Johnplotman's Journal

Back on the road training.

Back training again.

Despite been back with the group this week out training [power walking] i always have my earphones when finished,to hear some of the gardeners speaking on vegetable growing,so all is not lost.

Takes about too and a half hours.It started back this week,from eight to about ten thirty.On return home,a little while is spent in the seed room and then back to study for a very short while.

The night would not be the same without a look over an old vegetable book,and there ways of gardening some years back.

Thinking time again.

Thinking time again.

Where do i go from here.It is time to check back on notes and see about moving in some new visitors to the buckets.Potatoes [Solanaceae] were placed there so no go with them.

With othere [Legumes] moving on after them,i will think about that,and leave in some other veg in this area now.First though the place needs a good cleaning up.

The afternoon will be spent in this area.No complaints about the weather today.A good day for garden work.

In the greenhouse.

The lowered bed in the greenhouse.

The first stage of the lowering of the greenhouse bed was started earlier in the week.[late on Monday night].

Now the tubs have been removed and that will allow me another 20-30cm in height or there abouts.

Today i will prepare the beds with some flower pot wells and this will let water travel faster to the roots when called upon during the year.

The area will be attacked again up until lunchtime,and then out to the vegetable garden.

Keeping the young seed safe in the tunnel

Covers in the tunnel

Earlier in the week for a quick hour,i spent some time in the polytunnel doing a little covering of the new sown seeds.Some very young Peas and Lettuce along with Chinese Cabbage,had been started the night before,under light of the tunnel.

The covering with the netting was done the next day.I closed the door until then,as my little friend the cat looked on with peeling eyes about where to root next when the tunnel is quiet.Not here though,he can move off to another area.

The compost heaps need watering today and the leaf mould will be checked on.I hope to spread some of the compost to the outer beds if at all possible.Some of those due a feed have been covered during the bad weather.

Late last night for the garden.

Paper pots.

An hour was spent in the kitchen making some more biodegradeable pots for starting seeds.Those that are not to fond of being moved on,with the roots disturbed.They will be used later today in the seed room.The paper daily papers came in handy in two ways,one for a read and the other for making the pots.

Peas [Pisum sativum]

Peas [Pisum sativum] 2011 starts out well.

Checking on the Peas down on the 27/12/10 in the seed room,they have started well.All will be in biodegradle pots so the roots will not be disturbed.They will be part of the Leguminosae bed [Peas and Beans] in the vegetable gardenan.When finished they will have left food in the ground for the following years crop through the nodules in the roots..

More garden reading collected this morning..

Kitchen Garden reading picked up today,

Earlier this morning i picked up my Sunday papers and my Kitchen Garden magazine was also there.

It will be added to others that have arrived for this month and i will have them  with me during the week.

Weather on the better side for us.

Time to start scrubbing canes later this week.

Finally the weather is a little on ourside with the temperatures up today.We can survive the light damp spells.The tunnel will have a visit later on this evening,no matter what time it takes.

I had planned to spend between about 5.30 and 7 there this evening but that will have to wait until later.At lunchtime today the tunnel and greenhouse were opened for a short while to allow some clear air.

At 8 this evening i will be off to play cards and see if some luck will be with me.Now that we are on the winning side of weather,who knows i might win there later.

Polytunnel given a much needed cleaning out.

Left side almost ready.

Yesterday i done some more work with the plan of moving out the tubs to lower the tunnel on the left side.This will allow me more growing room for particular vegetables.After the tubs were removed and the clay worked on,it was time for a cuppa and then on to some more planning.

I also set up a top area for starting some vegetables when the time arrives.That finished my day in the garden.Looking out at the snow that evening still hanging around,could not win there.[Pictures will be added.]

Earlies coming on well.

Taking off well.

Some of the saved seed Potatoes [Solanum tuberosum] develop well.Part of the lucky bunch that avoided the dump after the weather.

Those saved are doing well, having taken them inside to a safer area,while those destroyed could be called Solanum bury oh some.

Cleaned and ready for take off.

Where is the compost,i want to know.

Earlier in the week i spent an evening cleaning some more small trays and the compost scoop from the seed room.

Though threw on this table and scattered around the place,it was time for some more scrubbing.Had to be done,but all helps.

More of the white blanket return's.

How much more.

Back it comes with a white bang again.Just getting over the call from it,a short time back,and now it has decided to pay another visit.

We are in for a very cold night so the roads will be like a skating ring in the morning.No plans written up for tomorrow until early in the morning,after i see the outcome of the weather.

Look's very much like it will be indoor garden work again.Have to wait and see what time brings.

Another few friends for the garden.

Todays catch.

Collecting the paper around 7.30 this morning i noticed some used sweet holders,that were heading for the recycle bin.

At the time,i had more an eye on them and not the paper with a use for three mini propagators.I asked,could i have them and no problem was the answer.

So i left the door with the paper under one arm and three more propagator friends for the garden.Quite happy i was. 

Broad Beans.[Vicia faba] started.

Before take off.

Yesterday i started some more Broad Beans.They are better known as with all Beans,Peas etc by the name Leguminosae or Legumens family.With crop rotation the areas are made up of Brassicas,Roots,and Legumens.

Be it a 3 way rotation or  a 4 way rotation,the plan in most cases will always be the same.In the case of Potatoes [root crop] i have them in an area of their own with them been a heavy feeder.

Vegetables all have their own families,which is why they are kept together to allow one help the other.Though in the case of Potatoes and Tomatoes,with both been members of the night shade family [Solanum tuberosum] and are just like a brother and sister in the garden.

They will destroy each other with the same disease,as they both are able to be  wiped out by the same well known enemy Potato Blight,so i leave them apart.

Broad Beans are a hardy plant and will start off in a cold greenhouse.My thoughts ponder a little with another mention of severe weather to return,and with that been noticed on one of yesterdays papers.Maybe until sure i will keep them inside for a few more days.