Garden tasks I completed today

Margo · Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 1:30 pm Post subject:

Had the strimmer out as the rain has really encouraged the grass.Quite a bit to do as its round the fence all around the garden (half acre) BUT rain stopped play.

sirpsycho · Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 10:28 am Post subject:

Lemon basil - you eating that raw Nozebleed? My plan this week is to try and get myself organised and get some herbs planted. Thyme, mint, rosemary are my priorities because of the smells. I love lemon too, might have to check out some of that basil. You grow it from seed? I have regular basil which was grown from seed.

Tasks done... dug out the area where my brussels will be going out in a couple of weeks. Dug it to a depth of over one foot and mixed in lotsa of compost and bonemeal.

Planted final two rows of parsnips. My first two rows where I chitted the seeds on wet kitchen towel are now up through the soil. Hopefully the slugs dont get them.

Nozebleed · Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 1:26 pm Post subject:

yea i've been eating the lemon basil raw..it's like eating lemon bon bon's! it's delicious. i grew from seed under lights and transplanted to glass house.

sirpsycho · Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 9:53 pm Post subject:

Planted two rows of autumn king carrots, a row of bolthardy beetroot, transplanted some pak choi and mangetout.

Got my pea supports up and netted last years strawberries which are exploding with flowers.

vegmad · Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 10:40 pm Post subject:

put up the frame for the polytunnel this evening 20ft long and depending on which end you measure about 13 ft wide. Transplanted lettuce in between cabbages and cauliflowers. idea being that they will be well eaten before those plants get too big. strawberries are getting nice and fat.

walltoall · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 1:54 pm Post subject: Tasks I think I completed today

For the past three weeks I have been engaged in all out war on aphids and ants. The ladybirds have failed me again this year, so I've had to sufficate the bloody aphids with a detergent mix. As for the ants I know they are pest neutral but having put up with them for ten years, I've had enough. I lay trails for them across the patio and just sit there Dysoning them up whenever they are well active.

Each different trail is a different colony. The Dyson dismantles them enroute to the holding bag, crude but effective, no 'suffering' no pollution with poisons. I learned the trick last year when their invasion of the HOUSE triggered me to retaliate.

Today I can't find an ant inside or outside so that is

A TASK I COMPLETED TODAY.

Thank you SirPsycho for initiating this thread back in March.

heno55 · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 2:27 pm Post subject:

i have also been at war with the aphids they were making mincemeat of my indoor strawberries so i devised a competition for the kids a prize for who ever caught the most lady birds it was a resounding succses i got three containers with over one hundred ladybirds and it only cost me a trip to the cinema plus a tenner for the winner, that was two weeks ago and theres no sign of the aphids left.

Nozebleed · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 2:54 pm Post subject:

aphids were the very reason i decided not to grow strawberries this year..they're a nightmare! planted some kohl rabi and a few more turnip..also started my second batch of cabbage broccoli under lights. ate one of my own cabbages yesterday! yum.

sirpsycho · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 3:27 pm Post subject:

Built a cage out of enviromesh for my carrot bed, it will hopefully keep the flies out.

1/4 of the way through digging out my brochilli bed.

sirpsycho · Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 9:07 am Post subject:

Transplanted my trailing petunias that I grew from seed into bigger modules. They are starting to take off at last.

Transplanted half of my sweetcorn plants into bigger containers. I remember reading something about sweetcorn not liking their roots to be disturbed so I stopped halfway through and left the others were they are.

Anyone know when they can be safely planted outside?

heno55 · Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 11:37 am Post subject:

hi walltoall in reply to your pm yes i am now aphid free as far as i can tell the numbers of lady birds also semms to have fallen they are either hiding or else they have eaten themselves out of house and home either way its a fantastic result

sirpsycho · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 1:58 pm Post subject:

In the last week or so, doesn't feel like I done much.

Planted out 4 rows of swede.
Planted more carrots and peas. Planning on freezing as many peas as possible.
Finished digging brassica bed and planted out 9 a purple sprouting broccili and 9 x brussel sprouts. Collared each one too and netted them. Need to get some caulis going. No cabbage going in before someone mentions it...hate the stuff unless it's boiled in bacon water Very Happy

Sweetcorn bed dug and ready.
Planted a couple of rows of beetroot and lettuce.
On-going weeding.

Waiting for a glut of strawberries to arrive! I planted them last year but they have gone mental this year, 100's of berries and some are HUGE. Cant wait. Dont think many will make it home though.

Nozebleed · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 2:29 pm Post subject:

some kohl rabi and another batch of snowball turnip sown. transplanted cucumber and courgette's outside today. hope they survive. i'd like to sow some more beetroot but i've no space!!!!!!

medieval knievel

vegmad · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 8:03 pm Post subject:

help. my beautiful early potatoes have potato blackleg. except fpr one year i have always had perfest potatoes. what can i do to stop it from spreading to the second earleis and how does it spread? i have them all in seperate beds two feet apart. the main crop is two beds away from them. how did i get this thing?