Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 15 - will winter ever end?

[bookbook]

Hi everyone , just putting this up quickly , will add on later
Everyone welcome! :)

@RubySlippers77 for a 4 year old you could cut a piece of string or paper the current length of the sunflower and see if you can find things around the house and garden that are shorter/longer/the same size as your sunflower. Maybe the sunflower is the the same size as their foot or arm etc. I'd also collect the seeds to regrow/make bird seed/germinate in water and kitchen roll. 🤣

I'm a Reception/year1 teacher incase you are wondering.

Thanks for the tip @Octothorpe - yes, long lead times everywhere, it seems. If all else fails I could wait till the weekend and go somewhere if DP's around to look after the DC (he's a key worker) but I don't know if it would count as an essential journey?! But then if people don't support the local businesses they'll go under - it's a tricky one.

We'll be busy measuring today @footprintsintheslow there was a nasty moment earlier when DTS1 broke DTS2's sunflower because they'd been fighting - many cuddles were needed! We've planted some more, they're enjoying gardening at the moment as well as playing with trains. Unfortunately our theme for school this week is 'under the sea' and I'm lacking inspiration for combining them all

Personally I think it'd be OK, Ruby. Our local garden centre, having had to shut abruptly and with no online capacity, came back a few weeks later to announce by email that they were now operating from the car-park so you could order and pay, receive instructions for collection, then go along to pick up at the appropriate time. They're part of a biggish chain and clearly struggling to keep going. It's a difficult balance but I think good to support them if all appropriate precautions can be taken.

(If you do order from Ken Muir at any point - and I've never been disappointed with their plants - I can recommend Gariguette strawberries. So delicious 😋)

@RubySlippers77 I was miffed myself how to link gardening with under the sea but I've just got it. You can compare and sort. What animals live under the sea and which animals do we see in the garden.

Your little one can draw pictures of under the sea creatures on one side of the paper and garden creatures on the other. They can try and label the with their own special writing. (Even if it's writing only they can read.)

In actual gardening news: IT'S RAINING IN WALES... all night and steady drizzle today. Hooray!!!☔️ I planted some saplings on the weekend so I'm thrilled they are getting watered without me there.

I'm a bit on an imposter here as we don't have an allotment as such but we use a piece of agricultural land as an allotment.

footprints
Also raining here! Was thrilled to come downstairs to grey skies and extremely damp garden this morning. We're doing to head up to the allotment later to see if it makes the digging less backbreaking (seems unlikely tbh)

Raining here too, although only just about managing to dampen the ground. It's not going to be much good for replenishing my water butt

Raining here too, much needed. Ruby my thoughts about the school work were to tie it in with 'I'd like to be under the sea in an octopusses garden in the shade'.

Rained on and off all day here too, a seed tray I left in the patio is about half full so we've had a decent amount. I've still got a bit of the plot left to de-bindweed so if it's not raining later I might pop up there.

I keep running outside to check how my water butts are fulling up (so far one is full) 🤣, the weeds are growing fast, going to be bust next week trying to sort out what’s weeds and what’s beetroot and parsnips.

It rained right into the evening here yesterday then started again about an hour ago. Everything looks very green and lush.

I'm back again for more advice! I love reading what everyone is up to and it really helps hearing what people who know what they are doing.

I've managed to break down the huge lumps of clay on the plot. Well I've only done a small area for now but managed to get some carrot seeds in so at least I feel like I've actually down some gardening rather than just clay demolition.

The postman has just delivered a bag of Charlotte seed potatoes that I ordered back in February - is it too late to plant them now? All the advice I can see is to plant them in March.

I would plant those Charlotte potatoes but then I'm often late getting things in. Someone with more expertise on here may tell you otherwise.

Well I'm a bit sick of the rain now. Although I did go out in a break of the rain yesterday and planted some courgettes and kale out and baby sunflowers. We've used nematodes for the first time so I'll see if they've been munched or not overnight and I'll update you all later.

Up in Manchester we didn’t get enough rain but things are greening up thankfully. Would be interested if the nemetodes work - I get slugs IN THE HOUSE and they have munched at my petunia seedlings!
@bobofthelobs - I’d plant too - our maincrop spuds only went in last week. Are they sprouting?

@chockaholic72 I'm in Manchester too and it was certainly good to finally see some rain yesterday. The potatoes aren't sprouting but I'm not sure whether to just put them in any way and crops my fingers

Bob tbh I think I'd chuck the spuds in too. Nothing ventured and all that. On Gardeners' World (or possibly Gardeners' Question Time, I can't remember which) they've done trials of chitted vs non-chitted potatoes and it didn't seem to make much difference, ultimately.

Can I ask a question? I’ve currently got six bell pepper seedlings growing (it’s only me that eats them!). Could I plant a few more today? Would they still grow and produce peppers? There is the option to grow these last babies on our slightly more sheltered balcony, rather than the allotment.

Also in Manchester area. Also glad for the rain. Also get slugs in the house now and then.
I brought some tomato seedlings back in because they have sprouted but that's it. As with most of my seedlings that I foolishly put into the cold frame when it was sunny and quite warm.

Torrential rain, wind and hail here in Hampshire today. I managed an hour of bindweed removal at the plot lasts night, I'd like to go back later but the forecast isn't promising. I haven't planted out anything else yet, greenhouse is getting full now.

I only put in my maincrop potatoes a few days ago, I don't think it matter that much. I do chit them but mainly so I feel I'm doing something early in the season. We get slugs in the house sometimes too, they must get in through an airbrick or similar I think (it's an old house).

Trebolla - it's worth a try, I've always though they would need to grown on a windowsill or greenhouse to get enough warmth though.

Morning all!
Just back from first trip to allotment in a couple of days
Welcome Octothorpe :)
bob - no problem with the potatoes - they will just harvest a little later , thats all :) Our local nursery is doing telephone orders with delivery , but you need to spend £50 , the one I prefer is a bit further away , but you can phone through your order and pick up at the car park as above . I just feel 15 miles ( for me to get there ) for a 'non essential' trip is pushing it a bit though .
Trebello - I would give it a try with the peppers - they will keep growing and even come back next year if you have the right conditions to overwinter them .They just take so long to germinate and get going , but in truth I think we are all flying by the seat of our pants this year ( well , I do most years ! )
So I picked the very last lot of purple sprouting broccoli this morning ,, and dug up the plants . Weeded and forked over the bed , ready for next lot of planting .
We got the merest trickle of rain over night ( 3 mm pah ) so still dry - hopefully some later on today . Cut asparagus , and did some other forking over to get ready . Dahlias are big enough to plant out , but I think I will leave for another week , just in case we get a few cooler nights .
The currant bushes are full of flower , and the strawberries looking good too :)

I’d only put them outside July / August-y time. I’ll give them a hopeful go today!

Thanks bookbook

I don't have an allotment but am lucky enough to have an allotment-sized garden and have grown lots of veg in the past. I'm really getting back into it in the current circs.

But we're in a frost-pocket so I don't put most things out in their final positions until well into May, and even that's pushing it a bit. Consequently I'm drowning in trays of seedlings at the moment. Space is getting a bit problematic (which somehow didn't stop me sowing more sweetcorn yesterday ....).

My lettuce seedlings, on the window sill were doing well and then they inexplicably disappeared. The next day I found a slug on the rug. Honestly nowhere is safe from them.

I can confirm all seedlings have survived the night out in the nematoded garden! So far so good

Lots of wind and rain last couple of days-

• my first time outside tomato experiment is looking a little startled. Then- having congratulated myself on my completely reasonable level of inside the greenhouse tomatoes (unlike my normal jungle)- I found 7 tiny little self seeded tomatoes in the gravel of the greenhouse floor. Free plants! Mystery variety! I couldn’t resist and potted them up. Now as ever I have far too many .

Ive also got a new partner in crime- my niece (10) has moved house this year and has raised beds. I’ve been leaving her seedlings on the drive and she sends me pictures of after she plants them. She is waiting on the cucumbers which are just coming up now.

Thinking about peppers I’ve got some chillis growing but they looked a bit unusual and I dug our the packet - they are novelty colourful ones and I think it’s too late to find and grow normal ones from seed. Anyone had any joy with ordering plug plants online?

I ordered some from Thompson and Morgan at the start of April - still haven't had mine @Cathpot. It might be a bit of a wait.