Topic: Where is everyone?

[Tee Gee]

There does not seem to have been any activity over the last few days,so just checking if it is my receiver that is working or not!

[Obelixx]

I'm assuming everyone's been busy tying things down ahead of Ali.

Hope everyone's plots have come thru OK.   One chap on GW forum has lost all the glass in two greenhouses.  Someone else has a big chestnut down.   Lots of clearing up to be done.

[ancellsfarmer]

North east Hampshire reporting ,all present and correct!
Several more storm sequences imminent .Mainly Scotland and North west England at highest risk. Could do with some proper rain ie. 1" a day , alternate days and between 10pm- 6.00am , for a week or two.
see:
windy.com

[Obelixx]

Dream on AF!

No measurable rain here since mid June and none in view this month either.  They keep forecasting a dribble of 1 or 2 mm but then it goes away.

[Tee Gee]

I'm blown away with the response (pardon the pun) nice to know that my PC is working OK

Both my barrels are full so that should keep me OK till the Spring!

[lezelle]

Hi Ya from a rainy windy Suffolk. I imagine it's a batten down the hatches time. One of the greenhouses on our site has taken a bashing. There is more on the way unfortunately. What  is GW forum? Gardeners World? Take cover all.

[Tee Gee]

Was down the plot this morning and saw that a large tree had blown down onto one of the plots.

What was amazing about it was; it was behind a greenhouse and a shed which were about 8-10 feet apart and the tree fell exactly between them both without breaking one pane of glass or damaging the shed.

I don't think any professional lumberjack could have felled it more accurately!

Didn't have my phone with me so was unable to take a picture.

I picked a few 'windfall' apples and was quite surprised that more had not been blown off. Suggests to me that they are not quite ready for harvesting yet, so will leave them on for a bit longer!

[woodypecks]

I,m here !     just deciding which Autumn planting onion sets to buy ...been browsing the internet....still not decided yet ...any ideas? Something cheap , tasty and reliable is what I,m searching for .
 Glad to see you,ve not been blown away  wow ! a bit scary about your tree falling though !....one of  my greenhouse glass panes slipped right down during the gales..it  was a very difficult job fixing it up again...and I,m not sure if I managed to get it all the way up ..got to find some wide waterproof sticky tape to stick over it . Husband just had hip replacement surgery so I,ve been a bit busy looking after him too 

[Tee Gee]

just deciding which Autumn planting onion sets to buy ...been browsing the internet....still not decided yet ...any ideas? Something cheap , tasty and reliable is what I,m searching for .

You mention the word"reliable" and this is one of the reasons I have stopped growing 'Japanese Onion setts' I have been unable to find a source for a 'reliable' variety.

I tried growing them from seed and found that these were not much better.

I have thought long and hard about what is causing this and rather than blame my tools (the suppliers or seeds) I was wondering if the mildish winters we have been having of late (apart from last winter) might be a cause.

For example during these periods they have been sitting in warmish damp soil rather than cold dryish conditions, meaning; effectively the have not had a dormant cold period to vernalise.

As I said this is only a thought!

Has anyone else been affected with poor results over the last few years, and if so what are your thoughts.?

[ed dibbles]

I always grow Senshu Yellow finding them reliable overall with minimal or no bolting in spring (apart from one freak year when the nearly all did ).

My trick is the give them a general feed in mid february just before growth begins and another in april just before bulbing. It could be the feed keeps growth ticking along so no check to growth.

[woodypecks]

Yes Senshyu is the one I,ve mostly grown but as you say Tee Gee  I have felt they could do better..so this time I'll try Ed Dibbles tip and feed them Feb and April ...yes ,maybe they just need that little kick up the backside to get the best from them . Thankyou :)  Very blowy here on the Lizard Cornwall this afternoon !! Take care in the wild weather everyone !  Debbie 

[Digeroo]

I'm still around!!  Very windy here my beans have been knocked over.  But still waiting for rain.  We had about 3mm overnight and this morning.  Soil still  very dry.  Hopefully more tonight.   Ali passed us by.   

Here is a typical radar image.  Wet wet wet over Wales and nothing for us!!

[Tee Gee]

But still waiting for rain.

Its been real heavy rain here for the past hour, and it looks like it could last for quite some time yet!

[Plot 18]

- still waiting for rain.  Soil still  very dry.  Hopefully more tonight.   Ali passed us by.   

Wet wet wet over Wales and nothing for us!!

Same here, but forecast is for heavy rain for Kent overnight, so hope they're right for a change! They haven't been good with rain forecasts this year, often saying it would rain, but it didn't. :(

[cudsey]

Been raining here all afternoon in Barnsley sometimes quite heavy I dug a couple of the beds on the allotment this morning the top few inches were fairly easy but below that it is still hard and bone dry so hopefully this rain will help

[pumkinlover]

That tree story is quite a story teegee!
I can't get to the plotment this morning so fingers crossed.
Rather amazing sight in the middle of the night with what looked like a tropical storm , but at the same time a really clear view of the stars.

[Obelixx]

Yes, that is one clever tree.   Did you take photos?

No winds here as it all seems to be scudding past to the north of us towards Nantes but we have had 10mm of rain which is a nice surprise as none was forecast. 

[caroline7758]

I'm busy seeing friends before we move, saying goodbye at work,packing boxes and preparing for my son's wedding! Still popping in to see what's happening on A4A, though.

[Digeroo]

We do seem to be a dwindling band.  Missing many old friends on board.

[galina]

We do seem to be a dwindling band.  Missing many old friends on board.

Yes indeed.  Goodlife, Silverleaf, Jeannine, Jayb, Squash and a number of others who we haven't heard from for such a long time.  Quite sad.  But I treasure people who are here and contributing and in many cases it feels like we have become friends over the years.