Allotment?Veg Patch Thread 13! Are we weathering the weather?

[bookbook]

well, we have got to August , had heatwaves and thunderstorms. Goodness knows what happens next!
All welcome to join in sharing the highs and lows , tips and experiences of growing your own :)
Previous thread HERE

It rained here too yesterday but I did manage to get 5 more gravel boards from the Builders' Merchant up too the plot. They are 4.8m in length so we have to walk then 'round. The nice guy in the shop carried 2 for us and the Dcs and I did the others. I hope to start fixing them into place this afternoon. I also got to the tip with all the rubbish I cleared from behind the shed, the stuff that wasn't burnable of compostable.

Afternoon!
no rain here this week, apart from a quick shower overnight a couple of days ago . . Could do with some !
Started moving compost heap around today, but didn't finish it. Even though we watered it a lot, it was so dry in parts .
Picked sprouting broccoli and came home.
Have been sorting out the raspberries at home - one of the plants needed rehoming so DH could fit the water butt to the new greenhouse . So we have rewired , just need to tie them in now
Rhubarb is looking thuggish , as usual , so have pulled some for tonight :)

Another lovely sunny day. IRC Easter was a bit of a wash out last year. I have finished all the 'hard landscaping' so all the paths are in place and raised borders. I just need to get some more bark to finish the last path and my sitting area. Grumpy Ron has been very kind and lent me a lump hammer and a very sharp saw to get things done quicker. And my tomatoes are germinating. I'll start my April sowing next week, courgettes, cucumbers etc.

Rhubarb gin is lovely if you have a surplus. I also froze/jarred lots so we had pie all year round.

Picked some of my forced rhubarb - relatively late for forced rhubarb really but it's well ahead of my other rhubarb.

Everything else plodding along nicely. We've had minus temps overnight all week so most of it is still inside.

In flower news, my tulips have no stems! Read something about it being because it's too warm. I was growing them for cut flowers so between that and the squirrels eating half the bulbs it's been a bit of a failure really

Afternoon!
well, it has been bitter overnight here , and though sunny, also cold during the day , so no potatoes planted as yet .
Went and did a bit more compost shifting yesterday , and planted up two of the new raised beds with strawberries . I picked leeks and chard .
Today just whizzed to get some savoy cabbage for tomorrow .

Had a nice hour pricking out tomatoes and aubergines .
Must think about sowing the curcubits shortly , but it's still so cold

I planted the potatoes out today - there were a few leftovers from last year sprouting and looking very healthy so I decided it was worth a go. Managed to find a few more gravel trays which has allowed me to spread out a bit in the house. I'll still wait a little bit longer before I put the squashes and a few other bits into the propagator because it's going to get crowded in here!

I’m overcrowded. I might have to risk putting a few things outside this week, it is meant to warm up a little? I have run out of room indoors and have more to plant and prick out.

Things will soon catch up! Not event thinking about the cucurbits or tender beans yet.

I am sowing my second batch of tomatoes today. I have some already in the greenhouse, some in pots in a heated mine greenhouse along with chillis and peppers.

I've been given some polytunnel space locally so most of mine, plus other weird and wonderful things will grow there. I did an emergency seed swap with a friend this weekend and will start sowing for that soon.

Bit annoyed a batch of peas I sowed before I went away just rotted. Will resow those as well today I think. If I can face going to get some more compost out of my compost bag.

Back after a break here and have been planting various seeds - carrot, leek, beetroot, radish, spinach (outdoors) and squash, tomatoes , beans , peas (indoors) with more to go to stagger the crop. Can anyone please recommend an inexpensive fruit cage about 4' square to accommodate bushes like raspberry and blueberry which could sit alongside a raised bed, and any suggestions for other fruit bushes.

I don't use fruit cages at all, never have. I hate the thought of birds getting stuck in there. If I was to make one, I'd use wooden battens and blue pipe, and just peg down the netting loosely so that they could get out if they got stuck.

Evening
another cold day, with a sharp wind , but I hear its warming up this week , so I have left out my sprouted peas, sweet peas, beetroot and pricked out brassicas tonight. I have been hardening them off for a few days , just not left them out overnight before .
I planted 3 rows of potatoes today , one left to go - I miscalculated , and have miles more than I anticipated .
LIZS - I do have a fruit cage - I would never end up with any currants otherwise. My DH built one for me -. It is only closed up for a while- the netting is rolled up out of the way , and I have a door that goes on from when the berries are starting to ripen , until I pick them. I haven't had any problem with birds getting in , but I an super vigilant with making sure the netting is secure, and doesn't have any holes in it . What I have found is the birds don't really bother with raspberries . At home I have a jostaberry , and however heath robinson it sounds, I throw an old net curtain loosely over it , and that seems to work well as a deterrent.
I do like blackcurrants and redcurrants , they make great jams and preserves , so I think those are the ones I would recommend.

Thanks, I hadn't considered the bird snagging aspect . Is it possible to use a fine mesh or fabric alternative I wonder?

Wet here today but not cold. I have started putting things outside, moved some more out today. Radishes have been doing great outside for a few weeks (survived the frosts). Trying to free up some indoor space for courgettes and runner beans to be planted.

I grow strawberries and I don’t loose many to birds, I keep the bird feeders topped up which stops them eating the fruit 🤣

We have to net or wouldn't get any redcurrants at all. The birds seem less bothered about other fruit, so strawberries, blackberries, gooseberries, raspberries all do fine without. The pigeons and squirrels between them will eat the brussel sprouts if they're not covered though!

The blackbirds in particular still make determined efforts to reach the redcurrants even when netted.

Maybe I'll try without a net and see how it goes.

I've done all my April planting today, courgettes, patty pans, sunflowers, pak choi, spinach, beetroot, some herbs and lettuce. They are all now snug in the greenhouse. I spent a couple of hours at the plot, mostly weeding but I've got another 4 asparagus spears up. Tomorrow I am going to plant out my first lot of peas. I'll miss being able to keep on top of things when I go back to work but at least the evenings are getting longer.

I am suffering an attack of beginners nerves. There doesn't seem to be an awful lot happening on my plot considering I sowed early peas at the beginning of March and leeks, onions, carrots, chives and pak choi towards the end. One small pea shoot to be seen so far. The dormant strawberries and gooseberry I moved in seem to be underway, though, and the apple tree is starting to blossom, so some things are alive.

It would just be nice if I could see that something was happening with the veg to justify all that digging up of couch grass and the current bindweed offensive.

sound I’m desperately waiting for signs of lif in the soil too. I’m struggling to see what’s weeds and what’s my beetroot starting to sprout, also planted carrots but no sign of these yet. Lots of things coming to life indoors but not outdoors yet. My gooseberry plants seem to look healthy after I planted them the other week. Mr rhubarb seems to have short stalks, not sure why they are not getting longer, leaves look healthy, maybe I need to superheat the plants/bulbs?

Sound and Love it will be all fine after the good weather forecast for this weekend.

Can I join in?

I’m getting some trees removed at the start of May and then I’ll plant out my beans, peas and courgettes. They’re hardening off in my little green house. I have fleece for protection. I might have to put up netting though as we have a lot of squirrels and pidgeons.

Welcome Rhubarb. Are you doing this in your garden or on a plot? Book will ask you where in the country are you but I would guess north if you are mentioning fleece.

Central U.K. and in my back garden!! ThNks for the welcome. I love Rhubarb BTW but DH doesn’t so my username is a tribute to him.

I think the soil is just too cold for things to get going - I have tried to cover mine up to give it a start - we need a good spell of warmer weather to really change the soil temperature before things will really get going. Though my fruit bushes are doing well - everything is in leaf and the strawberries are flowering - and the apple, cherry and plum trees are all in blossom.

Have you sown those in the ground, SoundofSilence?

Depending on the soil they could have rotted or been eaten by critters. It's why I mainly sow in pots trays or modules and then plant out.

Apart from mixed salads - this is my shallow mixed salad bed, in a pallet collar, started picking the radishes this week. Sown mid march and covered with fleece until last weekend.