Allotments 4 All

Weather horrible here today so I'll be putting my tomato seedlings into individual pots as soon as I finish my cup of tea!  ;D What a contrast to Saturday when I spent all afternoon on the lottie in a T-shirt!

I've also been reading my bible (Grow your own vegs by Joy Larkcom) and she mentions an alternative to putting seedlings outside for hardening off: brushing...  :D

"an alternative method of hardening off, which saves moving the plants outdoors. Seedlings are brushed or stroked backwards and forwards for up to a minute a day to produce the toughening effects of exposure to lower temperatures and wind."

I'm intrigued! Has anyone tried this? I might give it a go. My OH is already convinced I'm a bit mad when it comes to plants so it'll be funny to see his reaction if nothing else  ;D

planted the kiwi in the fruit cage, rest of the time was taken up with plant sale stuff, labelling etc  ;D
for emaggie
the bottle's not in yet  ;D

Quote from: Tatiana on April 29, 2008, 16:54:45
"an alternative method of hardening off, which saves moving the plants outdoors. Seedlings are brushed or stroked backwards and forwards for up to a minute a day to produce the toughening effects of exposure to lower temperatures and wind."

does several hefty swipes from my cat's tail count do you think?? if so I'm going to have really healthy plants this year ::)
I was reading the very same book last night ;D

LOL  ;D

cats are fantastic aren't they! Apart from my neighbour's cat, who uses my freshly dug flower bed as a litter tray so I can find his 'contribution' when I'm planting  >:(- but that's another story...

I'm dreading going down to the lotty, I  only managed a couple of hours on Monday and I had a million weeds then, they have just appeared  :o

hoed 2 of the raised beds, planted cabbages, the melon pear and passionflower, hoed a poly bed and dug another hot pit for a melon, planted the rest of the sweetcorn in it..then labelling plants for the sale  ;D

re potted my toms and put my squashes in the cold green house repotted my alloe andsowed some peas today  hope the mice stay away

picked up 100s and 100s of dead snails in-between the rain stopping.

I should be nick named the "Snail Hunter". 

Somebody at work today told me they had bought some kind of "snail gel" face cream- do you think we are missing a chance here??

Just googled and found this:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=869

(Sorry to go off-thread)

Managed to do the roof Ridge and Spars for the "new" greenhouse this evening......
;D

Quote from: caroline7758 on April 30, 2008, 19:46:34
Somebody at work today told me they had bought some kind of "snail gel" face cream- do you think we are missing a chance here??

Just googled and found this:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=869

(Sorry to go off-thread)

Bugger I should of fed the snails chillies to make them CHILLIEAN lol... instead of pellets. 

just looked at the link..it's SOLD OUT  :o ;D ;D ;D
silly sods

moved a ton of gravel from the front drive to the back garden, or I will have done, when I find a way of getting the wheel-barrow round the conservatory  ???

Hello

Planted my 8 david austin roses and some iris's also some milk chocolate foxgloves apart from that not a lot trying to rest my shoulder but needs must, sat and ordered more roses and plants and ordered the tickets for gardeners live i am just deciding where to plant my japanese wineberry while i am eating my lunch and then back outside to tidy up, a parcel has just arrived it's my outdoor sink i will have a look later.

Cheers
Brogusblue

took the sideshoots off the tomatoes, sorted out what we were selling from the squash and pumpkins..nice size yellow neck squash and jack be little pumpkins so, if anyone's around our neck of the woods this weekend, plant sale starts sat 11 a.m  ;D

fixed the allotment shed door, after it being broken into last night!, nothing stolen, a few hand tools obviously not exchangeable for heroin!!

Going to try and level and bolt the greenhouse ready to glaze it!
;D

now that the robins have fledged I prepared the big tub for patty pans and courgettes in the greenhouse and had to re sow a lot of squashes 'cos the mice have been at them  >:(

ground is lovely to work now as it is warm and damp, raked over all empty beds - loads more blossom arriving

wondering where everything is going to go  ;D

Planted my maincrop spuds, Desiree and Roosters.
Started digging out the Couch from bed number 3 (Deep Joy)
Put a load of Horse Muck and straw on the heap, steaming quite nicely now in the centre.
Tidied up and pulled half a ton of clay from my boots.

repotted all of my runner beans today that had outgrown the seed trays, replant aubergines that were looking abit lanky.  Very proud of myself as I made a wigwam for my peas, just need to put the netting around it tomorrow for it to gro through