2024 - What I did today

On the Southampton ferry passing Fawley in a very warm, very noisy (kids screeching) boat. Very dirty windows too. Good job it only takes an hour

Bob mowed. I ran back and forth with the wheelbarrow for him to empty the grass collection box. He normally just has the mower on mulch. I wanted the grass clippings to cover the beds that have been dug but not planted. Doubles as a weed barrier and it’ll rot down and add to the beds.

Cut a big branch off a peach tree because it was leaning on one of the glass-less GH frames and squashing it, that led to cutting down a small cherry tree, then a hazel and a holly tree that grew through it. This led to lighting the bonfire, where the holly and other spiky branches are piled.
Lots of clearing up to do tomorrow but its progress!

Emptied the old compost from the end bed of GH1. I started with the smallest bed to get an idea of how much work was involved. The bed was approx, 2' x 4' and the soil filled 4 x 30 litre pots. I barrowed these to the veg plot end of the garden and tipped them into some "rings" where I hope to plant beans next year.
One surprising item in the bed was a huge root that had pushed it way under the GH frame and had spread the length of the bed and into the next one. Its either from the grapevine or a laurel bush.

Took a jar of flowers to the cafe. Spent rest of day hiding from the rain again. Did research on light switches.

Its Transplant Tuesday so I planted some DFB seedlings in a supermarket crate. There were a few tomato seedlings in the compost so I potted them up. Nothing ventured!
Weeded VP2, Dug up a load of docks.

Lifted onions. I'm not too impressed with them this year. The sets bolted and the ones grown from seed were a bit small. I've enough for my needs though so I'm not really complaining. I must to remember to sow seed a bit earlier next year. At least they didn't bolt.

You can always sow a few autumn japanese onions now for planting out late October. Or get some sets.

Premier direct now have them back in stock and kings seeds as well (bit more for a lot less seeds). I bought some from Kings for £1.70 as out of stock at Premier - just looked and they are £1.90 there for packet now.

   

Didn't like the look of the slug trail in the tray this morning. Could be a scout looking for what will be in the garden later in year.

Lifted onions. I'm not too impressed with them this year. The sets bolted and the ones grown from seed were a bit small. I've enough for my needs though so I'm not really complaining. I must to remember to sow seed a bit earlier next year. At least they didn't bolt.

You can always sow a few autumn japanese onions now for planting out late October. Or get some sets.

Premier direct now have them back in stock and kings seeds as well (bit more for a lot less seeds). I bought some from Kings for £1.70 as out of stock at Premier - just looked and they are £1.90 there for packet now.



Didn't like the look of the slug trail in the tray this morning. Could be a scout looking for what will be in the garden later in year.

Thanks for the tip Mark, quite honestly,  I don't need more onions and I've never succeeded with the Japanese ones. So I'll stick with what I've got. I do have some old Japanese seed which I can try if the mood takes me.

Collecting seeds, fixed the polytunnel cover, rock splitting

Its Wormsday. I drained the liquid from the wormeries, fed them and took a layer of worm casts from the tiered wormery. Moved this to the GH and, having picked out the stray worms (which were returned to their home) I mixed it with coir to make the most of it.
Cut back some shrubs and brambles from a corner of original house garden, where the ground drops away down a bank. Part of the original fence is still there and I really want to remove this.