2021 - What I did today

I sorted out my begonias. I'd put them in the shed to dry off but they were still a bit too moist so I've brought them inside to dry off a bit more. I spotted lots of vine weevil grubs poking out so grit my teeth and dealt with them swiftly. How lovely.

I sorted out my begonias. I'd put them in the shed to dry off but they were still a bit too moist so I've brought them inside to dry off a bit more. I spotted lots of vine weevil grubs poking out so grit my teeth and dealt with them swiftly. How lovely.

Did you eat them, Garrett?

^^^ UK version of witchety grubs, tomorrow's protein!

Cut back more tomato leaves in GH No 1. San Marzano and Oregon Spring still carrying lots of tomatoes. Hoping that I can pick some on Dec 25th for the first time ever (probably).

Moved the big greenhouse frame on plot 3 onto the base. Will need levelling up but as it's not being glazed, its not got to be perfect.
I also took photos of the puddles with reference points, as it will help in the levelling up process once the black plastic sheeting is removed.

Installed a small wood burner into the greenhouse, it's getting too cold for working without heating and too expensive to run an electric heater, and I have plenty of wood from Ash trees

Planted some Bijou mangetout seedlings in 4 pots that grew tomatoes until this week. I'll use the canes that supported the toms to support the M/T.

Nothing in the garden today or yesterday but a son and daughter came yesterday and did a few jobs; cleared the 2 greenhouses and washed the glass inside, removed the netting from the top of the fruit cage. This was a bit of a problem as 2 cherry trees had grown through it when I wasn't looking. Now i need to repair the frame before putting it back in the Spring. Also a trellis full of clematis that had blown down in the gales was restored to the vertical, approximately.

I have potted on my mint (into a container fashioned from a tetrapak) as it was getting a bit pale and interesting, but it will be taking its chances outdoors very soon! (Though still in a container - I don't want mint everywhere...)

I have also taken some Red Robin Tomato side shoot cuttings to put in water. One of the Rosy Finch ones is doing very well with lots of roots, one is doing okay, and the third has no roots at all. Most of the ones I stuck in soil still have nice-looking green leaves, but impossible to know if any rooting is happening - the one I pulled up had nothing going on, but it may well take a while. Hoping these Red Robin ones do okay.

I also had a nice fresh tomato to eat today (Red Robin) and there are still about 10 tomatoes on the plants with 5 or 6 of them looking like they should ripen and the rest looking a bit doubtful. Getting a single tomato at a time is hardly self-sufficiency, but it's a nice treat when it happens!

Weeded the asparagus and gave it a thick mulch of semi-rotted hedge shreddings. Started on the artichoke patch. Both beds are riddled with mole and runs, so tried to remove them and put some soil back under the asparagus crowns!