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Post by derekbrooks on May 4, 2012 21:19:40 GMT
A full day today.This morning I removed all the disbud chrysanths from the frames.Will probably do the sprays tomorrow.All those in 5 inch pots were together in a frame and those still in 3 inch were in other frames.When removing them I put each variety together in boxes whether they were in 5 inch or 3 inch pots.This will make it easier when I am planting them out in a few weeks time.
Went on the allotment this afternoon.I took the 4 tomato plants I potted yesterday and put them in the polytunnel. I have not got a polytunnel of my own. This is on another allotment and the couple who own it just let me use one end of it .I grow the carnations here and there is just room for 7 or 8 tomato plants.
Spent the rest of the afternoon weeding.Finished the herbaceous border I was doing last time I was there and then started weeding between the floribunda roses.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 5, 2012 21:27:43 GMT
Didn't have much gardening time today but I have removed the spray chrysanths from the frames like I did the disbuds yesterday.Noticed yesterday that some of the disbuds had a bit of white rust so I have sprayed them all with systhane.I had some systhane left so I sprayed the Busy Lizzies because of the downy mildew problem. Don't know if this will help but thought it was worth trying
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Post by derekbrooks on May 6, 2012 20:19:50 GMT
Today I have removed all the hardier bedding plants ,onion sets and leeks from the frames and filled them with tender bedding plants.There are 6 frames filled with these plants.I have had my youngest grandson, Jake helping me. They are here for the weekend. There were a lot of boxes of plants on a shelf directly above the blackbird sitting on the nest (see "our garden birds" )and we managed to lift them down without disturbing it.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 7, 2012 22:05:59 GMT
Almost a full day in the greenhouses today. Having put a lot of bedding plants in the frames yesterday I had a lot more room in the greenhouses.There were a lot of boxes under the staging because there was no room anywhere else.I was now able to put them on the staging or shelves or transfer them to the other greenhouse.Had to move plants about to make room for them all and managed it without disturbing my blackbird.
I then potted 100 dahlias from three and a half inch pots into five inch and put them in two frames.Sorted all the others out into varieties and counted how many of each I had got.This will make it easier to decide how many more of each variety I will need .
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Post by derekbrooks on May 8, 2012 21:40:43 GMT
Only had part of the afternoon today but I went on the allotment and did a bit more weeding.Applied tumbleweed to some bindweed that is just coming through .Bindweed is difficult to dig out so it is a good idea to kill it like this while it is small and before it winds round the plants.
Brought home the first purple sprouting broccoli.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 9, 2012 21:34:22 GMT
After going to school this morning (see"school garden clubs")I had an hour on the allotment carrying on with the weeding.Rain had been forecast for today and I wanted to get some outside jobs done before it started.
The rain started at 1 pm but it didn't rain hard till evening.Put all the rest of the dahlias in the frames.There are 268 altogether,100 in 5 inch pots and 168 in three and a half inch.Stopped some of the earlier ones.
Sowed beetroot and kohl rabi in small coir pots and also more cabbage in 3 inch pots and lettuce in cell trays.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 10, 2012 21:44:47 GMT
Spent nearly all morning potting rooted cuttings of basket plants (surfinias,diascias and bacopas )into drinking cups and yoghurt pots.
I had about 20 gals of old compost,and this evening I mixed it with 20 oz of Q4 to be used for growing carrots.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 11, 2012 21:43:00 GMT
I have been at Blackleach country park all day today and I spent all morning and part of the afternoon weeding! Did the herb wheel first and it was difficult because there was a lot of couch grass all among the plants.I just got out what I could but I know I haven't got it all .Then did about half of the border alongside the visitor centre. Hope to finish it on Monday.
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Post by Cherry on May 12, 2012 5:32:06 GMT
I know a lot about couch grass!
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Post by derekbrooks on May 12, 2012 21:29:46 GMT
We have been out this afternoon so I went on the allotment this evening.Finished weeding where I have been doing in the last few visits then weeded two of the veg beds ready for planting.One of the beds grew potatoes last year and a lot were coming up again that I had missed when digging them up before.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 13, 2012 21:23:07 GMT
Been on the allotment again this afternoon.I have two large drums where I grow long carrots.They are filled with old compost.
I made 7 bore holes in each and filled them with the compost I mixed last Thursday and sowed the seeds in each.
I then planted 15 Brussels sprouts in two staggered rows.Had to break up the soil by hoeing and raking first and added fish blood and bone.
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Post by Tel on May 14, 2012 6:13:13 GMT
Sowing your long carrots this late Derek, do they still make a good size, i would have thought they would have to be sown last month?
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Post by derekbrooks on May 14, 2012 22:05:05 GMT
To answer Tel's question I sowed most of the long carrots on April 19th in tubes made from builders damp proof material also in two tall drums.These should be O.K.for the August shows and those sown yesterday should make a reasonable size by September.
I have been at Blackleach country park all day again today.Spent all morning gardening.I finished weeding and forking over the border alongside the visitor centre and planted some irises and Verbena bonariensis.I grow this for Blackleach because it is a good wildlife plant.I also sowed some more wildlife flower seeds in a nursery bed.There are three of these beds and I sowed two a few weeks ago .The third one wasn't weeded then but Billy,my helper has done it since.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 15, 2012 21:46:17 GMT
Had a morning on the allotment.Planted the rest of the Verbena bonariensis and also some Eremurus on one of the herbaceous borders.
Then I planted nine cabbages from 5 inch pots and got the onion bed ready for planting.Hoed it and then raked in some fish,blood and bone.
This evening I have got the chrysanth beds at home ready for planting.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 16, 2012 21:54:46 GMT
This morning I went to my son's house to weed his garden.I will be putting some plants in for him in a few weeks so it needed weeding first.I wish he would do some weeding himself but he won't .It wasn,t as bad as I thought though but it still took me all morning.
In the afternoon it was a toss up between planting the chrysanths at home or going on the allotment.I decided on the allotment because there were a few jobs I wanted to do.I planted the leeks and the onion sets.These were in 3 inch pots.
I then sowed the broad beans and french beans.Had to hoe and rake the soil first and rake in fish,blood and bone. I know some of you will think it late to sow broad beans but this is to time them for the shows.
When I got home I sowed some of the beans in pots to plant if any sown direct did not germinate.
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