Thought I would start a log of what, when and possibly how we do things here during the course of the year. I will try and update as we go along but I know sometimes life here will prevent that but here goes....
Today, after a couple of dry days and before the snow and frosts return next week we rotovated most of the garden beds and started cutting back all the raspberries. We have (so far) planted a lot of the cut raspberry canes to infill part of the perimeter fence. It is no loss if they do not take being all free About 20% of them have been done and hopefully the rest will be completed (hopefully) by the end of the week.
Also started collecting the mole hill soil which we mix with the substrate from our compost bins to use as a seed growing medium. It seems to work better than anything you can buy here.
Trev62 wrote: ↑07 Feb 2024, 20:18
We have (so far) planted a lot of the cut raspberry canes to infill part of the perimeter fence. It is no loss if they do not take being all free
did you plant the canes or did you split the roots and plant those? I'll be surprised if the canes will take root (though like you say, no great loss if they don't) but splitting the roots (where there is budding / cane attached) is the usual way of propagating raspberry canes, which means both main and split canes will benefit as the roots won't be competing for resources such as food and nutrients.
For these we just cut and stuck the canes in, they serve another purpose as well which is keeping the geese in the field as we let them roam at this time of year.
I have to first move several currant bushes then thin out the actual raspberry bushes as they grew into such a dense thicket last year we lost our walkways between the rows. Our fault as were concentrating so much on the new animal pens that certain (most) aspects of the garden got away from us. These will be done as you said, dug up, split and replanted alongside the fence by our beehives.
Lack of gardening time was one reason we only planted the basics last year.
Today we cut the last canes down, now on to ripping out the supporting wires as we are going to try something different this year subject to me and a welding machine. Now the outcome of that should be amusing!
Trev62 wrote: ↑09 Feb 2024, 18:56
Our fault as were concentrating so much on the new animal pens that certain (most) aspects of the garden got away from us.
Lack of gardening time was one reason we only planted the basics last year.
Warm weather today with some light rain so we moved all the currant bushes to their new location. Cleared up and extended the gooseberry bed, then cut and replanted some of last years newly propagated shoots. Several more to plant up so we are thinking of making another bed for them, gooseberry wine is lovely.
These were patio gooseberry plants we tried outside and they produce loads of lovely sweet (but small) gooseberries.
Rain then became heavy so it stopped play for today.
Interesting about the soil from the molehills, Trev We have massive ones in the nearby churchyard. We have them in the gardens in our row. One of my neighbours is setting traps.
We are now on with recreating the walkways through the raspberry bed. We have transplanted loads of rooted raspberry canes into newly dug beds by the perimeter fence but still have a lot more to move. If they take we are considering (next year) scrapping the current raspberry bed as we can utilize the space for other things (my young lady is eyeing up the area for either a sheep, pig or another goat pen).
Also started clearing out what was a raised bed where the garlic is going, most of the old beams that we stacked up for the walls have collapsed so they are being restacked and will be fixed in place with some rebar supports.
If the weather holds we hope to have these two jobs done by the end of next week.
Finally all the raspberries are sorted, they are self supporting so we are not going to put back all the supporting frames and wires. We shall see how it goes, if needed we can rig up something later.
Garlic bed repaired and planted up also the peas are all planted and covered so things are moving along.
Next up, rescuing the tayberries and black raspberries, all need help after last years neglect.
So tayberries and black raspberries sorted but still have the frames to make for them. Strawberry beds extended, plants separated and both beds now fully planted up. Rhubarb uncovered, most seems to have survived the winter. Now on with clearing all the debris from around the fruit trees a few days work there, let's hope the weather holds!
lancashire lass wrote: ↑04 Mar 2024, 11:01
you have been busy - sounds like you'll have a lovely fruit harvest this year
One hopes so!!
Today I rescued the blackberry plants we put in. I could only find three survivors and a may/may not survive twig. Still we shall see how they go......
Also cleared around all the bases of the fruit trees enlarging the soil circles to keep them weed free. Two dead ones so they have gone.
Next up, Goji berries and blue berries, they do not look good amongst the weeds and tall grass, so here is hoping something has survived.
Goji berries and blueberries had to wait today, instead I moved some hedging plants then replaced them with new buckthorn rootings /stems that had spread from our original plants. Never realized how buckthorn grew and propagated so the extras are a bonus and the spikes will make a good deterrent in the perimeter hedge line.
Looking forward to see if they actually fruit this year as our original plants were meant to be a mix of "male and female".
Tackled the Jerusalem artichokes, due to them not being cut back and harvested most had rotted but the survivors have been repositioned and now have a lovely new home to grow in. Fingers crossed they multiply during the year.
Trimmed back the remaining herbs and cleared another area to plant some more herb seeds.
Broke out a vintage compost, three year old, started and sealed when we first moved here. That is now spread over the area the potatoes are going to be planted in, just needs rotovating in once the rains stop.
Butchering the trees next as the upper branches are dangerously close to hitting the electric lines.
I miss growing Jerusalem artichokes - they made excellent "chips" when sliced and deep fried. They grew well in less than ideal soil on the allotment but were prone to slug damage which is why they needed to be harvested as soon as the plants died back.
Have you tried growing Oca? They are another alternate to potato (much smaller) but one of those crops which once planted, you just left them to do their own thing and harvested well after the frosts had killed the plants off (and some more - the tubers only developed after the plants had died back. The longer you left them in the ground, the better)
About 20% of them have been done and hopefully the rest will be completed (hopefully) by the end of the week.
