Topic: Clocking In

[Tee Gee]

t would be lovely if regulars of old (and not so regulars) would come and say hi, even if they have lost the gardening bug or given up the allotment and only occasionally drop by but don't feel they should post.  I know that Silverleaf, Clumsy and Jayb are ok, have heard from them recently.  But many others are missed and we would love to know they are coping fine. Galina   

Let me the first to 'Clock in'

My only problem is now that I am in 'shutdown' my garden doesn't seem to be growing!

I must look at it a dozen times a day and I always see the same........stuff is the same size!

In the past I didn't see it so often so when I did see it closely at the end of the week I could see movement!

Add to that the weather we had in May was so like 'Summer' (July/August) when I would have seen that things to have progressed.

I have to keep reminding myself that it is only mid June and in the past my stuff would have only been in the ground around a month  so really............... It is actually doing quite well!

I hope to see many replies to this thread and hope that all is well with all A4A ers

[cudsey]

Hi  everything in the greenhouse on the allotment is doing well except peppers which are slow growing this year but beetroot and salad stuff and carrots which are all in the ground are growing slowly maybe that is usual I think because as you said it was so hot in May that thought it was summer hopefully the sun is expected to arrive back middle of next week    Even though you dont have your allotments anymore its stlll good to hear from you Tee Gee 

[ancellsfarmer]

What you need is a 'time-lapse' record. You have posted splendid photos in the past. Why not compile (if only for your own interest) a record of identically located shots, taken on a fortnightly basis, for comparison? The only time one notices change is if one gets away on holiday. Seems a fat chance of that this year!

[Obelixx]

I hope the older members will keep popping in and contributing experience if not current activities.

I have "done a Tee Gee" today - stretched wire across a pallet perched on a topless table base and hung my garlic to dry.    We've had an unusually wet winter followed by a very hot and dry period thru April and May so some of the garlic has grown a second "storey" of cloves.  Those, along with a couple I pranged on lifting plus a few more for good measure have all been confit'd in olive oil leaving 24 bulbs drying in a cool, open ended barn.

Last year's garlic went soft and didn't store so I only planted one pack this year - 42 cloves which have given me 39 bulbs.   If the Tee Gee system works I can plant double or triple that next autumn.     

[Obelixx]

I hope the older members will keep popping in and contributing experience if not current activities.

I have "done a Tee Gee" today - stretched wire across a pallet perched on a topless table base and hung my garlic to dry.    We've had an unusually wet winter followed by a very hot and dry period thru April and May so some of the garlic has grown a second "storey" of cloves.  Those, along with a couple I pranged on lifting plus a few more for good measure have all been confit'd in olive oil leaving 24 bulbs drying in a cool, open ended barn.

Last year's garlic went soft and didn't store so I only planted one pack this year - 42 cloves which have given me 39 bulbs.   If the Tee Gee system works I can plant double or triple that next autumn.     

[Hector]

Chillis very slow. Have small fruit on Early Jalapeno. Jobert variety is just not growing. Litrrally only grown about three cm.

Harvested first Courgettes today....and One  Trombocino squash almost ready.

Melons are flowering, so excited about that.

Harrier squah under waterpipe tunnel are growing like Triffids.

[woodypecks]

Hello Tee Gee and everybody !    Yep I,m still here . Something has  cut all my french beans down at about four inches  up from the bottom of the stalk . The leaves have been cut off and are just lying on the ground . Nothing appears to have been eaten . I,m very confused about this , no idea what creature does this ?  I,m hoping they'll put out new shoots from the leaf  joints . Anyway apart from that every thing is fine  , tomatoes and courgettes, butternuts are coming along nicely . Weather is nice here , rain and gales tonight Cornwall which I want  to water another lot of leeks I just put in  Staying at home , occasional shopping delivery , occasional walk . Managed to stay safe this far and I,m not taking any chances now. I,m in a risk group . Hoping for a vaccine soon . Please really do look after yourselves , use your common sense , stay safe all ! Keep busy and cheerful in the garden and allotment  hugs Debbie
 

[hippydave]

I'm still her, my wife has terminal cancer and needs a lot of looking after so most of the time I just pop in for a wee read as I get a moment.

[Jeannine]

I am here from over the pond/ Most of my stuff is either in pots or in the greenhouse. I am already giving stuff away. My greenhouse looks like a jungle.. serve me right for packing so much in..

[galina]

So good to hear from everybody.  HippyDave I wish you a lot of strength and many more good days for both of you. 

TeeGee I know what you mean about not seeing progress.  It is that watched kettle that never boils.  My peppers are like that at the moment too Cudsey.  Sulking.  But the Gigandes (thank you for the seed PKL) are growing a couple of inches a day and OH loves checking their progress every day.  Hasn't taken photos though.  The Moonlight and Celebration runners are sulking.  But the overwintered ones have 2 inch beans.  First meal not long to come.  Hector congratulations, my courgettes have not even started flowering yet, but at least they have buds.

Peas are doing well and I am quite chuffed that my cross between a purple and a yellow snap has yielded a red snap pea this year.  Along a great many green and purple blotchy or yellow blotchy other peas from that same breeding line, which are however just as edible, only they don't look as pretty.  This one will be for DGS, his mother got the red mangetout. OH has a yellow snap pea, DS a very large green one.  Next year I will concentrate on the extra large yellow mangetout line for the other DGS.  All are based on my first ever bred pea, a cross between Golden Sweet and Schweizer Riesen, which yielded a large yellow mangetout among several very peculiar peas.

Hope the beans recover Woodypecks.  It is usually slugs that get them, but this may be birds or voles?  Still time to grow a few extras just to be safe.  Garlic sounds good Obelixx.  39 bulbs that's quite a number of great dishes to come. 

Stay safe all 

 

[Obelixx]

One of the advantages of Lockdown is not having to think about cooking with garlic depending on our activities the following day and, to make sure we don't get bored, I've been experimenting with new recipes  for Indian and Thai curries, Moroccan tagines, Mexican and Chinese dishes so we've eaten a lot more of it than usual.    Dinner tonight will be slow roast chicken (Nigella recipe) with lemon and garlic.   Tried it early on and it has become a favourite for Sunday dinner.

[Paulh]

One of the ironies of lockdown is that I've not done any significant cooking (other than my occasional cooked breakfast) since it began. I used to cook two or three evenings in the working week plus a dinner once a month or so because my wife would be out. Now not only is she in but my adult son and niece (who's living with us this year while doing a post graduate course) have developed an interest in cooking!

My work colleagues are posting pictures of their meals and baking, and we've got so much already that I'm not adding to my weight gain issue.

[Anne16]

Good afternoon everyone,
Not been here for ages but for no reason in particular.  Struggling on my half plot at the moment.  Main reason being a very large oak tree is alongside my plot and presently its branches cover almost half of my small plot.  I have asked for it to be trimmed later on in the year, but find that I cannot get to grips with the snail and slug problem on that side of the plot at all.  Any ideas please?  I spent nearly £15.00 on wool pellets as I try to be as organic as I can be, and also trying the no dig method, but once the pellets get wet they are of no benefit at all, in fact I think the slugs and snails are living in the heaps of damp wool!  Have totally given up as all my salads, fennel, beetroot, cabbage, broccoli, broad beans, dwarf beans etc., have all been demolished.  Thankfully my big poly is fine, due to the frogs living in there.  Any help/advice most welcome, thank you all in advance.  Happy Sunday and happy allotmenteering.

[Obelixx]

I have been planting anew rose bed with a few clematis up the wire mesh fence and loads of perennials fro ground cover.   Snails have eaten my Silver Moon clematis to the ground and chewed 2 others.  I've been doing nightly pickings, mornng pickings and using wildlife friendly pellets but th ebest thing I found was an upturned pot.

The last rose I planted had been in a 60cm pot for a couple of years and after planting I tipped it upside down to let the dregs of compost drop.  When I went to fetch it the next day I found about 3 dozen snails of various sizes hiding in there.   All despatched across and down the road a bit and into the hedgerow to take their chances.   Same again the next day.  A few less the day after.  I haven't checked yet today cos it's raining so I'm doing h****work.

[Nora42]

Well said Tee Gee - watched pots never boil and it would seem watched veg never grows. But they do doh don't they? ( i live with a scouser).
Everthing on our plots is growing . Our Dwarf cherry has been magnificent this year 4 punnets of beutiful big red cherries full of flavour. We netted it this year. Clever humans!
I planted some Winston potatoes which we renamed our lockdown spuds - these took forever to appear above ground - i'm diigging up the Rocket ones first then maybe the Winston and then the Charlotte. i will start on the 22nd June and contue until they are all finished.
we have  a good crop of gooseberries i made a fram from the legs of an old tomato grow house and wrapped it up and stuck it over the bushes. it should keep the birds off . my widlife camera will be installed next week just to see if last years thief was as we all  suspect human ( shape and size but without kindness)
the logan berries are great too and the rapberriess also.

My squashes are in and we will see what becomes of them! it is afterall only June.
My carrots were direct sown as were my parsnips  - i am announcing failiure at this point but what i have failed with root veg i can easliy replace with peas.

On our friends eviction from our lovely site we have hope that we can get it back and that the threat to us (of eviction) will be withdrawn. The site secreteries seem to have gone into hiding i should think so too after their nasty behavior.

it's a funny old world ladies and gents.
I am giving to hysterically laughing my head off - it keeps people at a distance that's for sure.
Nora

[saddad]

Hi all, my guess with the beans loosing the leaves Woodypecks is either birds, pigeons are a real nuisance for pulling and tearing at leaves and leaving a mess rather than eating what they damage... or if the beans weren't direct sown high winds just after planting out... started under glass the plants don't need to put as much into toughening the leaf stems and stalks so create  larger leaves which thn snap off under the new stress of being in the wind.