2021 - What I did today

We rented a car for a long weekend, which obviously included a stock-up grocery shop and hauling 5 bags of @ldi peat-free compost to the plot. Planted out some Bijou mangetout and clucked happily about the peas that were direct-sown and are looking happy after our rain. Engaged in some halfhearted hardening off (before I just get impatient and chuck my plants outside into the ground).

Sowed peas and beetroot outdoor in raised beds. Re-sowed DFB in modules, I had left my seedlings outside to harden and they got a bit of frost.
I weeded my onions and cabbages.

Watered and fed all my plants with my seaweed mix. Then went for a spin on my newly purchased quad.

Can, what is you seaweed mix?

Hi Spec I bought a starter kit from this guy Ollie, it has granular sea weed, liquid feed, tomato feed (liquid) , and a rooting starter. The liquid feed I make up and mist spray it 2 cap fulls to 2L water then spray all the leaves, my strawberries are loving it. https://betterplants.ie/

The granular stuff I am raked into the beds before watering and also putting some in the holes when I am planting. I also make up the liquid feed once a week for all plants. Trying it to try recover some tomato plants that got hit with a bit of frost.

Thanks Can, haven't came across that feed before, I like seaweed feeds but the last part of their list of benefits has me a bit worried, not sure if, at my time of life, that I want a boost in conception

Engaged in some halfhearted hardening off (before I just get impatient and chuck my plants outside into the ground).

dj Charles Dowding recons that you can plant straight from the greenhouse, then cover you plants at night with fleece, I have not tried this myself yet as I think the soil is too cold here for that, but in the past I have made up my baskets and hung them out to harden off and rather than lifting a dozen large flower baskets in and out I cover them at night with fleece

Engaged in some halfhearted hardening off (before I just get impatient and chuck my plants outside into the ground).

dj Charles Dowding recons that you can plant straight from the greenhouse, then cover you plants at night with fleece, I have not tried this myself yet as I think the soil is too cold here for that, but in the past I have made up my baskets and hung them out to harden off and rather than lifting a dozen large flower baskets in and out I cover them at night with fleece

Thanks, Spec, that's good to know. Much of it needs to go to the allotment, so I'd have a hard time being diligent enough with the veggies and fleece. Maybe the way forward for the flowers going in the back garden though.

Yesterday - Planted out the first batch of squash/pumpkins, and some cucs. Weeded and mulched with grass clippings throughout the veg garden, especially the strawberries. Battened everyhting down for the first thunderstorms of the year as hail was forecast (it can be tennis ball sized!) but we escaped with just a few rumbles and some not too torrential rain.

Planted out the following plugs......

10 x curly kale - Redbor
6 x brussels - Red Ball
2 x nine star broccoli

Given my hit & miss results with germination I've plumped for some plug plants so I have something in the ground at the plot. (I have another joblot arriving courtesy of Sutton's sale)

This has got me thinking about next year. Given the space limitations in the house I think I'll go for a mixture of seeds & plugs/plants next year. Well, that's today's plan anyway!

Potted on some self seeded Thyme plants then planted out spring onions I'd started of in pots.

Planted 4 courgettes out in their final positions. I have plenty of reserves if they don't survive - about 30 at the last count!
Weeded the area that will be the onion and bean bed - mostly buttercups as its new planting ground.
Had hoped to plant some onions but the rain kept stopping play. Left them under a debris netting cover to get used to their new surroundings before they finally planted.
Potted up Scarlet's mystery beans as the roots were bursting hrough the Jiffy thingies.