Elaine rickett's Blog – May 2012 Archive (22)

What is it called when you plant leeks - dibbing or dibbling - well whatever it is called that's what I have been doing this evening - planting my leeks - the last veggies to go in.  I had to pull up all the wallflowers to make space for them.  Shame really as they were still flowering well.  I have an old spade handle sharpened to a point that I use for dibbing - it is so quick and easy - dibble a hole, plonk leek plant in and fill up hole with water. Hey presto leeks planted.  Now all I…

I can't do it - work outdoors when it's hot I mean - I retreat indoors and wait for it to cool off.  So instead I get up early  - this morning I dug over the pumpkin patch in readiness for the plants to go in this evening, and planted french beans and another row of peas.  I waited till it cooled off this evening and did the rounds, watering all my new plantings.  I emptied a whole dustbin of saved water - in some places the ground was cracking like a desert.  Talk about one extreme to the…

A long time ago - way back in the 70's - I used to sit in a stuffy old office shuffling paper about daydreaming that one day I would be able to be outside in the fresh air all day tending my garden and growing my own food.  Not being reliant on the supermarket to provide everything for my survival.  Then when I moved here and the opportunity came to buy a piece of land I jumped at it and started living the dream.  I may not have wealth and riches in the normal sense of the word, but I do…

After a slow start the sun eventually came out - it was great to put in a few hours hard graft at the allotment with the sun on my back.  The cauliflowers I planted yesterday have been nibbled already so i netted them and put the mesh cloches back over them.  Erected the bean poles and got the ground ready for the outdoor tomatoes.  I then filled a dustbin with nettles ready to make some nettle 'tea' and generally had a good weed around.  After being cooped up for so long with the cold and…

When the blossom came out on the pear tree it was very cold and there were no bees about - so I set to with a paintbrush and went over all the flowers with it to try and move the pollen about a bit - and look, a pear - well there are two actually - not a great success - but at least it's better than none.…

I have made the momentous decision to start planting out - Calabrese has gone in at the allotment plus perpetual spinach and lettuce- they have been hardening off for a couple of weeks now - and will just have to take their chances out in the cold, hard world.    We are taking a short break at the beginning of June so I want to get everything out so that my friend who will water the greenhouse for me, won't have too much to worry about.  I may leave the squashes and courgettes in their…

Taken from an article in the Daily Mail on Tuesday:-

If you're fed up with huge allotment waiting lists and want to enjoy produce from your own plot, here is a very modern solution.

Gardeners can now rent a patch of land on a farm which supplies Fortnum and Masons - and manage the growing through the internet.

The scheme, called i-Grow, lets people pick an allotment online and choose the vegetables and herbs they want grown on it.

Owners receive updates…

We have had several hail storms here today - dreading going to check up in the morning to see what damage has been done to my poor veggies - especially the potatoes which weren't covered.  When is this weird weather going to stop?

Had to pot-on my squashes as they were rooting through the bottom of the pots - normally I would have them planted out by now.  I am growing Turks Turban, Spaghetti Squash, Summer Patty Pan and Butternut.  The leaves of the Turks Turban and Spaghetti squashes are much larger than the others - from the looks of them they are going to take up a helluva lot of space.  Now all I've got to do is find an area big enough to plant them.

I have 5 plum trees of different types - earlier they were full of blossom - now the blossom has gone and it looks like the fruits have gone with it.  I can't see any that have 'set' at all.  I think the weather has done for them.  I had such high hopes as well.

We had glorious weather today so in my enthusiasm I started to plant out some of my tomatoes.  Three plants to be exact.  They were starting to look a bit the worse for wear in their small pots in the greenhouse - so I thought I would take a chance.  I know it's a dodgy move but I have protected them against the cold with acrylic sheeting and some of that green mesh fabric.  I have another half a dozen or so standing by if they don't survive - we'll just have to keep fingers crossed and hope…

According to the Co-op's price (3 sticks of rhubarb for £1.50) I have just pulled £10's worth this morning!

A few weeks ago I planted out some cabbages etc. but didn't put any slug pellets round them thinking that the mesh cloches would protect them.  Wrong.  When I went up to the plot this morning and removed the cloches I found all the plants had been well and truly slugged.  A few plants were missing altogether - luckily those that were left still had their inner leaves so should be able to carry on growing.  I think all this rain has been wonderful weather for slugs and they have been having a…

I sowed 'Tender and True' parsnip seed in the ground on March 22nd - I know they usually take about a month to germinate - I kept checking and checking - no sign of germination.  Finally, 50 days later, they have appeared.  That's a helluva long time to germinate.

These are the leaves of PSB  that I mentioned yesterday that look rather strange - maybe it is just the variety that produces this colour on the leaves maybe it's the weather, maybe I have over-watered them - will just have to wait and see what happens as they get larger.…

All my transplanted brassica seedlings have been put into the mini-greenhouse to harden off but something doesn't seem right with them.  The veins of the leaves are going a yellowish colour - any idea what is going on?  I will post a photo tomorrow (if it stops raining long enough) - can't say that I have seen anything like it before.

Earlier in the year when the time came to sow tomato seeds I decided to grow more for planting outside.  I have had great success with outdoor plantings in previous years, as long as they are the cherry types.  Last year I planted them out in April and they got absolutely battered by gale force winds and I didn't expect much from them, but, they picked themselves up and carried on producing fruit right through till October.

Not so this year.  Obviously the weather conditions…

When eventualy we do start to get a glut of things I never know what to do with all the cucumbers I grow.  Found a great recipe yesterday for braised cucumbers.  I have never tried cooked cucumbers before except cucumber soup - but this sounds good.

Peel cucumber and cut into quarters and remove seeds.  Cut into 1" pieces.  Melt butter in a pan and add cucumber.  Cover and cook for about 5 mins on a medium heat.  Stir in salt, lemon juice and chopped mint.  Cover and cook for another…

The lettuce that I have had in the greenhouse needed to be transplanted as it was growing too big for its modules.  So - do I plant them out or move them into bigger pots?  I opted for planting out.  Obviously, the soil is lovely and moist - ideal planting conditions.  I have covered them with a mesh cloche so hopefully if the nights get colder and frost threatens, they should be alright.  Fingers crossed.

I am trying to remember to keep on with successional sowing.  So, as soon one batch of seedlings are through, I will sow another batch to hopefully prolong the season.  My runners are now all through, and as this morning was dry and bright, I thought I spend a pleasant hour in the greenhouse, sowing the second batch.  My first lot of peas have been planted out and the second lot are just coming, the same with broad beans.  I need to sow a few more lettuces  as well.    Whilst I was pottering…