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Post by derekbrooks on Mar 28, 2023 20:26:14 GMT
It has rained much of the day, hard at times, too wet to go a walk.Had some errands to do this morning and the only garden job I have done today is some pricking out in the greenhouse.Did some marigold "space hopper" and some petunias.
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Post by derekbrooks on Mar 29, 2023 19:16:07 GMT
Not a full day because I had to take Rosemary to the audiologist this afternoon. The rest of the time I have been sieving potting compost and filling the tubes for parsnips with it .It takes a long time so I didn't manage to do them all. As I am filling them I keep poking it down with a cane to make sure there are no air pockets. I won't win any prizes with my parsnips if they are forked ,or not straight, will I?.That is what may happen if there are any hard bits in the compost so that is why I think it is worth sieving it even though it is time consuming. I have four buckets ,each containing about 12 tubes,two for parsnips and two for long carrots.I have taken a picture of one to show you.  Tubes made from builders damp proof material for parsnips and long carrots |
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Post by derekbrooks on Mar 30, 2023 19:42:29 GMT
It was a bit showery on our walk at Blackleach this morning. I normally stay at Blackleach till 3.00 for the art club but there wasn't one taday so I came home this afternoon and went in the greenhouse.I pricked out 2 varieties of African marigolds into cell trays.I went to school for the garden club at 3.30.
This evening I have pricked out another tray of petunias and two trays of trailing lobelia. I did these in the house in what I call my utility room which is where I do most of it.It is a room next to the kitchen with a door leading out to the car port.It is where some of my dahlia tubers are, on a propagator and a warming mat.
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Post by derekbrooks on Mar 31, 2023 18:40:18 GMT
Today, I have been making the compost from last years potato bags and tubs into compost for carrots.I couldn't sieve it ,as I have done for the parsnips,because it was too wet with being outside so I just rubbed it between my hands to feel for any lumps. I mix it under the car port, mixing in some Q4 fertiliser. I made two batches each of 16 gallons(two bushels) using 16 ounces of Q4 for each. I filled all the tubes for carrots that I showed you a picture of yesterday and still had some left. I need some on the allotment so I will take it there. I haven't enough compost to finish the parsnip tubes until I get some from the hut tomorrow. I have also pricked out a few more trailing lobelia.
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Post by derekbrooks on Apr 1, 2023 19:53:58 GMT
Heather is here for the weekend which meant that I could go to the hut this morning and on the allotment this afternoon. On the allotment I decided to plant my shallots. I grow them along the front of the onion bed. I also grow leeks along the back of this bed. I don't know if you remwmber but my leeks all died last year.I don't know the reason but it could be that the grubs of the onion fly got at the roots. If that was the case I don't know if the grubs will still be in the soil. I therefore decided to change this bed with what was the spray chrysanth bed lasy year. So I planted the shallots along the front of this bed.It is not as long as the previous bed so I planted them 9 inches apart instead of 12 inches to get them all in.There were 30.
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Post by derekbrooks on Apr 2, 2023 19:15:25 GMT
Heather went home back to Wales this afternoon. Martyn came for a walk with us this afternoon then I went in the greenhouse and took 78 dahlia cuttings.
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Post by derekbrooks on Apr 3, 2023 20:18:47 GMT
A nice day and we went another walk this afternoon. Been in the greenhouse and garden the rest of the time. Took the last 81 chrysanth cuttings , 33 of disbud varieties and 48 sprays. I then put all the boxes of stools outside ,untied the labels from all the stools and put the stools in the recycling bin.I will use the compost that is still in the boxes for something else.
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Post by derekbrooks on Apr 4, 2023 19:49:58 GMT
Like yesterday , we went for a walk this afternoon and I was in the greenhouse the rest of the time. I sowed three more packets of flower seeds,another packet each of Antirrhinum "Mme Butterfly" and Stock "earlibird" and a packet of Rudbeckia "solar eclipse"which came in the Garden News this morning. Then I sieved some more potting compost and filled the rest of the parsnip tubes.Will probably sow the seeds tomorrow so I gave the tubes a good watering and also the carrot tubes. I have also pricked out my pansies and trailing lobelia "monsoon".
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Post by derekbrooks on Apr 5, 2023 21:26:15 GMT
This morning I made the rest of the compost in which I grew potatoes last year into compost for carrots,14 gals altogether. I have some large buckets near the greenhouse that I grow carrots in.They are full of old compost but I make bore holes in this and fill them with new compost. I started doing this but I got rained off. I then sowed my zinnias in the greenhouse. I sow these in upturned bottomless pots (drinking cups) stood on trays with a layer of compost in them.There are 5 trays of 12 pots. I put 3 or 4 seeds in each and thin them to one when they germinate. I sow them this way because they don't like root disturbance. This evening I have pricked out two trays of alyssum. I have also sowed the parsnip seeds in the tubes  Upturned bottomless drinking cups for sowing zinnias |
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Post by derekbrooks on Apr 6, 2023 18:37:17 GMT
It was nice for our walk at Blackleach this morning.There was no art club and no garden club at school to go to so I came home this afternoon. We went for a walk then I mowed the lawns for the first time this year.With it being the first time it was hard work but it will be easier next time. This evening I have pricked out another tray of alyssum.
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Post by derekbrooks on Apr 7, 2023 20:43:58 GMT
When I have mowed the lawns I go round the edges with edging shears but I didn't have time to do that yesterday so I did it this morning. Went in the greenhose after and potted another 30 rooted chrysanth cuttings into 3 inch pots.
This afternoon we went with Martyn to a country park a few miles away, one that I used to go to a lot when I was a teenager (a long tine ago!) and a change from Blackleach where I go regularly now.When we got home I went in the greenhouse again and potted the first 25 rooted dahlia cuttings into three and a half inch pots.I also potted 14 Tigrella tomatoes and 2 peppers into small pots. This evening I have taken another 51 dahlia cuttings.
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Post by derekbrooks on Apr 8, 2023 20:39:18 GMT
A week or so ago I told you about making last years potato compost into compost for carrots.I make potato compost from the compost that I take from the pots whem re-potting my greenhouse plants in February.I made a 16 gallon batch of this this morning.I just rub it between my hands then mix in 24 oz. of Q4 fertilisr. I put it in four potato bags but they are only just over half full.
We went for a walk this afternoon round a park where we often go which is near Blackleach.We went to Blackleach after and Rosemary sat in the car while I did my bird count because she can't walk round any more.
I have some large buckets alongside the greenhouse containing old compost in which I make bore holes and fill them with freshly mixed compost.I started doing these a few days ago and I finished them this afternoon when we got home from Blackleach.
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Post by derekbrooks on Apr 9, 2023 18:39:07 GMT
We went out for lunch with Martyn then went for a walk. When we got home I sowed long carrots in the tubes and short carrots in the drums and buckets.I also fixed up my one remaining frame.I also pricked out 30 Tithonia  Lenten cross decorated with flowers at church this morning |
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Post by derekbrooks on Apr 10, 2023 21:44:20 GMT
I told you that I had fixed up my remaining frame but three of the frames needed the end pieces of glass putting in so I did that. It started raining at 9.45 so I went in the greenhouse. When I pot rooted chrysanths into 3 inch pots I don't keep the varieties seperate.I just put them in large boxes.This morning I sorted them all out into their varieties and put them in rows on the greenhouse floor. I then started potting the furthest advanced ones into 5 inch pots ,just the disbud varieties. Did 54 of them but I still have two varieties to do. When I have done those they will all go into one of the frames. I also potted a few more rooted dahlias .This evening I have pricked out two varieties of French marigolds.
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Post by derekbrooks on Apr 10, 2023 22:00:44 GMT
The National Vegetable Society magazine arrived last week and this picture of Rosemary spraying the roses was in. This picture was taken about 2 years ago.She has been in Garden News a few times but never in the veg magazine before. I have been showing it to friends and neighbours so I thought I would show it you as well. In case you are wondering, I do write about flowers in the veg magazine as well as writing about veg because flowers are important in vegetable gardens to attract beneficial insects.  |
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