind free day.
Finished for today its a long walk from the house front to the back and soon needed a little light refresherment .
This is how it goes once its been down a while changes colour once the loose stuff gets washed through with the rain. Another little job i managed to get done today was cut down my raspberry canes soon be time for a fire
The alpines never make it indoors - they taste floral/perfumey in a nice way. Sometimes really tart, others really sweet, so it's always a surprise!
Can't do fussels... I have unpleasant tastebud memories of that, or evap, on tinned fruit salad! I have no idea which I disliked most --- actually, thinking it over carefully, I think it was the steri milk on cornflakes! Definitely gross!
My strawbs go nekkid or buried under clotted cream.
1 dumbo rat still without a name; 2 top eared rats Octavia and Ursula 1 Rhode Rock, 1 Sussex Star, 1 Blue Ranger - The New Monochrome Set
I spent the first few years of my working life at sea,on North sea trawlers and then the merchant navy,in the early 60s fussels condensed milk was all that would keep when at sea for several weeks .One of my duties when i first went trawling was in charge of the 3 gallon tea pot 6 handfulls of tea 6 handfulls of sugar and 2 tins of fussels milk,fill with boiling water and leave on ever hot stove ,never let it fall below half full where half the ingredients would be added again,you can imagine after 10 days it had a very unique taste Bread straight from the oven,real butter and fussels milk was another treat inbetween hauling the nets,think my taste buds got used to it . Well this wont do ,determined to finish my path today so had better go ,see ya
Well managed to get the path finished yesterday,and had enough left to put a path up to the greenhouse,just got to let the rain do its work now and clean them both up,2 more bits of grass i wont have to cut yaaaaah
I am going to do this bit up to the pollytunnel but will be a project for next winter
Think the next job will be pruneing,got a few rose bushes ,and the fruit trees then the blackberry hedge realy needs a good haircut,ok cutting all these bits down but you then need to get rid of them ,i find burning the best ,then spread the ashes lightly with the compost ,very good for fruit and flowers as high in potash,but only thinly
With temp rangeing betwee -3 and +2 degrees c decided to postpone the pruneing of my fruit trees till this cold snap is over,with the wind whipping in off the north sea feals more like -5 than +2 Did fork in a little manure around the rasberrie bushes.
Now anyone chitting there potatoes in an outside shed be carefull of the frost,it will get the little chits and cause them to die back ,unless it is severe probably wont effect the tubers apart from set them back .What i have done is put bubble wrap on inside wall and covered tubers with it as well ,just make sure they can breath .
As an added precaution a small parrafine lamp alight at night will keep the worst of the frost at bay.These little lamps made by Parasene run for several nights on a half litre of parrafin and are just enough in a small shed to keep temp up.
Watching the snow flurries at the moment ,outside temp 2.4 deg c.This time last year had Tomatoes sowed indoors, and several things in the greenhouse.I have decided with the present spell of cold weather to put things back by at least 2 or 3 weeks,nothing worse than leggy plants indoors realy needing to go out but weather to cold. On the 25th feb last year had 17 deg c dont think it will be like that this year,i do believe it should warm up next week ,so will see what next week brings
Temp 4.0 deg c feels like -5,was 17 deg c on this day last year,certainly a difference this year. Had a dozen Fenella strawberry plants sitting for last 2 days thought i had better get them out today. Mixed a couple of bags of fresh compost with some well rotted horse manure in a raised bed,set them through some weed controll fabric just got to check once they start to grow they dont get underneath the fabric.
Left room for 6 white berry once they arrive ,out of stock at moment. Will have to sow Tomatoes indoors this weekend couple of weeks behind at moment waiting for a change in the weather
,Daffodils starting to bud up.
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,just lay some down and plant through slits cut with a pair of scissors.
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so have got some going spare at the moment. What do you like with your strawberries ? we love fussels milk yummy 
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