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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 29, 2014 22:00:21 GMT
A better day today. I have been on the allotment this afternoon and evening just weeding the onion bed which is rather bad but I didn't have time to finish it. The weeds are very bad this year and everybody is complaining about them. Beds that I weeded only a few weeks ago have weeds coming up again and it is difficult to keep on top of them.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 30, 2014 21:50:41 GMT
Been at Blackleach all day again and I planted the herbs I got on Saturday in the herb wheel.
Went on the allotment again this evening and carried on with the weeding. Finished the onion bed then did some on the root crop bed because I have some beetroot and kohl rabi to plant.
Forgot to mention yesterday that I pulled up the first of the overwintered onions . The rest will have to come out soon because I need the ground for other things and they are all a usable size. Also brought home the first three calabrese.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 1, 2014 22:28:42 GMT
Been on the allotment this morning and evening. Even though it rained while I was at school this afternoon the rest of the day has been nice. Tied up the peas and sweet peas again and cut the first bunch of sweet peas. Pulled up the rest of the overwintered onions because I need the ground for other things as I said yesterday. Spent the rest of the time carrying on with the weeding.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 2, 2014 22:31:23 GMT
Had to go out this morning but I had a bit of time in the greenhouse when I got home. Just had time to trim some fuchsias into shape and used the bits that I cut off as cuttings.
Went on the allotment this afternoon and evening. Before I went I treated weeds in the lawns with verdone. I also went to church and watered glyphosate on weeds between the flags on the path in front of the church.
On the allotment I was weeding most of the time. I finished the root crop bed, then did the gladioli bed. I have told you before that I grow brassicas in small batches so that too many won't be ready at once. Therefore only half of the bed has been planted yet. The half that isn't planted is overgrown with chickweed so I started trying to dig that out. Can't understand why I have let it get so bad. If I had put weedol on these weeds when they were small it would have saved a lot of work.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 3, 2014 22:22:50 GMT
Only had this afternoon for gardening today. Rosemary needed the car first and the weather wasn't very promising so I didn't risk walking down to the allotment.It only takes 10 minutes and I have done it a few times recently when the weather has been more settled. So I went in the greenhouse while she was out . Carried on going through the plants as I did last week and took some more fuchsia cuttings. Potted some streptocarpus from 4 inch pots into 5 inch. When she came home I went to the allotment (in the car)and finished weeding the brassica bed
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 4, 2014 22:12:10 GMT
Rain was forecast for later in the day so I thought I had better go to the allotment and get some jobs done before it comes. I had some planting I wanted to do and I managed to do it before it started raining at 11.45. Planted some perennial rudbeckias on one of the herbaceous borders and beetroot and kohl rabi that I had sown in peat pots on the root crop bed.
We normally go shopping at the supermarket on Friday evening but because it was raining we went first this afternoon in case it was fine later then I could go to the allotment again. However, it rained till about 8.30 so I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening till 8.30 in the greenhouse. Continued going through the pot plants, tidying them up and potting them on if they needed it. Took some cuttings of angel pelargoniums and a few trailing geraniums. When it did stop raining I started tying up the chrysanths but ran short of twine. Will get some more from the hut tomorrow.
I have been watering my plants in the polytunnel every evening but because I have not been to the allotment this evening I will call to water on my way to the hut in the morning. I am also still watering for Val. She is the lady whose polytunnel I grow some of my plants in . She has a greenhouse full of tomatoes and some in the polytunnel as well. She went away last Saturday for a week,as she thought, but had to come home on Monday because her mother had died. I will carry on doing her watering till she feels like coming back to the allotment.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 5, 2014 22:21:39 GMT
Not much gardening time today , just an hour or so this afternoon. Finished tying up the chrysanths and staked a few more plants. That's all I had time to do.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 6, 2014 21:59:55 GMT
Been on the allotment this afternoon and evening. I have a large clump of Crocosmia "Lucifer". It was all falling over and smothering other plants so I tried to stake and tie it up but it was difficult because it was so big. Some branches of the roses "Dorothy Cunliffe" were bending over onto the dahlias so I staked these up. Gave the large onions, leeks and celery a feed of nitro chalk. Spent the rest of the time weeding the path between the chrysanth and dahlia beds which was very bad and full of grass. Some allotments have potato blight . There is none on mine yet but I will have to keeps looking.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 7, 2014 22:16:39 GMT
Did jobs in my garden this morning and went on the allotment this afternoon and evening. Next Saturday we are going away for a week so all the jobs I do this week will be done with this in mind. I need to see that everything is staked and tied up that need it and that everything is sprayed and fed that need it. I also want to do as much weeding as I can then it wont be so bad when I get back.
At home I sprayed the chrysanths with systhane. Some have got a bit of white rust so I spray to prevent it spreading. I fed the baskets and tubs with phostrogen and the chrysanths with general maxicrop. Rosemary has taken the side shoots off the chrysanths.
First thing I did when I got to the allotment was to take 9 sacks of weeds to the recycling centre. I then staked some more branches on the roses .Spent the rest of the time weeding the chrysanth and dahlia beds. I finished the chrysanth bed and about half of the dahlia bed. I filled three and a half sacks with weeds today.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 9, 2014 22:36:54 GMT
Yesterday I had only the evening for gardening except at school. It was raining though so I spent it in the greenhouse. Potted several plants from 4 inch pots into 5 inch and several from yoghurt pots into 4 inch pots.
Had a full day today -morning and evening on the allotment and my own garden in the afternoon. On the allotment I have done mostly staking and tying up. I staked and tied the gladioli, Brussels sprouts and broad beans and tied up all the dahlias and chrysanths and some annuals. I brought home the shallots and the onions for the "not over 8 oz. " classes which I thought were the right size. I have dressed all these up this afternoon , washed them and left them to dry.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 10, 2014 21:58:43 GMT
Like yesterday I had the morning and evening on the allotment and stayed at home in the afternoon. On the allotment I put the final blanching collar on the leeks that needed it. Spent the rest of the time weeding. Finished the dahlia bed . The paths between the veg beds are full of grass so I started on these but I won't get them finished before I go away.it is only a few weeks since the annual beds were weeded and planted but there are thousands of tiny weed seedlings coming up . I used weedol on these ,going down the paths between the beds and going carefully on the beds with the applicator between the plants.
At home I did a bit more potting of plants in the greenhouse and tidied the floor and put away all the plant pots that had accumulated under the staging. Went through the chrysanths ,disbudding those that needed it.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 11, 2014 22:36:58 GMT
Going away tomorrow so today was a matter of doing as many last minute jobs as I could. I was supposed to be at Blackleach all day but I left at 3.30 and went straight to the allotment. An important job before going away was to go through the sweet peas and the cordon grown peas ,removing tendrils and side shoots and putting more ties on. Cut all the sweet peas that were ready to give to Alan who does my watering while I am away. I have asked someone on the allotment to put more ties on if needed and cut any more flowers that are ready while I am away. It is important that flowers don't go to seed.
Went back to the allotment this evening after shopping and gave the gladioli, dahlias, chrysanths, runner beans and peas a feed of general maxicrop.
So, this is my last gardening for a week. We are having a family holiday to celebrate our daughter, Heather's fiftieth birthday which was last week. We asked her where she wanted to go and she said she would like to go to Whitby again so that is where we are going. We had a few holidays there when our children were small. There are eight of us altogether--Martyn, our son, Heathers two boys ,Alex and Jake and Alex's girl friend but Martyn can only stay till Tuesday.
I am taking my computer with me because Martyn says that I will be able to get on the internet and get my emails and go on this forum so I will do so.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 12, 2014 20:27:08 GMT
We arrived at Whitby this afternoon and EVENTUALLY found somewhere to park!. Heather and Karl and Jake (The youngest grandson) and Alex and his girlfriend an hour later . Alex had followed them in his own car. They have of course had twice as far to drive from Wales than we have . Martyn called at two other places on his way here so he arrived later. We all went to a café for a meal after and Heather has booked a table at a restaurant for us all tomorrow.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 14, 2014 21:54:49 GMT
We thought Martyn was staying with us till tomorrow but he went home this afternoon. He wants to call at York on the way home and have a look round.
There is a barbecue in the back garden where we are staying and Alex, our eldest grandson, who is a chef, has cooked us our evening meal on it.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 15, 2014 21:56:41 GMT
I'm going to try and show you some pictures I took in my garden last week
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