I had a run out to the the lottie today. It has been a bit neglected of late as I have had to do other allotment things. Today I managed to get time to push the how about. The weeds are loving the recent downpours. The potatoes are dong very nicely however the chickweed has started again. I got the hoe going. When I got the ground loose I dragged the soil up under the smaller potato plants. By the time I had finished that job the kettle had boiled. I sat in the back of Degsy, out of the wind, and watched the world go by.
Next up was to plant out the dozen brassicas I had been given. I had to spot weed a few volunteer spuds. Then I ran the hoe over the area. I got the plank out and put it across the plot to use as a straight edge. It took a few a few minutes to do the job. I used the hoe to scrub out my footprints. Whilst I had the hoe in my hand I kept going and did the rest of the bed.
The final job is an experiment. Everyone says that you cannot transplant Parsnips. But by the same token sowing them out doors is risky. I sowed two deep trays worth of seeds in the greenhouse. They are now ready to plant out. They germinated and grew on quickly and strongly. I did the usual process of spot weeding, hoeing, levelling and the straight edge. I just broke up the seed trays and using a dibber made a deep hole in the seed bed and dropped the plantlets in, one at a time. I back filled the hole loosely. It took a while to do be it was a zen type job. I finished off with a good watering. It will be interesting to see how things progress.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
It's done
Epic day at the lottie today. It was really windy, not too cold and quite warm in the wind shadow of the trees. I was at the lottie for 9am with brew gear and trays of seedlings. I also had a plan. The top half of Bed2 is the last to be weeded. Last week it looked bad. This week it was worse. We had had rain rain during the week which weeds loved. I did the usual process, spot weeded the big or tap rooted weeds and got on my hands and knees to clear the ground cover weeds. I did not know where to start so I just jumped in. A direction of weeding developed as I went a long. It took no time to fill two wheelbarrows worth of weeds. Weeding was slow as I worked through the rows of Garlic which marked the end of the last weeding session but picked up as the I worked towards the middle and end of the bed. The weeds, despite their obvious downside, had kept the soil in good condition and sort of mulched the soil through the dry spell. About 11am I stopped for a brew. As soon as I stopped the Yellowhammer, Robin and Dunnock were in to see what I had turned up.
The black compo bins had really come on. The contents had started to compost with the result the volume had reduced bu 40%. I had plenty of weeds to go in the bins so they got a top up. Whilst chugging along with the weeding something moved. I stopped what I was doing stayed still. A little mouse ran through the the undergrowth. He hid under the edging. I could see him looking out. Eventually I had the last of the weeds cleared. I had dug out a gutter along the timber edging. I got the rake out and levelled the surface of the bed and evened up the edge of the bed by the gutter.
I decided that that I needed a barrier near top of Bed2. I have loads of Sweet Pea at home so a set about digging a deep trench and filling it with manure. The trench is about 4 foot from the top of the bed. The trench is manure filled, back filled and ready for plants. The sweet Pea will from a barrier for the bee hive that is to be sited near the back fence.
Next up was to plant out all the brasicca seedlings. I have been walking over and running the wheelbarrow over bed3 since I weeded it. The idea is the compact the soil. Brasiccas like a solid footing. It actually makes sprouts form solid sprout buttons. I ran the hoe over the bed then raked out the soil to form a level surface and even up the edges of the bed. Last year the bed contained spuds so it was heavily manured. It always a toss up between digging in manure and loosening the soil in the process. I find the soil has plenty of heart after the spuds for the brasiccas. I planted out Early cabbage [greyhound] then a load of Calebrase. Calebrese is called broccoli in the supermarkets. I also planted out some Brussell Sprouts and Rainbow Chard. The Chard makes a big plant so the plantlets have been given a lot of room. I inter-planted between the rows of Chard with lettuce. I will catch crop them before the Chard over power them. I will set Sprouting Brocolli seed soon as as to plant them out when the Greyhound is harvested.
I was getting hungry but I pressed on. I watered the newly planted brasiccas then moved on to the broad beans and peas. I noticed that some of the grape vines have bee hit by the frost. No Grapes on those runners! The final act was to run the hoe between the rows of the spuds. The Chickweed is trying to make a come back. The spuds are playing the game this. First earlies are up and growing on. The earliers have barely broken ground and the mains are nowhere to be seen as yet. I tried up tools and Degsy.
Other job I knocked off was to run the paving stones and pegs over to the water point on the new plots. I had a chat with the Sagely one and Mr P. Mr P gave me a hand to measure up the working area on the new plots. All things considered a very long day [finished at 17.30] but the plot has benefited from it. Next week is my birthday so after the poo run nothing else will get done at the lottie.
I harvested a bit a Asparagus and Rhubarb. I watered the Gooseberries and the the Onions. Hopefully the Onions will fill out and the Gooseberries will avoid the attentions of the Gooseberry saw fly. So far so good.
The black compo bins had really come on. The contents had started to compost with the result the volume had reduced bu 40%. I had plenty of weeds to go in the bins so they got a top up. Whilst chugging along with the weeding something moved. I stopped what I was doing stayed still. A little mouse ran through the the undergrowth. He hid under the edging. I could see him looking out. Eventually I had the last of the weeds cleared. I had dug out a gutter along the timber edging. I got the rake out and levelled the surface of the bed and evened up the edge of the bed by the gutter.
I decided that that I needed a barrier near top of Bed2. I have loads of Sweet Pea at home so a set about digging a deep trench and filling it with manure. The trench is about 4 foot from the top of the bed. The trench is manure filled, back filled and ready for plants. The sweet Pea will from a barrier for the bee hive that is to be sited near the back fence.
Next up was to plant out all the brasicca seedlings. I have been walking over and running the wheelbarrow over bed3 since I weeded it. The idea is the compact the soil. Brasiccas like a solid footing. It actually makes sprouts form solid sprout buttons. I ran the hoe over the bed then raked out the soil to form a level surface and even up the edges of the bed. Last year the bed contained spuds so it was heavily manured. It always a toss up between digging in manure and loosening the soil in the process. I find the soil has plenty of heart after the spuds for the brasiccas. I planted out Early cabbage [greyhound] then a load of Calebrase. Calebrese is called broccoli in the supermarkets. I also planted out some Brussell Sprouts and Rainbow Chard. The Chard makes a big plant so the plantlets have been given a lot of room. I inter-planted between the rows of Chard with lettuce. I will catch crop them before the Chard over power them. I will set Sprouting Brocolli seed soon as as to plant them out when the Greyhound is harvested.
I was getting hungry but I pressed on. I watered the newly planted brasiccas then moved on to the broad beans and peas. I noticed that some of the grape vines have bee hit by the frost. No Grapes on those runners! The final act was to run the hoe between the rows of the spuds. The Chickweed is trying to make a come back. The spuds are playing the game this. First earlies are up and growing on. The earliers have barely broken ground and the mains are nowhere to be seen as yet. I tried up tools and Degsy.
Other job I knocked off was to run the paving stones and pegs over to the water point on the new plots. I had a chat with the Sagely one and Mr P. Mr P gave me a hand to measure up the working area on the new plots. All things considered a very long day [finished at 17.30] but the plot has benefited from it. Next week is my birthday so after the poo run nothing else will get done at the lottie.
I harvested a bit a Asparagus and Rhubarb. I watered the Gooseberries and the the Onions. Hopefully the Onions will fill out and the Gooseberries will avoid the attentions of the Gooseberry saw fly. So far so good.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Rain at last
It is raining at last. we have has a few showers today but now it has set in properly. I did the muck run today, harvested some Asparagus and Rhubarb. The top end of bed 2 looks like it needs weeding.
Monday, May 02, 2011
Clear Paving
H is still away today. She was in Manchester completing the Shine Walk, click HERE for the website. Whilst H was away I had the morning to find something to do. I decided to go to the lottie and do a few jobs. I needed to sweep the paved area to clean up the last of the stone and dust from the wheelbarrowing yesterday. The weather continues sunny but with a cold breeze. Half the dust I dislodged with the brush blew away. I got another half wheelbarrow from the sweeping which I dropped into unfinished path.
Since I had moved the black compost bins a few weeks ago the contents of the bins in their original positions where still piled up like sand castles. I drew the wheelbarrow near and forked the compost stack into the barrow. I riddled the compost as necessary. The old black compost bins yielded six barrow loads. I tipped the barrows onto the top end of bed1. This where the Sweet Corn will be planted in due course. I was left with the green bin.
I had intend this bin which is 600mm square to be place in the free corner by bed4. I had to make a stand to provide a level footing for the bin. I found a pallet from which I could cut out a stillage. A few minutes with the saw and the stillage was ready. I found a couple of the bricks the level up the stillage then it was just a matter of reassembling the bin on the stillage. The green bin yielded another three barrow loads. I dropped these barrow fulls on the end of where the peas and bean trenches are to be dug. The compost was over a year in the making and was worth the wait. The compost was made from all the weeds from the plot. It was out with the brush again to remove the last remnants of the compost.
Which all this was going on a resolved to get rid of the bale of spoiled hay I had been given over a year ago. The hay had been getting in the way since then. I had left it on the paving for a few weeks to dry out. I got the brazier out fluffy up the hay and filled the brazier and set a match to it. it set alight but it burned slowly. During the morning a steadily fed the brazier as it burned down. The stiff breeze fanned the burning hay which did not get above a fierce smoulder but it was getting through the bale, if slowly. I had intended to put the ashes into the big compost bin but it had burned out by the time I had to leave although it was not far off.
I had one other job to do. I had brought the six bins I use in the greenhouse at home that I use for tomatoes. I got them out of Degsy and tipped them into the big compost bin. Then I went over to the muck heap and three quarter filled each bin with manure. After that back in Degsy with the replenished bins.
During the morning I managed to have a brew. I sat in the back of out of the wind but also out of the sun. I decide not to start weeding the top end of bed2. I just have half of bed2 to weed then the whole plot is cleared. I had time to have a walk round. I went over the back of the plots to have look round. Everything is getting established even though, in places, the soil is very poor not even soil really. You can see the difference in the quality of the soil in the growth of the plants.
Steve came down en famile to do a bit. The youngest, Miss M, got tired of weeding and came over to talk snakes. After Steve left John came down. We had a chat. He seems to have recovered from is illness. He was telling me he is really enjoying his plot. I have to say the paved area is looking great. It is good to see an expanses of clear paving. I have an idea to put in a flower bed and have some seating. I have not figure how it is going to work yet.
Since I had moved the black compost bins a few weeks ago the contents of the bins in their original positions where still piled up like sand castles. I drew the wheelbarrow near and forked the compost stack into the barrow. I riddled the compost as necessary. The old black compost bins yielded six barrow loads. I tipped the barrows onto the top end of bed1. This where the Sweet Corn will be planted in due course. I was left with the green bin.
I had intend this bin which is 600mm square to be place in the free corner by bed4. I had to make a stand to provide a level footing for the bin. I found a pallet from which I could cut out a stillage. A few minutes with the saw and the stillage was ready. I found a couple of the bricks the level up the stillage then it was just a matter of reassembling the bin on the stillage. The green bin yielded another three barrow loads. I dropped these barrow fulls on the end of where the peas and bean trenches are to be dug. The compost was over a year in the making and was worth the wait. The compost was made from all the weeds from the plot. It was out with the brush again to remove the last remnants of the compost.
Which all this was going on a resolved to get rid of the bale of spoiled hay I had been given over a year ago. The hay had been getting in the way since then. I had left it on the paving for a few weeks to dry out. I got the brazier out fluffy up the hay and filled the brazier and set a match to it. it set alight but it burned slowly. During the morning a steadily fed the brazier as it burned down. The stiff breeze fanned the burning hay which did not get above a fierce smoulder but it was getting through the bale, if slowly. I had intended to put the ashes into the big compost bin but it had burned out by the time I had to leave although it was not far off.
I had one other job to do. I had brought the six bins I use in the greenhouse at home that I use for tomatoes. I got them out of Degsy and tipped them into the big compost bin. Then I went over to the muck heap and three quarter filled each bin with manure. After that back in Degsy with the replenished bins.
During the morning I managed to have a brew. I sat in the back of out of the wind but also out of the sun. I decide not to start weeding the top end of bed2. I just have half of bed2 to weed then the whole plot is cleared. I had time to have a walk round. I went over the back of the plots to have look round. Everything is getting established even though, in places, the soil is very poor not even soil really. You can see the difference in the quality of the soil in the growth of the plants.
Steve came down en famile to do a bit. The youngest, Miss M, got tired of weeding and came over to talk snakes. After Steve left John came down. We had a chat. He seems to have recovered from is illness. He was telling me he is really enjoying his plot. I have to say the paved area is looking great. It is good to see an expanses of clear paving. I have an idea to put in a flower bed and have some seating. I have not figure how it is going to work yet.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Plot visitors
Something has been upsetting the bird feeders. Each time I have come across the feeder screwed to one of the posts has been cocked eyed and empty. When I pitched up today something was sitting in the feeder. I could not see what it was. I was I got closer I saw it was a Grey Squirrel quietly munching on breakfast. The Squirrel is probably responsible for the broken feeder I found the other day.
Yesterday a Sparrowhawk tore across the plots. Given all the small birds around the plot I was wondering when he would turn up. The Kestrels have been seen floating on the breeze. In the background is the sounds of Buzzards calling and wheeling high in the sky. Although I have not seen them, two different people have reported seeing the Grass Snakes.
The Robins have been flitting into the plot as soon as I step away from my disturbing the soil. I quite like seeing the Yellowhammers. They fly along then fall to the ground as if they have been shot. Whilst I have not seen any of the Cuckoos they have been singing everyday. Some seem quite close. The Swallows and Swifts have arrived. It is nice to see them whirling about. The trees are in leaf so it is hard to see the birds but they flit about the feeders so I get fleeting glimpses of them. I have not seen a Blackbird for a while. Not such a bad thing since they dig up my plot in search of worms.
I have also seen a couple of solitary Lapwings flapping across the sky. When looking across the pond Steve and I saw a wader picking its way along the margin. Steve said later that it was a common sandpiper. Not so common round here. The pond on the adjasent to the lottie has been pulling in water fowl. Nothing out of the ordinary, Mallard and Swans. It is a small pond for Swans.
What I have not seen is Toads or Frogs. The winter must have done for them.
Yesterday a Sparrowhawk tore across the plots. Given all the small birds around the plot I was wondering when he would turn up. The Kestrels have been seen floating on the breeze. In the background is the sounds of Buzzards calling and wheeling high in the sky. Although I have not seen them, two different people have reported seeing the Grass Snakes.
The Robins have been flitting into the plot as soon as I step away from my disturbing the soil. I quite like seeing the Yellowhammers. They fly along then fall to the ground as if they have been shot. Whilst I have not seen any of the Cuckoos they have been singing everyday. Some seem quite close. The Swallows and Swifts have arrived. It is nice to see them whirling about. The trees are in leaf so it is hard to see the birds but they flit about the feeders so I get fleeting glimpses of them. I have not seen a Blackbird for a while. Not such a bad thing since they dig up my plot in search of worms.
I have also seen a couple of solitary Lapwings flapping across the sky. When looking across the pond Steve and I saw a wader picking its way along the margin. Steve said later that it was a common sandpiper. Not so common round here. The pond on the adjasent to the lottie has been pulling in water fowl. Nothing out of the ordinary, Mallard and Swans. It is a small pond for Swans.
What I have not seen is Toads or Frogs. The winter must have done for them.
A spot of rain
Since the last time I went to the lottie there has been one light shower. Not even a shower really. It was enough to stimulate the weeds. In the three days since my last visit the weeds in bed 3 has gone from a green fuzz to a foot high. The spuds still planting but the weedy bed3 needs dealing with. I took the same approach as with bed1. I got down on my knees, it saves my back, and used the green spade as a hoe. I grabbed handfuls of the hoed weeds and threw them into the nearby wheelbarrow. Where I came across tap rooted weeds I stood up and dug them out. It took most of the day to clear the bed but it completely clean. The black compost bins are filing up but are not yet full.
I had all of today to play with. I was at the lottie for 8.30. I started on bed4 which is the spud bed for this year. Back on my knees to clear the weeds. I did a wheelbarrows worth of weeds and consigned then to the compo bins. The clear area let me plant three rows of spuds. Then another barrow load of weeds. More trenches, more spuds. By 12.30 I had eight rows of spuds in, having shifted four wheelbarrows of weeds and four wheelbarrows of manure. I had a break for dinner. I went home made a sandwich and a brew as I watching the MotoGP from Estoril. Pedrosa won but he was not going to plant the remaining spuds for me.
Back at the lottie I finished off the two remaining rows of spuds. With weather being so dry I having give each trench a watering cans worth of water, 10 litres or 2 gallons in old money. The water went in after the manure and the spuds were set. In less than two days I have transformed half the plot. It was windy but sunny and I still loads of time left. I looked at the big pile of the stone that had been deliver to the end of my plot.
It was intended be my path long the side of bed2, the dividing path between beds 3 & 4 and as much of the the side paths alongside beds 3 & 4. The pile had not compacted since it had only been there a week so it dug easily. I just loaded the wheelbarrow and pushed it along the paths to the point by bed2 where the new path filler stopped. This where I got to the last time. I just tipped the barrow loads one at a time. With each loads I just kicked it about to rough level then did the gardener shuffle to compact it. When I finished the twenty odd loads to complete the bed2 path I gave it a light raking a shuffled the surface again. Next I filled the path between beds 3 & 4. This was a deep path so took some filling. After giving the this path the same treatment as the other I moved onto the path alongside bed3. More of the same, shovelling and wheelbarrowing. The big pile disappeared over a couple of hours. I finished just after 7pm.
In all this digging, wheelbarrowing, planting and shovelling my mind was clear. Uncluttered by work issues. At the end of this and last weekends work the plot has come together. Allotmenting is just a question of making an effort.
I had all of today to play with. I was at the lottie for 8.30. I started on bed4 which is the spud bed for this year. Back on my knees to clear the weeds. I did a wheelbarrows worth of weeds and consigned then to the compo bins. The clear area let me plant three rows of spuds. Then another barrow load of weeds. More trenches, more spuds. By 12.30 I had eight rows of spuds in, having shifted four wheelbarrows of weeds and four wheelbarrows of manure. I had a break for dinner. I went home made a sandwich and a brew as I watching the MotoGP from Estoril. Pedrosa won but he was not going to plant the remaining spuds for me.
Back at the lottie I finished off the two remaining rows of spuds. With weather being so dry I having give each trench a watering cans worth of water, 10 litres or 2 gallons in old money. The water went in after the manure and the spuds were set. In less than two days I have transformed half the plot. It was windy but sunny and I still loads of time left. I looked at the big pile of the stone that had been deliver to the end of my plot.
It was intended be my path long the side of bed2, the dividing path between beds 3 & 4 and as much of the the side paths alongside beds 3 & 4. The pile had not compacted since it had only been there a week so it dug easily. I just loaded the wheelbarrow and pushed it along the paths to the point by bed2 where the new path filler stopped. This where I got to the last time. I just tipped the barrow loads one at a time. With each loads I just kicked it about to rough level then did the gardener shuffle to compact it. When I finished the twenty odd loads to complete the bed2 path I gave it a light raking a shuffled the surface again. Next I filled the path between beds 3 & 4. This was a deep path so took some filling. After giving the this path the same treatment as the other I moved onto the path alongside bed3. More of the same, shovelling and wheelbarrowing. The big pile disappeared over a couple of hours. I finished just after 7pm.
In all this digging, wheelbarrowing, planting and shovelling my mind was clear. Uncluttered by work issues. At the end of this and last weekends work the plot has come together. Allotmenting is just a question of making an effort.
First opening of the Bees
I took the first proper look the bees last weekend. One box has always been stronger than the other. I decided to tackle the weaker box. The bees were feeding on the candy. The bees looked fat and healthy. I popped the crown board off and looked in. There was an earthy smell mixed with the normal warm wax and honey smell. I checked the super frames and found then fairly full and capped. That is not that a good a sign . Having removed the super and queen excluder I pulled out a couple of the brood frames from the upper of the two brood chambers. There was no new eggs or brood just dead bees, head down in the cells. A sign of starvation. I puffed a little smoke over the frames to clear the bees and removed the upper chamber. The lower chamber contained new brood and I saw the queen which was a relief. I removed the brood box to expose the floor. I cleaned the dead bees and detritus off the floor. The bottom brood box was restored to its position. I then took out the a couple of old frames replacing them with part drawn frames from my stores. I cleaned up the queen excluder and placed on the brood box then put a super back on, crown board next and the eke to space the roof above the candy. The verdict...a close run thing.
The stronger hive got the same treatment. As the stronger hive it is in better condition but again it was a close run thing. This hive has more brood, more new bees, more new honey and pollen. In rebuilding the hive I brought it back to a single brood chamber in the hope the colony will spread across the frames before moving upwards. Only the summer tell what happens.
The previous weekend I had a little time available and spent it in the back garden with all the hive spares and supers. I checked out the floors and doors were in good order. Then set the roofs aside. One needs a spacer fitting. I had some timber of the right dimensions. I cut it to size and nailed in position. So that is the top, middle and bottom of two hives. I reserved two crown boards. Next I went through the suppers making up full sets. I damaged a number of super when extracting the honey last season. I had to dismantle the damaged frames, removed the wax and clean the slots in the side bars. Not a hard job just time consuming. I had to refurbish 30+ frames. When I finished I had ten complete supers. I had to refurbish a number brood frames and makes up two brood chambers. I also had six frames in each of the two of the nucleus boxes. I made up spares into two hives.
I took the spare hives, with just one super each, up to apiary. The screwed the alighting boards to the stilage then placed the hives upon the alighting board. I grass the weeks were shooting up round the stilages so I took the billhook to them. With a few minutes the area was clear and completed the preparation of the apiary for the new season. I took a few minutes watch the bees. They had settled down quickly and going about their business. A few bees were buzzing about hive checking out the site, others bring in pollen and honey, no doubt.
The stronger hive got the same treatment. As the stronger hive it is in better condition but again it was a close run thing. This hive has more brood, more new bees, more new honey and pollen. In rebuilding the hive I brought it back to a single brood chamber in the hope the colony will spread across the frames before moving upwards. Only the summer tell what happens.
The previous weekend I had a little time available and spent it in the back garden with all the hive spares and supers. I checked out the floors and doors were in good order. Then set the roofs aside. One needs a spacer fitting. I had some timber of the right dimensions. I cut it to size and nailed in position. So that is the top, middle and bottom of two hives. I reserved two crown boards. Next I went through the suppers making up full sets. I damaged a number of super when extracting the honey last season. I had to dismantle the damaged frames, removed the wax and clean the slots in the side bars. Not a hard job just time consuming. I had to refurbish 30+ frames. When I finished I had ten complete supers. I had to refurbish a number brood frames and makes up two brood chambers. I also had six frames in each of the two of the nucleus boxes. I made up spares into two hives.
I took the spare hives, with just one super each, up to apiary. The screwed the alighting boards to the stilage then placed the hives upon the alighting board. I grass the weeks were shooting up round the stilages so I took the billhook to them. With a few minutes the area was clear and completed the preparation of the apiary for the new season. I took a few minutes watch the bees. They had settled down quickly and going about their business. A few bees were buzzing about hive checking out the site, others bring in pollen and honey, no doubt.
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