What Jobs Are We Doing In The Garden Today 2020

I've tried growing cucumbers outside, they didn't grow much so it's better for me to grow them in the conservatory with the tomatoes and chillies.

 

Got some vegetable seed to sow, then mulch and sort out irrigation for fruit bushes, prepare bed for runner and french beans.

 

Just sorted out some of the pots with compost in that never came to anything and cut back the old fuchsias plants that have started to grow then later watering.

 

@2nd_bassoon I will keep my fingers crossed for you. My sister has just applied for a mortgage as her house has sold (she's done it all back to front) but the lenders have told her things are going through just taking a little longer


I haven't done much in the garden over the past few days. We got a puppy so I've been running around after him must be mad.

The dahlia are coming up and I've spotted about 2 inches of growth that seems to have happened so quickly from the Calla lily. Seedlings are doing well and the laurel is still alive so I'm happy. Did the lawns this morning and all the hard work of taking seems to have payed off. They are looking much better.
I've spotted what looks like a beautiful white lilac in next doors garden (growing over ours) I'll have to have a look see if I can get one.

Hubby's sorting out the barbecue and the puppy is shattered so I'm going to enjoy a beer

 

Yesterday I planted out my first french beans, runner beans, courgette plants and squash plant. I have one of each of the courgette and squash in reserve, should they get “slugged”...
The beans were given their first tie-in to their sticks (french beans will have their framework built later in May). The mangetout peas (Oregon sugersnap and Shiraz) have been out in cloches for a couple of weeks, and were tied in again.

We have two or three warm days forecast, and then I know I will probably have to cover at night for a few days, as we have temps down to 4c.

I topped up the pond, and water barrel feature, and watered in the new plantings.

I love this time of year, when all looks so promising!!

 

Had another stupidly busy week so not been on here much. Today has been adding a second coat of wood treatment to the his and hers chair. Then moving plants out of the tunnel and digging a ginger into the ground, along with a few more plants in the tropical border.

When I say digging, this was my tool of choice



There was a bit of rubble in the ground - this is just some of it.

 

Oh that's great, what breed have you got?

 

Not here @ARMANDII. I picked up 250 litres of compost, a couple of log rolls for a minor job and what used to be called a lump hammer (now a club hammer). Everything was available to buy and in good supply. Even the well stocked plant area looked very healthy.

 

Out of curiosity, when do you normally plant your beans out?
It is my first year growing beans and broad beans, and accordingly to the seeds package it sounded like they could have been sowed out as early as March or April.
But then reading on the forum it seems most people prefer to wait until mid may or so.

 

Snowflakes were falling a little while ago, it's been that cold so I only watered in the greenhouse. And that is tricky work as there is only about 3 square feet of floor area free. Trying to do a ballet reach with a watering can is a challenge. 6 more days and I can open the valves to the outdoor faucets without fear of freezing the pipes.

This sprinter has been colder than the last one!

 

Lots of brownies, hemm, soil blocks today :D
I made four trays. Every single person I showed them to asked what kind of cakes they were.
A friend even told me that they look very artistic?
Maybe I should really make cupcakes with the soil blocker :D





I managed to cram as many as many as 40 in one tray. Or even 31 plus 20 mini blocks.
But I think that they are a bit too close to each other that way.
Anyway 4 trays plus a 20 mini batch is around 160 plants, taking two shelves on the mini greenhouse.

Of course, I had to forget something, so I did not put any paper in the bottom, as suggested by Lori, which will make it a bit harder to keep them moist.
But my first batch started needing watering only today, the mud is very saturated.

I am a bit unconvinced about the 1 inch blocks though. Of course they save lots of space, 5 inches by 4 is 20 plants, so I could probably fit 120 in my small propagator, 240 if I made a plexiglass shelf.
But putting the seeds in is a bit of a pain, they are only suitable for quite small seed obviously, and very shallow planting.
I think the easiest and faster way to use the tiny block is to half fill the blocker, then insert the seed and top it all up with more mud, embedding the seed right in the middle.

Anyway, given I received some melon seeds, I sowed those too, along with californian peppers and radish (all my other seeds from the USA have done great, let's see these), glass corn, cabbage, pak choi, rocket, fennel, terragon, callaloo, beef&onion and a few backup pumpkins and cucumbers.
Not bad for four trays, but let's see how they do do..

Tonight there was a Summer scent in the garden. Pity the temperature will drop again, but tomorrow will be quite enjoyable.

 

I was wondering about the 1" blocks @Aldo as I am a bit of a bull in the china shop gal. The 2 inch really are working well for me. Got zucchini sprouting in some and that's really pushing it!

And no, I would not have been tempted, I prefer icing on my brownies....

 

''Space Economy Drive''

Shiney old friend. I had cause to use Levingtons compost time back. It must have been left over fro Noah opening up shop. It was nowt but a bag of leaves and wht pH there was, tis wso, so close to 7.0+

Nigel, just wondering. Do you start your crops off in pots/trays. Although I no longer grow veg. Dad & I used to sow direct into the open ground late March. Never failed. Perhaps this may interest Aldo.

On the subject of soil/peat blocks. Is this really worth while, come the end of the day. Isn't there the fear of the blocks crumbling etc. Why not go straight for biodegradeable pots or even 2" or even 9cm pots and be done with. Honestly and I most sincerely mean this. At times I read/ hear about this method and that. Sorry no offence. You want to sow seed and get it to grow. At the same time most folk want so save time and money. Sorry I was always good at maths but, I can't see the benefit of all this fiddling and farting about. Pardon the expletives.