Johnplotman's Journal

Garden chores.

A few months break.

After a dull overcast day i decided to give the lawns another quick run around to gather all the remaining leaves along with some grass.Started just after four and in app 1 hour i had the job done.All the light grass cuttings along with the leaves were placed in the leaf mold bin and given a small handfull of lime to sweeting the process on in the heap.When all that section was finished i covered it with some of the bubble wrap to start things cooking well as quick as possible.That will have to wait up to almost a year before being removed and feed to the ground.The prepared leaf mould from the other area will be given to the veg beds over the next few weeks.Off untill app 10 pm and hope to get back a short while later to have a look over some of the garden notes and see what is falling behind and to pay another visit to the computer.

The quick veg visit.

Turnip [snowball] late sowing.

Nothing much done in the garden this evening only for one quick look to gather something for tomorrows dinner.I went to the brassicas bed to harvest some of the remaining turnips.[A little later than normal in the veg bed for them]Shortly they will come to an end.Winter turnips doing well.With the snowball turnips i needed,after taking them up i recalled a little bit of advice given to me some years back on the sowing of them.As both swedes and turnips come from the roots family they will not be sown there because both will suffer from the same disease as brassicas [cabbages etc] so will always be planted in the brassica area so never to have clubroot disease [Plasmodiophora brassicae] in another bed at the one time.So far in the garden i have never suffered from that disease and hopefully  that remains.Trouble left behind from clubroot will last up to 7 years in the ground.No chances taken here.The main trouble from that enemy will effect the roots and will be most noticable with them becoming both swollen and gnarled.Off to a meeting for the next hour and a half and not to pushy to attend as i feel this minute,with a sore head and upset stomach like going down and staying away from the meeting.Nothing planned for the next move in the garden until later. 

Time for lighting.

Compost heaps,i have a blanket for you all.

Started off a little cool but despite the slight change by lunchtime i could find that slight smell of leaf spot [Mycosphaerella Brassicicola]in the air as i entered the  tunnell.Having examined the tubs i noticed the culprit on the leaves of just two young cabbages.Nothing serious once the damaged areas were removed in time.Our friend the leaf spot causes a lot of trouble in the damp weather.All was done in app ten minutes.This evening it was cleaning shed time and at least the rain did not win this time.Nothing planned for tomorrow evening yet with this type of weather,unless maybe some work in the greenhouse under lighting.Right now though its all back to the garden books to study in a little while with the plan been to check on weeds and the soil indicators for them and maybe if time allows to have a little read on trench composting.This will help the veg garden especially as the items used like old thick stalks etc will be used to make compost that would otherwise be dumped.The trench for the job will be dug out in late Autumn app 12in wide by 12in deep.Plenty of kitchen skins etc will also be used especially now that in a short while the compost heaps will have to be wrapped up to help them keep cooking the compost well.

The Champions.

The cup returns.

After a morning start in the garden from weeding to watering,until 1 pm,its been a lovely day.Managed to remove any weeds from 3 of the beds in the veg garden and after checking on the young growth in the tunnell it was down to some thirsty young plants given a drink.From just before 2 pm it was off to Navan to support our boys in the final of the intermediate football c-ship.We came out victors in the end after a fine display of football.Apart from some great football by the team one of the main winners for Oldcastle had to be Marys'[sparrow] son Vincent who played his heart out for the team.The cup has returned to town and i will join the crew later.The closing of the tunnell slipped my mind and with a rush back home after the presentation all was fine.May have been a little cooler then but ok.Despite it been a football match with that been far away from  the gardening journal i still managed to have a brief look at some of the gardens on the way up so overall it was a happy day.Plans for tomorrow evening if time allows will be to weed veg bed 4 and to give the garden shed a a much needed clean out after having been used as a storage room for the greenhouse plants etc,over the last while.Back to celebrate winning the cup later.

Fingers crossed tomorrow.

Time for the flag.

Apart from just a brief walk around earlier in the garden along with some seed saving,its been hard to concentrate on to much there with all the build up to the intermediate football final between us and Kilmainhamwood in Navan tomorrow at 3.45.All systems go time and hope for the best.Mary[sparrow]good luck again to your son Vincent tomorrow who i know will play his heart out for us.Just for about 20 minutes or so earlier i managed to collect some more seeds that will be of great help to the veg beds.Who knows the slugs might even be singing a song for us tomorrow and i better treat them to a free beer.A lot of them seem to love the stuff,but not before a feed of cabbabe first..

Plants and veg trays moved.

Finally there.

No need to say a word about the day,its been wet,windy,and  from app 6 pm winds a lot stronger.A small fear of danger in the air with always thinking about possible damage from maybe a tree branch or whatever to destroy either a section of the tunnell or even a tile down on top of the greenhouse.So far so good,and hope for the best.Finally i have all returned to the greenhouse in the main areas..From this morning it was washing time on some of the flower pots and a good going over to my large propagator,thanks to an old fish tank.Most of the shelves have been filled,but time did not allow the tomato section to get touched.Hopefully on Monday some time that area of the greenhouse will get finished.No seedes collected as planned from the marigolds,but maybe for an hour tomorrow if weather allows.One quick look to see the veg garden and check the next move there.All finished just before 6 pm.Winter is close.

Grass cutting rush.

Nearly there at last.

Plans went to schedule this morning with the greenhouse shelves getting the final coat of paint.The job was finished by app 8 am.Most of the shelves painted have been made up from a tip i used by Paul Hughes on the use of pallets earlier in this month.Having sanded them before the paintwork,all went well.They done the job perfect for me.This evening the plan was changed a little with it been a dry day so the grass got the next move.The ground was still dampish in places but that did not hold things up.From app 5 pm i started mowing at a rapid rate with the feeling of rain in the air.All the grass was finished mowing just before 6.30 pm.So that allowed me some time to have a final check over the greenhouse work before retiring for the evening.Top of the agenda in the morning will be the return or the plants from the garden shed and work from there.[later than first planned].If time allows i will start to save some of my friends from the garden, with they been the Africian and French marigold seeds.As they are the stronged line of defence for me again garden pests,all will be named,dated,colours,and also what area of the garden they will be taken from.So far next years peas,beans,and tomato seeds,are stored.All have been given the usual markings along with 2 small pieces of rice to help again any dampness and put away in a tin box.Hope all will work out as planned  for tomorrow rainwise. 

Mucky veg beds.

Autum veg departing.

What can be said only rain,more rain,and torrential down pours.To dark and wet for a brief look in the veg garden before 7.30 am but managed to paint another wall in the greenhouse up untill 8.Neither greenhouse,garden,or polytunnell were  entered since then.Away from app 6 pm until just after 10.If all goes to plan i hope to get the final area of the greenhouse painting finished by 7.30 in the morning and to start moving some of the young veg back there from 6 pm or earlier.Started harvesting the last of the autumn cabbage [chinese brassica] from the bottom of the veg bed and hope to make a start on that area for some weeding on Saturday.[A big hope that is] With this weather its hard to decide to far ahead of things.

Time for lighting.

Grow boys grow. Mustard [Sinapis alba]

Rain wins today,along with a little wind in the garden.Ventured out around 7 am for a quick look at the greenhouse plan.Lights on and also not a type of a morning to entice anyone into the garden.Had a look over the areas needing a double painting and attacked the first section of the side wall for an hour this evening,from app 5.30 pm.All closed up then and may not get much done there tomorrow evening.

From app midnight until about 2 am i drew up some more of the crop rotation chart for 2010.Fertilization was the main topic then. 

1Roots [carrots,parsnips etc] been light feeders they will grow best on soil from a previous crop.

2 Brassicas [cabbage,cauli etc,] are heavy feeders and need well rotted manure supplied in winter.

3Legumes [Peas, beans etc] love the compost of the leaf mould type.

4 Potatoes will be given well rotted compost.

That will be my rotational plan then with the use of feeding.

All veg names to be used were written down and those marked out for a single sowing for the year and the others marked out for successional sowing [little and often ] were also noted.A full chart off veg names and where they will go in the veg garden etc will be added to my journal later in the year.Finally a note of the remaining areas,also for green manure were  taken down.

A nice thought.

A pleasant suprise.

Nothing can be said about the state of the weather today only a washout up to around 4 pm.Touches of sunshine appeared then but did not last to long,especially when it was needed most of all and that was at app 5.30 after a quick cup of tea.First to be done in the veg garden was to have a quick check around and apart from in the tunnell with just a few tubs there,no watering was needed.Time was available to do another bit of digging in the veg area,and that was to dig in some of the remaining lettuces that were left especially for the job as they are also a way of adding green manure to the soil.They were allowed run to seed first of all.

I had a brief chat with two of my neighbours earlier in the week about the ins and outs of growing veg in containers just in conversation.Only app five minutes at the most and waiting for me this evening i found a pleasnt suprise wrapped up in the porch with a small thank you note from them.That brightened up an almost dull wet day for me.

Veg want return fast.

The greenhouse visitors.

All work planned this evening was straight to the greenhouse where any bits of remaining tubs etc were moved out to the garden shed.Some of the shelves in the greenhouse were removed for some badly needed changing.Everywhere in the greenhouse was washed down then and tomorrow evening the place will be disinfectanted.Hopefully around mid week the paintwork and return of shelves will get finished.No grass cut this evening either.[lovely rain and wind] If the crew dont get moved back in from the garden shed asop,trouble ahead.Hopefully,maybe in the morning around 7 am i might get to start on the shelves for an hour or so.Darkness falling fast now.

Not to much in the veg garden today.

January king cabbage in the veg bed.

Took a quick walk around the veg garden just after 8 am to check on yesterdays work there.The weather was just ok today and had a slight nip in the air.Took down a few quick notes on planning of the garden beds for growing of veg in 2010.Important to stay well in front as time is vital for some plants to have a full term of growing without any upsets such as,low in food,not thinned in time,cloched to late etc.Plans for then will be to rotate the [Roots to the legumes beds][Brassicas to the roots beds] and [legumes to the brassicas beds]The legumes [peas and beans] will play a vital part in the veg garden as they put nitrogen back into the soil.They take nitrogen from the atmosphere and hold it on little nodules on there roots and then release it in the soil to feed other plants and themselves.The roots will love to move on to ground manured the previous year and this will help avoid the cause of fanging [the roots of the carrots all forking] of the crop in the ground.If the ground is to stoney a similar problem will happen or even if the clay is to heavy and not prepared well.The brassicas like some well rotted manure or compost at digging time especially if the ground is low in humus.[manure or compost] The green manure seeds in the tunnell are showing well.Plans for tomorrow evening will be to cut the grass,[fingers crossed] and spend some time in the greenhouse to have all finished there by maybe Wednesday or even sooner and move the used tubs back in from the garden shed.

Vegetable gardening for today.

Watching over the job.

From first light it was down to the veg garden to make another attack on the fruit bed.Started off cool,but no complaints about the remainder of the day.First off was to start digging the left side of the bed and dig down for any noticed roots.All went to plan for the first few meters but then trouble started.The first rock was removed,without to much trouble,but the next one needs more than a crowbar to remove it.All that could be done was dig over it and return to it early next week.The rest of the first section along the side of the bed was finished and all roots axed off.Not to much trouble just for the thickness of the roots.When that was finished i removed all the remaining top layer of grass and by the evening,some of the other garden jobs hoped to get done has to wait.[Work so far in the new fruit bed added to my pictures]All that was needed just after 5.30 pm was a good hot bath.Maybe in the morning i will get to do that intended job for the leaf mould bed.The grass needs a cutting but if all goes to plan that will be first on the list on Monday evening,weather permitting.My old friend watched over the job and sat relaxed for the day and kept me company without even a bark.Hope to look over the chart tomorrow and see whats next on the list for doing there.The remainder of the broad beans will be removed from bed 3 asop next week with a lot of emphasis on the goodness of the untouched roots of them as they will play a vital part for the incoming crop to that bed in the new year. 

Not as lucky at the auction tonight with my bids on 2 of the wheel barrows,some more halogens,and hardware vouchers all been out bid and equal to or even above the usual price.Thats auctions.Maybe lucky another day.

Sorry about the late journal again.

Keep coming sun we want you.

Alongside carrot tubs.

After starting in the garden this evening from around 4.15 it was planned to hit the new bed area first,but another time.The first move had to be the needing of some water around the veg garden.Around 75% of the outer beds are almost vacant now apart from the winter veg,and when they had a small supply given it was into the tunnell to water the winter cabbage bed,some spinach and green manure tubs.Up then to the garden shed to look over any greenhouse trays held there for a few more days until greenhouse complete.The winter  lettuce [rocket] was given a light watering.Attacked digging up some of the roots from the neighbours trees in the new bed area.That finished the work in the veg garden this evening except for a final walk around for a quick check on used tubs.Had a quick pint of water to drink first off,around 4.15 and while walking by the vacant carrot tubs at the rear of the garden i noticed a bunch of lovely roses out shining in the sun in a tub alongside them.

Plans for tomorrow will be mostly around the new bed area.Maybe look over the leaf mould bin and see all is cooking well there,and might give it one final turn over.

Start of new fruit bed area.

Fruits you have a new home.

At last i got to make a start on my long wanted fruit beds area in the veg garden.I have some already in tubs but in different areas.Now i will have them in the same area as much as possible.If room allows i will add in another potato bed as well.As i did not get to look over the garden to much yesterday i had to  have a look in the garden at 11.30 pm and decided with a flash lamp to walk around the veg garden and see how things went.My old friends the slugs were not to much on my mind then it was the thought of the new beds i was more interested in.At lunch time today for 40 minutes i started to mark them out and from 4 pm to just before 6 pm i got the  final move made in markings.Tomorrow evening from 4 i will attack the new beds area again to remove the top section of grass and see what lies ahead from there.With the ground been new and getting freshly dug in that area i expect some of the old enemies the wireworms to be disturbed..

Greenhouse attack.

Almost ready for new seed visitors.

The greenhouse finally got the promised clean out.One final check was given for tomatoes to harvest and then removed all plastic ties.Stalks were cut in sections to rot easier for compost bin 3.The windows are in need of a major clean down along with the floor..The place has gotten so bright now with all removed.Still some old nasturtium stalks visible.Some areas that are still in need of a good cleaning will have to wait another  time.Darkness fell in fast this evening,but thanks to some light managed to give the greenhouse a quick sweep out.No plans for tomorrow evening as yet.

Plans a little changed.

Bed 3 given green manure.

No complaints about our weather today.With a touch of frost earlier in the morning,by 11 am the sun was out and that was all that was needed.Had a quick look around the greenhouse at the tomatoes for water and at some trays around 1.30 pm.Plans did not work out to well this evening,so i attacked bed number 3 in the veg garden with some green manure.In the tunnell some mustard sowings of similar manure were watered,and to look over some of the last crops of summer veg there.Mainly from turnips,chinese cabb,some carrots along with the remaining herb,parsley.Plans for tomorrow evening will be to remove all remaining tomato stalks and have them ready for the compost heap.The tubs in the greenhouse will have to be cleaned out and refilled with fresh compost.Most of the shelves will have to be given a quick wash down to clear away any unnoticed garden pests.Later on hopes will be to start up listing what veg will be started at the first available sowing time.

Garden given a rest today.

Greenhouse sown potatoes doing well

Nothing much done in the garden just a quick open up off windows etc.A real brief eye on the next move in the veg garden.It was more or less just a stroll around the beds to see how things were there.The tunnell was checked out just in case watering was badly needed [has to be done] but all ok there.Away for lunch today,so more or less it was a quiet day in the garden.Big plans for tomorrow evening will be to remove some of the old tomato stalks from the greenhouse.Some of the remaining tomatoes despite been a little green will be given a helping hand on to finish growth and make them good and red.Went for a short walk with the dog and that finished a quiet day in the garden for Sunday.

Yesterdays bargains.

Home at 8 pm with the bargains.

Having started off great with another of the beds in the veg garden fed and forked in,i attacked the tunnell into to bed 1 to see about some winter greens there.Having decided then to cut the front grass instead first, after a struggle with the weather,i then returned to the tunnell to sow some fast growing mustard seeds [green manure] in 4 big tubs.As the job was almost finished i got a phone call about heading to a local auction,tools etc at 12 noon.After a fast look around i noticed 3 items that would love to live in the garden.1 light,2 shed  heater and 3 rubber boots.All were bought for the total price of €19.A perfect bargain for the day.Garden,look at the suprise package i have for you all out there.Frost and cold weather along with some late gardening at times,wont hold up the show to much now,all going well.

Almost a washout today.

Young and tender roots.

After a wonderful day we had yesterday,today was almost quite the opposite.From around 11 am it came down and never eased until around 4.30 pm.Even after that an odd light shower fell.No grass cut as planned this evening [maybe tomorrow] but managed to do some more work in the veg area.All work there was planned for the roots bed and to especially check on the parsnips.All was going to plan except for an odd small setback in the roots bed,but nothing much,and quite content with the harvest.The last of the small spinach leaves in a section of the roots bed were green manured.If weather allows tomorrow it will have to be first call to the grass cutting,and gathering of leaves along with some more jobs in the veg area.

Garden work this evening.

Tunnell Sunshine.

Another lovely day.May have been a little cool earlier in the  morning time,but thats not noticed,thanks to the good weather we had during the day.Time to attack garden jobs for the next hour or so and see what lies ahead.First attacked was to water in the greenhouse.Managed then to remove the remainder of the outdoor tomato stalks from tubs alongside the garden shed.That was all that happened in the garden tonight.Hope to look through some stored seeds later,on return to the house and find out whats needed.Some of the opened seed packets will be looked upon to see if they remain viable for another years growth.Weekend plans will be to cut grass and attack more jobs in the veg area.

Some late garden jobs.

Early morning frost has arrived.Nothing opened up in the garden early on.Gathered up some more turnips for dinner  along with some of the harvested potatoes from last month.This evening i managed to do no gardening work with the darkness upsetting plans except some work in the coldframe with the help of the outside lights.Tubs 1 and 2 were cleared out and refilled with fresh compost.Covering for the roof of the coldframe was sorted out to use again the frosty weather especially when some of the tubs will be in use for new sowings.Into the garden shed to have a quick look through any of the stored potatoes,and onions,to make sure all were keeping well and with no failures.The shed was given a quick sweep out and all was closed up then.Leaves are falling at a rapid rate,with a gathering of them planned for some time Saturday.

Jobs in the garden today.

Had an early morning walk in the veg bed to see the remainder of what needed harvesting,for later.With the weather,it was to much on the coolish side to open tunnell or greenhouse until around lunchtime.This evening up to 7.30 pm i managed to blanch some onions,spinach,and carrots.No time to do much more after that.Darkness fell then,allowing time now only to draw a plan for tomorrow evenings garden jobs.[hopefully]

Look around today.

Time getting shorter.

Not to fussy about opening anywhere in the garden until almost noon.The nip was in the air and  poor weather is on the increase.No need to water today any pots or tubs.Nothing done in the garden then until around 4.30 pm.Started to do some video camera recording in the garden to keep an eye on the state of the veg bed especially.All beds were checked on to take a note of any remaining veg and their needs.The tunnell was next on the list for same.A full list of the ups and downs there will be  on the journal later in the year.Hopefully i will get to do similar with the other part of the garden [flower beds shrubs etc] next Sunday.Some more tomatoes were picked this evening along with a head of chinese cabbage for tomorrows dinner.Nothing else done in the garden only a final picture taken just after 8.30 pm.The hanging baskets coming to an end shortly.

A day of set backs.

The windy city.

Work in the garden had a bad start,thanks to the windy night we had.Most of the day,not to bad weather wise was spent repairing damage.The greenhouse door had a small section knocked out with the force of a delph flower pot.That was repaired and then on to work on replacing one of the coldframe lids.I picked up a section of the coldframe lid almost in bits with glass everywhere, because of a fallen branch.The bottom door on the tunnell busted open and luck was on me side there that the damage was not worse to the tunnell.The repairing in the garden upset plans for the day,but could have been a lot worse.