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Post by daitheplant on Mar 11, 2015 20:03:57 GMT
SILENCE, worm ! <bangs gavel> Bailif, take the accused away and lock him up for 3 days in Trough No. #2 !!!! Recorder, please strike the prisoners comments from the record. Soil does NOT grow on leaves; he probably just planted his trees upside down. Court is adjourned. <looks at watch> ZOUNDS.. I'm late for work. Where the heck did I put my socks ? I didn`t say soil grew on leaves Your Honour, I said it grew on TREES. So there.  |
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Post by roofgardener on Mar 12, 2015 21:30:41 GMT
Silence in court ! <bangs gavel> BANG BANG BANG BANG plop. Oh bugger.. the end's fallen off  |
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Post by roofgardener on Mar 12, 2015 21:32:28 GMT
****** Planting news ******
Another milestone tonight. I've finall planted ALL of the seeds relating to my sister's garden. (including - and I know this will cheer you all up - some Dhalias).
The weekend will be dedicated to planting my OWN seeds..... mostly vegetables.
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Post by daitheplant on Mar 13, 2015 19:29:34 GMT
Silence in court ! <bangs gavel> BANG BANG BANG BANG plop. Oh bugger.. the end's fallen off Now the banging bit has fallen off you can use the handle as a dibber.  Good luck with the veg` sowing. |
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Post by roofgardener on Mar 16, 2015 20:58:21 GMT
Silence in court ! <bangs gavel> BANG BANG BANG BANG plop. Oh bugger.. the end's fallen off Now the banging bit has fallen off you can use the handle as a dibber. Good luck with the veg` sowing. WHAT ? Use the Gavel of Justice .. the supreme representation of Law in our Land as a mere planter of bulbs ? To denigrate 1000 years of gradual transition from Feudalism to Democracy, so Spit on Magna Carta, and to soil the Bill of Rights in a trivial act of Horticulture ? Hmm... now you mention it.. not a bad idea ! I like your style, M'lord Daitheplant. In recognition of your service, I shall grant you a small gift. How do you fancy Northumberland ? I noticed it on the map the other day, and nobody seems to know what purpose it serves ? |
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Post by daitheplant on Mar 16, 2015 21:04:20 GMT
Now the banging bit has fallen off you can use the handle as a dibber. Good luck with the veg` sowing. WHAT ? Use the Gavel of Justice .. the supreme representation of Law in our Land as a mere planter of bulbs ? To denigrate 1000 years of gradual transition from Feudalism to Democracy, so Spit on Magna Carta, and to soil the Bill of Rights in a trivial act of Horticulture ? Hmm... now you mention it.. not a bad idea ! I like your style, M'lord Daitheplant. In recognition of your service, I shall grant you a small gift. Perhaps..... Northumberland ? Cumbria is prettier.  Anyway, it took you long enough to reply. You been tunnel gliding again?  |
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Post by roofgardener on Mar 17, 2015 6:51:34 GMT
No indeed Daitheplant, I have been a busy bee recently. Still, that gentle reproof serves as a timely reminder for me to update y'all.
*****Polytunnel News******
It's still there, and it's DRY ! As previously mentioned, the floor leaks if it rains, but only if it rains very heavily, or over a very long period. However, I've got my Pink Tiles down properly now, so this is not a problem. Let it rain ! The side-vents seem to be working as well. I've only used one, but I've got zero condensation !!
I can get my lightweight potting gloves damp and soily one night and - by the next night - they are DRY and wearable again. This hasn't happened in the RoofGarden ... in March.. for... well, I dunno. Years, it seems. It may seem strange to focus on such a small detail, but it's details like this that make it a pleasure to do a quick hours pottering each night after work. And that has NEVER haphpened before. For me, gardening in Winter/Spring only ever happened on the weekends. Now its almost daily.
There's a word, which I can't quite remember. It means something like having everything laid out so that it is easy and comfy to use. Demographics ? Paleantology ? Ectoplasm ? Can't remember. However, I'm learning the importance of it. The PT isn't THAT big, and I have to discipline myself to do one job at a time, and only have the equipment for that job inside the PT. So I tried to do Potting and Soil Reclamation at the same time, and kept tripping over stuff, or mislaying my trowel (I left it in the fourth soil box on the right, underneath the empty troughs.. and so on). So I banned all of the Reclamation stuff and put it back into the storage bins. Once I've finished potting, I shall put all my collection of Seedling Pots and my bucket of Seedling Compost into storage, and only THEN bring out the soil boxes. (which should be on the weekend, at this rate).
The moral of the story seems to be: Do one job at a time, do it methodically, and don't try and rush things.
As mentioned previously, all of my Sisters seeds are now planted and in unpowered little propagators. I've now set up (but not yet seeded) all the seedling pots for MY stuff. ('erbs and vegetables). I havn't planted the seeds yet, merely put soil in the pots and dampened them. I shall be seeding over the next few evenings. So I'm running a BIT late with those... but only by a couple of weeks or so.
Thus far, I have 50 pots ready, and I may need another 12. This will be far and away the largest crop I have ever attempted. More on this later in the week.
****Propagator News******
I lifted the lid on the Plantopticon and.... I HAVE GROWTH. There are a small number of tentative, tiny Chives in the Begonia tray, and a huge amount of Cress growing in the Cinararia and Marigold trays. Which is odd, because I planted Begonias, Cinararia and Marigolds, not chives and cress. I presume all baby flowers start like this ? A bit like all human babies are supposed to look like Winston Churchill ?
Last years plants are starting to cheer up. I gave them all a bit of a trim, and some plant food. The Primroses are flowing nicely, and the chive plant is showing some interest in the world again. Even the strawberries are putting out new growth, though no 'colonisation' stalks yet.
I shall endeavour to post a few photographs over the weekend.
P.S. I've just remembered the word.. it was "Ergonomics"
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Post by grindle on Mar 17, 2015 17:35:09 GMT
No indeed Daitheplant, I have been a busy bee recently. Still, that gentle reproof serves as a timely reminder for me to update y'all. *****Polytunnel News****** It's still there, and it's DRY ! As previously mentioned, the floor leaks if it rains, but only if it rains very heavily, or over a very long period. However, I've got my Pink Tiles down properly now, so this is not a problem. Let it rain ! The side-vents seem to be working as well. I've only used one, but I've got zero condensation !! I can get my lightweight potting gloves damp and soily one night and - by the next night - they are DRY and wearable again. This hasn't happened in the RoofGarden ... in March.. for... well, I dunno. Years, it seems. It may seem strange to focus on such a small detail, but it's details like this that make it a pleasure to do a quick hours pottering each night after work. And that has NEVER haphpened before. For me, gardening in Winter/Spring only ever happened on the weekends. Now its almost daily. There's a word, which I can't quite remember. It means something like having everything laid out so that it is easy and comfy to use. Demographics ? Paleantology ? Ectoplasm ? Can't remember. However, I'm learning the importance of it. The PT isn't THAT big, and I have to discipline myself to do one job at a time, and only have the equipment for that job inside the PT. So I tried to do Potting and Soil Reclamation at the same time, and kept tripping over stuff, or mislaying my trowel (I left it in the fourth soil box on the right, underneath the empty troughs.. and so on). So I banned all of the Reclamation stuff and put it back into the storage bins. Once I've finished potting, I shall put all my collection of Seedling Pots and my bucket of Seedling Compost into storage, and only THEN bring out the soil boxes. (which should be on the weekend, at this rate). The moral of the story seems to be: Do one job at a time, do it methodically, and don't try and rush things.
As mentioned previously, all of my Sisters seeds are now planted and in unpowered little propagators. I've now set up (but not yet seeded) all the seedling pots for MY stuff. ('erbs and vegetables). I havn't planted the seeds yet, merely put soil in the pots and dampened them. I shall be seeding over the next few evenings. So I'm running a BIT late with those... but only by a couple of weeks or so. Thus far, I have 50 pots ready, and I may need another 12. This will be far and away the largest crop I have ever attempted. More on this later in the week. ****Propagator News****** I lifted the lid on the Plantopticon and.... I HAVE GROWTH. There are a small number of tentative, tiny Chives in the Begonia tray, and a huge amount of Cress growing in the Cinararia and Marigold trays. Which is odd, because I planted Begonias, Cinararia and Marigolds, not chives and cress. I presume all baby flowers start like this ? A bit like all human babies are supposed to look like Winston Churchill ? Last years plants are starting to cheer up. I gave them all a bit of a trim, and some plant food. The Primroses are flowing nicely, and the chive plant is showing some interest in the world again. Even the strawberries are putting out new growth, though no 'colonisation' stalks yet. I shall endeavour to post a few photographs over the weekend. P.S. I've just remembered the word.. it was "Ergonomics" But women are like this naturally Roofy  |
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Post by SueA on Mar 17, 2015 19:47:50 GMT
Very true grindle!  So glad the 'Plantopticon' is working roofgardener , you'll have to patent that invention!  |
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Post by roofgardener on Mar 19, 2015 13:59:33 GMT
Sadly, I can't do that SueA.
part of the patent process involves publishing the details of how it works.
I fear that the military would get hold of it if I do that.
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Post by daitheplant on Mar 19, 2015 20:11:57 GMT
Sadly, I can't do that SueA. part of the patent process involves publishing the details of how it works. I fear that the military would get hold of it if I do that. Even better roofy. The MoD will pay you a fortune for the prototype. Then you will be able to buy a BIGGER tunnel and employ someone to help when all the seedlings need pricking out.  |
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Post by Moonlight on Mar 20, 2015 6:49:47 GMT
Sounds like a plan
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Post by roofgardener on Mar 23, 2015 12:15:26 GMT
You lot are incorrigible. *****Seedling News****** An exciting development ! I was going to finish of planting my vegetable seeds, when I thought "'tis' silly to plant ONE spring onion seed in EACH tiny pot, when I want to grow several dozens of them. Ditto carrots and Leeks." After much cogitation, I came up with a Cunning Plan, which I implemented this weekend just gone. "Plastic Storage Boxes". The large ones that you put under your bed. Think of them as a very large "grow bag" ? Three 64 litre boxes, to be precise. Two 12" deep ones for the carrots and leeks, and one 8" deep (but longer)for the spring onions. .. attractively priced at £19 for all three. Now I can just run furrows down them, and plant my veggies as though it was in a real garden "plot". Well, to fill THESE 62-litre monsters, I needed to activate my soil reclamation program. Fortunately, it was a lovely warm sunny day, so rather than trying to work in the PT, I dragged all my weed-ridden plantpots from last Summer, the boxes of drying soil, two bags of compost plus my Big Mixing Box out onto the terrace and went to it. The end result was not only three boxes of "fed" soil, all ready for planting, but also four troughs, likewise ready. (in their case, for some onion bulbs). This constitutes MAJOR progress. Not only are the boxes (and troughs) ready for sowing, but I've emptied half a dozen (or more) plantpots ready for cleaning, in addition to a bit of general tidying up. To celebrate, I made a bowl of mulled wine and sat in the Roofgarden admiring my handywork, and enjoying the remaining Spring warmth. As the last rays of daylight suffused the tincture of dusk with tendrils of deepest umber and persimmon, I drank deeply of my mug of mulled wine, toasted (belatedly) the Spring Equinox, and set fire to the Mouldy Garden Table. Something I've been wanting to do for AGES. Life just doesn't get better than this ! |
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Post by SueA on Mar 23, 2015 21:00:27 GMT
Sounds like you had a good day roofgardener (& evening! ) you made me laugh picturing you merrily burning the table while knocking back mulled wine! |
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Post by ladybird on Mar 24, 2015 10:05:21 GMT
Roofy, what is your "table" made of and why is it covered? It's made up of plastic bakers trays, Daitheplant. The UnderShop gets his loaves delivered in them, and they stack up for a couple of months before he sends them back, and allows me to keep a couple of dozen. Individually, they look like this...  But I stack them up into piles.Four piles, side by side. (but the third pile is only half-height, to make space for my Soil Box, and hence to make potting easier). But a table made up of bakers trays looks silly and amateurish (compared to the sort of 'proper' wooden tables that many of this forum members build). so I cover them with a tarpaulin to make them look a bit more presentable, and so that the forum members don't laugh at me. I use a similar technique on myself when I go out on dates. And for similar reasons. (but with a slightly smaller tarpaulin ) It doesn't work then, eithe over her we are not allowed to have those bread trays roofgardener,  all of ours are brown and carry a warning. so many people were pinching them that it is now a criminal offence to be in posession of them if you are not a baking co. i was given some a few years ago and they were great for stacking plants for transport. i left them all at a location to be sent back . :(p |
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Good luck with the veg` sowing.
Anyway, it took you long enough to reply. You been tunnel gliding again? 
all of ours are brown and carry a warning. so many people were pinching them that it is now a criminal offence to be in posession of them if you are not a baking co. i was given some a few years ago and they were great for stacking plants for transport. i left them all at a location to be sent back . :(p
