It was an early start today, relatively early. I was at the lottie for 9.30. however the birds especially the bl**dy pigeons had us awake indecently early for a Sunday or anyother day for that matter. It was Degsy's last run out for a month. I ended up down on my hands and knees to weed the bean patch. Another wheelbarrow full, mostly Chickweed, Red dead nettle with a little Fat Hen. I also run the hoe through the beans that were lightly weeded. I had another batch of broad beans to plant out which I duly transplanted after I had prepared the bed.
I had ten Butternut squash plantlets. It was a quick job to plant them out. Squashes always look like they have been planted too far apart when they first go in. Give them three months and you will wish you had given them some more room. I had a few Celery plantlets in the green house. They have nearly been killed a few times. I took them with me to the lottie. I dug a trench where the over wintering onions had been and planted the celery. I have gave them a good soaking in the hope them will take off. Ever the optimist.
It was blooming hot and it got hot hotter as I pressed on. I had promised to take Miss L to Leicester to check out the Mac shop. So I only had a little time to do what was needed. The Asparagus bed is looking tatty again. I jumped in. Before long I had another barrow of weed. In chopping back the weeds I found a couple of spears of Asparagus. I cut them and dropped them into the back of Degsy. Whilst hacking out the weeds I had a bit of a moment when I grabbed a hand full of weed and as I dragged it out the corner of my eye caught the skin of a snake. It gave me a start but it turned out to be a sloughed off skin. Time was really up. I threw the few meager tools in the motor and came home. I was wring wet. when I got home I peeled my clothes off and had a cool shower.
We had out trip to Leicester. Miss L saw what she wanted. We had a brew and a cake whilst there. Did a bit of people watching and came away. On getting home I cleared Degsy out and loaded it with the goodies for tomorrow; a windscreen, petrol tank, heater matrix and the exhaust guard.
A buddy of mine gave me a hands free kit for my car. He has changed his car and his new one has hands free factory fitted. I tipped the bag full of boxes and wires on the floor of living room. It was complicated looking so I popped the cap off a bottle of Bud and sat down with the instructions. It must have been complicate if I decided to read the instructions first! I managed to get he radio out of the dash board in one piece, hooked up the connectors and gave it a dry run. I worked first time. It took another 45 minutes to get the radio back in the dash and hide all the wires. Just in case you were wondering, the hands free uses the cars radio for the speakers and it switch off radio/CD when the phones is on. Clever really.
I resolved to water the lottie Monday and Wednesday, at least. I also resolved to sow more seeds, especially cabbage. The Raspberries are kicking in at home which is nice. The roses are in fully bloom and the Sweet Pea are starting to flower which is nice also. The garden is looking really full and verdant. H is making the most of it. I must try harder.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Red moon
Today was very hot, 28 degrees and little breeze. I was at the lottie with the trailer by ten AM. I was wringing wet by the time I had emptied the trailer. I harvested some Spinach, Rhubarb and Asparagus. I did a little hand weeding and had a look round. The Pea bed needs weeding. I dropped the trailer back to the stables and went over to see the bees. All looked well there but it was hotter still, especially working in full sun whilst wearing overalls.
On the way back from the bees I stopped here and there along the hedgerows to collect Elderflower blossoms. I got a least a bushel of them. I am going to make some Elderflower champagne, wine and H some cordial. I went home to drop off the goodies and have some lunch. It would have been folly to go back to the lottie for an afternoon of toil in the hottest part of the day. Instead I stayed at home a prepared Degsy for the doctor, fitted my new bonnet and tidied up the garage. I had a quick run out to the tip to recycle the old bonnet as well other bits are pieces from the clear out.
Miss L came running down stairs later in the evening to tell us to look at the moon. It was just above our horizon, large and deepest red. Apparently Miss L had never seen the moon like that before. Through the evening we kept checking the progress of the moon across the sky and it's changes in colour.
On the way back from the bees I stopped here and there along the hedgerows to collect Elderflower blossoms. I got a least a bushel of them. I am going to make some Elderflower champagne, wine and H some cordial. I went home to drop off the goodies and have some lunch. It would have been folly to go back to the lottie for an afternoon of toil in the hottest part of the day. Instead I stayed at home a prepared Degsy for the doctor, fitted my new bonnet and tidied up the garage. I had a quick run out to the tip to recycle the old bonnet as well other bits are pieces from the clear out.
Miss L came running down stairs later in the evening to tell us to look at the moon. It was just above our horizon, large and deepest red. Apparently Miss L had never seen the moon like that before. Through the evening we kept checking the progress of the moon across the sky and it's changes in colour.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Queen, Queen and Queen
I had the day off work today. I checked the hive to find, hopefully, the new queen at home. The bees were nice and calm, a good sign. The travel case, which I had placed in the hive on Saturday was completely empty, even all the food was gone. Some of the foragering bees are returning pollen which is another sign of a viable queen. I did not find any eggs but the cells on the brood frames, which were full of honey, are being cleared out. I hope this the first step in re-establishing order in the the colony I had taken a spare super with me so I dropped that on when I rebuilt the hive.
The middle hive is building up but I don't think we will have much of a honey surplus from this hive. The end hive is charging on. The upper brood box is having wax drawn at a great rate and there are eggs and larvae everywhere. That means I will have 70,000+ bees and that means honey. Here's hoping.
The middle hive is building up but I don't think we will have much of a honey surplus from this hive. The end hive is charging on. The upper brood box is having wax drawn at a great rate and there are eggs and larvae everywhere. That means I will have 70,000+ bees and that means honey. Here's hoping.
A big day for Miss L
It was the biggest day of the year so far on Saturday. Miss L is eighteen years old. We had a birthday bash in a marque at Moira Furnace. We had a DJ and a bar. By Miss L's request it was a fancy dress affair, the theme, Las Vegas. But before the fun begins I had a few things to do. My new queen bee arrived in the post on Friday morning. I did not want to keep her in her traveling case too long so I decided to introduce into the hive on Saturday morning. The weather has been poor all week but got better during Friday. Miss L had to go to work early so I was up early. I decided to do a few jobs in the garden and greenhouse. I planted out Sunflowers, Marigolds and did a bit of weeding. I tidied up the sweet pea back to the trellis. Since the seed trays in the greenhouse are much reduced I took down the staging and positioned the canes to support the tomatoes. Just for good measure I tidied in Toms to the canes.
By 10.30 it was approaching 18 degrees. I trundled over to the apiary, dismantled the hive in readiness for the introduction. I trimmed back the mesh covering the food part of the travelling case. I placed the travelling case, mesh down, over the space between the frame top rails. Then put the hive back together and resolved to check the hive out as soon as possible. I was not going to be able to do that Sunday. I had a quick look through other two hives and found all was well. That done I came away.
I had nothing else to do but stay in an wait for our guests to arrive and make Tea. In the fullness of time folks arrived. Eventually they were sent off to the various places they were to stay and we got ready to go out. We had a very good evening, lots of people came from far and wide. As far as I know everyone had as good a night as we did.
By 10.30 it was approaching 18 degrees. I trundled over to the apiary, dismantled the hive in readiness for the introduction. I trimmed back the mesh covering the food part of the travelling case. I placed the travelling case, mesh down, over the space between the frame top rails. Then put the hive back together and resolved to check the hive out as soon as possible. I was not going to be able to do that Sunday. I had a quick look through other two hives and found all was well. That done I came away.
I had nothing else to do but stay in an wait for our guests to arrive and make Tea. In the fullness of time folks arrived. Eventually they were sent off to the various places they were to stay and we got ready to go out. We had a very good evening, lots of people came from far and wide. As far as I know everyone had as good a night as we did.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Wild life
I thought I would say something about the wild life round the lottie. Well there is a lot of it. When we first started on the site slugs and snails were the main incumbents. There might have been other things there but they could not be seen. I regularly see Kestrels and Buzzards. When I was growing up seeing a Kestrel was a big deal. Recently seeing Buzzards was a big deal but now they are almost common place. It is still surprising when you see a Buzzard sitting on a fence post. They are surprisingly large. We get Red leg Partridge wandering about and the fattest Wood Pigeons you have ever seen. No wonder really with all the greens they have scoffed.
Recently the "gold medal" wild life is the Grass Snakes. We have seen the odd one dead about the plots or the sloughed off skins of the snakes. Over the passed two weeks a couple of Grass Snakes have take up residence in my muck bin. I lift the lid and found them staring, unblinkingly, back at me before making a break for their holes. I will leave the bin for the summer just in case they are incubating eggs. The Toad population seems to be building up. I have dug up a few and found them in cool corners of the plot. My neighbour more or less tripped over a few of them the size of tennis balls, that is big for a common Toad. There are the usual furry critters, mice mainly but the odd shrew. They come in different shapes and colours. This year there are fewer slugs about especially on my plot. I have few places for them to hide.
I have lots of birds popping in; the ubiquitous Robin and Wren, tits of all description, Blue, Coal, Long tailed, then what I think are more exotic, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer and Goldfinches. Then there are the residents, Blackbird and Dunnock. The wider area supports Magpies, Jackdaw and Cuckoo. The Cuckoo song, whilst the harbinger of the summer, becomes a bit wearing. It is nice at first but it unchanging. I have heard many but never seen one. In the winter we see Redwings in the fields and in the spring and summer Lapwings. All year round we have the song of Green Woodpecker and I regularly see them in the rolling flight. In the evenings Small and Tawny Owls float about on the hunt. There are bats too but I have not idea what sort.
When I trundling round the wider country park I saw a pair of ears sticking up from the blanket of grass and white clover. These were not the ears of the local Rabbit population. The white spots gave him away. I did not have to waiting long for a large Hare to break cover a lope off down the meadow. I see quite few Hares but more often on the farmland near the apiary. I got within a dozen feet of this one before he decided enough was enough. This weekend I was following the River Mease near the apiary. I was surveying the scene when a small bird flew across the field essentially cutting out he meander of the river. As the sun hit the bird it's feathers shone iridescent. It was a Kingfisher. I watched it zoom across the field like a blue dart until it disappeared in to the trees by the river.
There is lots to see if only you keep your eyes open.
Recently the "gold medal" wild life is the Grass Snakes. We have seen the odd one dead about the plots or the sloughed off skins of the snakes. Over the passed two weeks a couple of Grass Snakes have take up residence in my muck bin. I lift the lid and found them staring, unblinkingly, back at me before making a break for their holes. I will leave the bin for the summer just in case they are incubating eggs. The Toad population seems to be building up. I have dug up a few and found them in cool corners of the plot. My neighbour more or less tripped over a few of them the size of tennis balls, that is big for a common Toad. There are the usual furry critters, mice mainly but the odd shrew. They come in different shapes and colours. This year there are fewer slugs about especially on my plot. I have few places for them to hide.
I have lots of birds popping in; the ubiquitous Robin and Wren, tits of all description, Blue, Coal, Long tailed, then what I think are more exotic, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer and Goldfinches. Then there are the residents, Blackbird and Dunnock. The wider area supports Magpies, Jackdaw and Cuckoo. The Cuckoo song, whilst the harbinger of the summer, becomes a bit wearing. It is nice at first but it unchanging. I have heard many but never seen one. In the winter we see Redwings in the fields and in the spring and summer Lapwings. All year round we have the song of Green Woodpecker and I regularly see them in the rolling flight. In the evenings Small and Tawny Owls float about on the hunt. There are bats too but I have not idea what sort.
When I trundling round the wider country park I saw a pair of ears sticking up from the blanket of grass and white clover. These were not the ears of the local Rabbit population. The white spots gave him away. I did not have to waiting long for a large Hare to break cover a lope off down the meadow. I see quite few Hares but more often on the farmland near the apiary. I got within a dozen feet of this one before he decided enough was enough. This weekend I was following the River Mease near the apiary. I was surveying the scene when a small bird flew across the field essentially cutting out he meander of the river. As the sun hit the bird it's feathers shone iridescent. It was a Kingfisher. I watched it zoom across the field like a blue dart until it disappeared in to the trees by the river.
There is lots to see if only you keep your eyes open.
Happy birthday Alex
I was up early on Sunday because I had an appointment late afternoon in Newton Burgoland. H and I had to go to Alex's 18th birthday party. Alex is Miss L's beau. I made myself a bumper breakfast to keep me going. I was feeling a bit tender after yesterday's exertions. The greenhouse is a little less full now but there still is space at the lottie. Since I had been so good with the weeding I decided to risk sowing seeds directly on the plot. I had a tray of Jolent leeks to plant out. Easy enough and there is room in the bottom end of Bed1. Then a couple of rows of Beetroot. But have run out of the fancy stripy type so I had use the seed for the Pronto variety. Pronto is quite small and almost black the red is so deep. I did a bit more hand weeding and the other seedling really stand out.
I had a tray full of legging Astor seedling. After separating them I discovered I had rather a lot of them. In Bed4 I planted some by the French beans and another block by the end of the Pea rows. I still had loads left over so I went to the top end of Bed2 and planted the remainder, three deep across the end of the bed. It will look nice if they survive. I hoed off bed2 in preparation for more sowing. The Spinach I put in is grow very well. I think Spinach is one of those plants that does not like being started in pots and transplanted out. When I have done this in the past the plants just bolted. This year the direct sowing is giving big lush plants. With that in mind I sowed another two rows of Spinach. I dropped in a row of lettuce. All the sowing and transplants get a good dowsing with water. It had rained overnight which helped the previous day's plantings to establish.
I had a another bash at hand weeding on the path and pulled out the few leggy weeds that had made it the sun in the spud bed. I had decided that I had finished but just as I was about to leave the plot I decide than I should weed the Onion bed. It was quite easy the pull out the chickweed from around the Onions. Last Autumn I tried Japanese over wintering onions. I am happy to say that they are ready. I only lost a couple through the winter. I bent over the tops and used the fork to release them from the soil in the time honoured fashion. I hope they will be ready by next weekend. That done I finally went home and it was not evening midday.
I had a brew then showered and shaved to make myself presentable for the do. Since we had loads of time on our hands, H and I went to Whatton Gardens. H has adopted it. We saw it last in March in the freezing cold and biting gale. This time the weather was much more benign. The fields round the gardens had sleek bay horses dozing by the water tough. Later fit looking Short Horn cows and Belted Galloway cows sauntered across the field into the shade of the massive Oak and Cypress trees. The gardens were in full early summer bloom. The long border was magnificent, a hundred yards long ten feet deep and plants anywhere from a foot to ten feet high and arranged tallest at the back shortest a the front. Te Rose garden was heady with scent tea roses. Some of them smelt like sweet lemons. The lawns wee mowed to perfection and the woodland rides had been strimmed back. It had not been done long as there was a heady aroma of wild Garlic that had been chopped down with the strimmer. We sat on the benches careful provided for the view. H had to check out the ice house. No toads in there this time.
The only shame about the gardens is that the perfect walled kitchen garden is not worked properly. The gardens has all the attribute of the great walled garden, good position, thick walls. It even has chimney within the walls to heat the soft fruits. There are potting sheds and modest glass houses. Last time we were there the kitchen garden had a couple of WBC hive. I would dearly like to get my hands on it. It could easily become a life's work. We had plenty of time to stroll about and dream then back to reality, we left to get over to the party.
I had a tray full of legging Astor seedling. After separating them I discovered I had rather a lot of them. In Bed4 I planted some by the French beans and another block by the end of the Pea rows. I still had loads left over so I went to the top end of Bed2 and planted the remainder, three deep across the end of the bed. It will look nice if they survive. I hoed off bed2 in preparation for more sowing. The Spinach I put in is grow very well. I think Spinach is one of those plants that does not like being started in pots and transplanted out. When I have done this in the past the plants just bolted. This year the direct sowing is giving big lush plants. With that in mind I sowed another two rows of Spinach. I dropped in a row of lettuce. All the sowing and transplants get a good dowsing with water. It had rained overnight which helped the previous day's plantings to establish.
I had a another bash at hand weeding on the path and pulled out the few leggy weeds that had made it the sun in the spud bed. I had decided that I had finished but just as I was about to leave the plot I decide than I should weed the Onion bed. It was quite easy the pull out the chickweed from around the Onions. Last Autumn I tried Japanese over wintering onions. I am happy to say that they are ready. I only lost a couple through the winter. I bent over the tops and used the fork to release them from the soil in the time honoured fashion. I hope they will be ready by next weekend. That done I finally went home and it was not evening midday.
I had a brew then showered and shaved to make myself presentable for the do. Since we had loads of time on our hands, H and I went to Whatton Gardens. H has adopted it. We saw it last in March in the freezing cold and biting gale. This time the weather was much more benign. The fields round the gardens had sleek bay horses dozing by the water tough. Later fit looking Short Horn cows and Belted Galloway cows sauntered across the field into the shade of the massive Oak and Cypress trees. The gardens were in full early summer bloom. The long border was magnificent, a hundred yards long ten feet deep and plants anywhere from a foot to ten feet high and arranged tallest at the back shortest a the front. Te Rose garden was heady with scent tea roses. Some of them smelt like sweet lemons. The lawns wee mowed to perfection and the woodland rides had been strimmed back. It had not been done long as there was a heady aroma of wild Garlic that had been chopped down with the strimmer. We sat on the benches careful provided for the view. H had to check out the ice house. No toads in there this time.
The only shame about the gardens is that the perfect walled kitchen garden is not worked properly. The gardens has all the attribute of the great walled garden, good position, thick walls. It even has chimney within the walls to heat the soft fruits. There are potting sheds and modest glass houses. Last time we were there the kitchen garden had a couple of WBC hive. I would dearly like to get my hands on it. It could easily become a life's work. We had plenty of time to stroll about and dream then back to reality, we left to get over to the party.
Queen, Queen, no Queen
The weather was glorious for my afternoon trip to the bees. I have sussed out how to keep my smoker going but I only really need it for clearing the bees from the edges of the boxes when I put the hive back together. The Nuc Queen has settled in and her bees are busy gathering stores but not so busy drawing out the foundation into comb. No comb, no where for the Queen to lay eggs. I open another hives and pinched a couple of frames of drawn foundation in the hope the Queen will adopt it giving her the space she needs.
The hive that I transplanted a Queen cell into is off and running the Queen is laying and the bees are flying freely. You can tell all is well with these hives since the bees fly freely to and from the hive, that is before I disrupted them. You can also see the bees coming back with pollen on their legs. They only gather pollen when the Queen is laying as it forms the basis of the high protein food the developing larvae need.
The last hive is a double edged sword. There are lots of bees gathering lots of honey. However the Queen is gone so there are no new eggs being laid. No eggs means no new bees. In a couple of months the bees will have died off. I sent off for a mail order Queen. I hope to get her in a week or so. In the meantime the hives fills with honey.
The new strategy of open mesh floors and small hive entrances seem the be paying off. There a very few wasps about. This time last year one hive in particular seemed to have more wasps than bees. This year the hives are stronger colonies so I expect what wasps had tried to get in were repulsed and thought to go somewhere else for an easy meal.
A word on the honey. This year the honey is a rich golden colour and looks very liquid as apposed to last year's honey which was very pale colour and quick to granulate. I put this down to the flush of hedgerow flowers from the late spring and the lack of oilseed Rape in the fields near the apiary. The farmer's crop rotation has cereals in fields that were Oilseed Rape last year. There is Oilseed Rape within the forage radius but I think it is diluted by the hedgerow blossom. The Elderflower have come out so both me and the bees will be foraging on them soon.
The hive that I transplanted a Queen cell into is off and running the Queen is laying and the bees are flying freely. You can tell all is well with these hives since the bees fly freely to and from the hive, that is before I disrupted them. You can also see the bees coming back with pollen on their legs. They only gather pollen when the Queen is laying as it forms the basis of the high protein food the developing larvae need.
The last hive is a double edged sword. There are lots of bees gathering lots of honey. However the Queen is gone so there are no new eggs being laid. No eggs means no new bees. In a couple of months the bees will have died off. I sent off for a mail order Queen. I hope to get her in a week or so. In the meantime the hives fills with honey.
The new strategy of open mesh floors and small hive entrances seem the be paying off. There a very few wasps about. This time last year one hive in particular seemed to have more wasps than bees. This year the hives are stronger colonies so I expect what wasps had tried to get in were repulsed and thought to go somewhere else for an easy meal.
A word on the honey. This year the honey is a rich golden colour and looks very liquid as apposed to last year's honey which was very pale colour and quick to granulate. I put this down to the flush of hedgerow flowers from the late spring and the lack of oilseed Rape in the fields near the apiary. The farmer's crop rotation has cereals in fields that were Oilseed Rape last year. There is Oilseed Rape within the forage radius but I think it is diluted by the hedgerow blossom. The Elderflower have come out so both me and the bees will be foraging on them soon.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
New path
It is Lucy's big weekend next weekend so I had to get as much done as I could this weekend. We have been promised rain. There are plenty of clouds but no real sign of it. The path at the bottom of Bed4 is deep and filled with big stones. This acts as a sump as this is wettest part of my plot. The trouble is walking on it is impossible without chancing a twisted ankle. Once I dumped the manure I went up the to the pile of stone and bagged a trailer full. When I got the the trailer back to the plot I had to transfer the stone from the trailer into the wheelbarrow and then to tip the barrow into the trench that is the "path". It took about six barrow loads to empty the trailer and fill the path. It was heavy tedious work in the full sun. However the path looks great and is now easy to walk upon.
The middle of Bed1 has no crops at the moment. It has plenty of weeds though. Guess what I did for more than an hour? Weeding. Two very full wheelbarrow loads. The rain in the week has made the soil just right for weeding, moist enough to loosen the soil for digging but dry enough to come away from the roots. You don't want to be throwing precious soil away with the weeds. The sun was really hot when it came out from behind the clouds. I had nothing to plant in the bed but the area looks much better and it is ready when I am.
Bed4 is looking good. The sweet corn and sunflowers planted last week have taken to their new surroundings. The French climbing beans having been getting busy in the greenhouse so it time they were outside. To go outside they need a frame to climb. I have twelve pots of beans. But I also reserved eight pots of sweet pea. I stuck eight pairs of bamboo canes into a ground. Each pair is set as an "X". The idea is that when the beans runners cross the "x" joint the beans the pods will hang outwards make harvesting easier. I put a long pole at 45 degrees the run of the crossed canes and strapped altogether with zip ties. Once the frames was dug a trench along the foot of the canes. The trench I filled with manure. After that I planted a pot of beans at the foot each the middle canes. I planted out the pots of sweet peas at the corner canes. I gave them a good watering in. The pea frame always looks scruffy but once the beans get going it will look better. Next I dug two holes in the space between the Gherkins and Beans. Each hole took a small barrow load of manure. Into the pile of manure I planted a single Courgette. Once again they got a good dowsing of water.
I went to Bed2. It needed to be weeded but hoeing was enough. I had forgotten my rake but I managed to move the soil about with the hoe. It took a bit longer but I got there. The carrots in Bed1 are coming through but so are the weeds. I went across the bed a couple of times hand weeding. Sagely Steve would be proud. The lottie is producing lots of green stuff but unfortunately it is weeds. The spuds are just coming into flower so the spuds will be ready soon. I even weeded the main path. I took a walk round the other paths and knocked back any weed that looked robust.
I did not see any rain even if the clouds did blot out the sun on a regular basis all day. I got finished about 2pm. The afternoon would be dedicated to bee keeping.
The middle of Bed1 has no crops at the moment. It has plenty of weeds though. Guess what I did for more than an hour? Weeding. Two very full wheelbarrow loads. The rain in the week has made the soil just right for weeding, moist enough to loosen the soil for digging but dry enough to come away from the roots. You don't want to be throwing precious soil away with the weeds. The sun was really hot when it came out from behind the clouds. I had nothing to plant in the bed but the area looks much better and it is ready when I am.
Bed4 is looking good. The sweet corn and sunflowers planted last week have taken to their new surroundings. The French climbing beans having been getting busy in the greenhouse so it time they were outside. To go outside they need a frame to climb. I have twelve pots of beans. But I also reserved eight pots of sweet pea. I stuck eight pairs of bamboo canes into a ground. Each pair is set as an "X". The idea is that when the beans runners cross the "x" joint the beans the pods will hang outwards make harvesting easier. I put a long pole at 45 degrees the run of the crossed canes and strapped altogether with zip ties. Once the frames was dug a trench along the foot of the canes. The trench I filled with manure. After that I planted a pot of beans at the foot each the middle canes. I planted out the pots of sweet peas at the corner canes. I gave them a good watering in. The pea frame always looks scruffy but once the beans get going it will look better. Next I dug two holes in the space between the Gherkins and Beans. Each hole took a small barrow load of manure. Into the pile of manure I planted a single Courgette. Once again they got a good dowsing of water.
I went to Bed2. It needed to be weeded but hoeing was enough. I had forgotten my rake but I managed to move the soil about with the hoe. It took a bit longer but I got there. The carrots in Bed1 are coming through but so are the weeds. I went across the bed a couple of times hand weeding. Sagely Steve would be proud. The lottie is producing lots of green stuff but unfortunately it is weeds. The spuds are just coming into flower so the spuds will be ready soon. I even weeded the main path. I took a walk round the other paths and knocked back any weed that looked robust.
I did not see any rain even if the clouds did blot out the sun on a regular basis all day. I got finished about 2pm. The afternoon would be dedicated to bee keeping.
Monday, June 07, 2010
The price for looking out for Bees
Saturday was trailer day as usual. Whilst at the lottie I took a drive round the country park just to make sure that there was vehicular access around the plot, not something I have done before. There is access but not for a standard car or van. Something with good ground clearance is needed. Driving down the side of the lottie I surprised Roundup who working his plot and was not ready for a motor to trundle passed. I other things to do on Saturday so no work on the lottie.
Sunday dawned overcast but a little later, having spent time over a good breakfast, the clouds parted and warmed up. I went up to see the bees. One hive is in trouble the others are ok. There is something I can do to save the situation but it will take a few weeks. The countryside is looking great. The hedgerows are changing again. The Blackthorn has finished, Hawthorn is coming to a close and the Elderflower is just starting its turn to flower. Most of the fields round the apiary are down to cereal this year and will start to ripen soon. Bees done, I went up to the lottie.
H and Miss L went to a work colleagues birthday party at a fancy Tea room which left me all afternoon for the lottie. Just as well there is lots to do. There is about a third of Bed4 to weed. I had left this area until all the Leeks had been harvested. The weeds that grew were left as food for the bees but now the weeds are starting to go over and we don't want weed seed everywhere. I suppose that is the price for looking out for Bees. The other thing is that this the area that is going to have squashes and sweet corn. I set about the weeding. I soon had a wheelbarrow full of weeds. Half an hour later other barrow load. I almost filled a third barrow load by the time I was finished. In clearing the weeds I turned over the soil and levelled the surface. The bed was back to a seed bed from a jungle. The plants going into this bed are greedy feeders so lots of manure is needed. Luckily of have an awful lot of well rotted manure available. I barrowed in a dozen loads and spread it about. I planted out the sweet corn and planted a few sunflower plantlets to fill out that part of the bed.
A bit further up Bed4 is a part I have reserved for Peas and Beans. I had two trays of Broad Beans to plant out but as usual a chunk of labour was required to clean up the bed of weeds. That done I planted out the Beans. Next I went up to Bed2 to plant out some brasica seedling. There is no label on the tray so it will be a surprise to find out what they are. Bed2 just needed a light hoeing. Whilst I was planting out it started to rain. I thought that is typical. Dry for ages and as soon as get committed to a job it rains. I decided that I would carry on and finish the planting out. After all the seedlings would appreciate the water. The rain was very light and within minutes of the rain hitting the ground it had evaporated. So I had to get the watering cans out. I watered all the newly planted stuff and watered the Peas. The peas are coming on but are quite small.
I had a walk round the plot. I was happily surprised to find the vines have flowers. Flowers mean grapes. When I think that I was worrying about them even surviving just a couple of weeks ago. I harvested some Rhubarb and some Asparagus and went home tired and happy.
Sunday dawned overcast but a little later, having spent time over a good breakfast, the clouds parted and warmed up. I went up to see the bees. One hive is in trouble the others are ok. There is something I can do to save the situation but it will take a few weeks. The countryside is looking great. The hedgerows are changing again. The Blackthorn has finished, Hawthorn is coming to a close and the Elderflower is just starting its turn to flower. Most of the fields round the apiary are down to cereal this year and will start to ripen soon. Bees done, I went up to the lottie.
H and Miss L went to a work colleagues birthday party at a fancy Tea room which left me all afternoon for the lottie. Just as well there is lots to do. There is about a third of Bed4 to weed. I had left this area until all the Leeks had been harvested. The weeds that grew were left as food for the bees but now the weeds are starting to go over and we don't want weed seed everywhere. I suppose that is the price for looking out for Bees. The other thing is that this the area that is going to have squashes and sweet corn. I set about the weeding. I soon had a wheelbarrow full of weeds. Half an hour later other barrow load. I almost filled a third barrow load by the time I was finished. In clearing the weeds I turned over the soil and levelled the surface. The bed was back to a seed bed from a jungle. The plants going into this bed are greedy feeders so lots of manure is needed. Luckily of have an awful lot of well rotted manure available. I barrowed in a dozen loads and spread it about. I planted out the sweet corn and planted a few sunflower plantlets to fill out that part of the bed.
A bit further up Bed4 is a part I have reserved for Peas and Beans. I had two trays of Broad Beans to plant out but as usual a chunk of labour was required to clean up the bed of weeds. That done I planted out the Beans. Next I went up to Bed2 to plant out some brasica seedling. There is no label on the tray so it will be a surprise to find out what they are. Bed2 just needed a light hoeing. Whilst I was planting out it started to rain. I thought that is typical. Dry for ages and as soon as get committed to a job it rains. I decided that I would carry on and finish the planting out. After all the seedlings would appreciate the water. The rain was very light and within minutes of the rain hitting the ground it had evaporated. So I had to get the watering cans out. I watered all the newly planted stuff and watered the Peas. The peas are coming on but are quite small.
I had a walk round the plot. I was happily surprised to find the vines have flowers. Flowers mean grapes. When I think that I was worrying about them even surviving just a couple of weeks ago. I harvested some Rhubarb and some Asparagus and went home tired and happy.
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