Sunday 22nd April 2018
So the heatwave is officially over!
I missed my opportunity to catch up with everything due to other commitments.
With heavy rain forecast for later on today, I did manage to get out early and do some more planting before the soil becomes unworkable again.
The first of the outdoor carrots are sown. Hopefully the soil will be warm enough that they get a good start. And I've put a row of spring onions in too, though it won't be spring by the time they are ready.
I am more organised with my brassica seedlings now too. I raise them in modules but always used to leave it too long before moving them on into the open soil. But I now plan into my rotation to have a nursery bed where they can grow on before going to their final positions. The bed will never be full and will be empty once all the seedlings have gone through, so I will use it as a spare growing area if I need it, otherwise I will plant it up with green manure plants.
Many of the seedlings in the polytunnel are big enough to survive outside now. In fact, the hardier ones would prefer it outside and are safer out there where there is less risk of the modules drying out. The only risk is that they become waterlogged if there is lots of rain, so I have to remember to periodically empty the trays they sit in. There are still a few weeks until we are safe from overnight frosts, but there is none in the immediate forecast so these plants will have plenty of time to harden off in my old open-toped greenhouse which acts perfectly as a giant cold frame.
Monday 23rd April 2018
I missed my opportunity to catch up with everything due to other commitments.
With heavy rain forecast for later on today, I did manage to get out early and do some more planting before the soil becomes unworkable again.
The first of the outdoor carrots are sown. Hopefully the soil will be warm enough that they get a good start. And I've put a row of spring onions in too, though it won't be spring by the time they are ready.
I am more organised with my brassica seedlings now too. I raise them in modules but always used to leave it too long before moving them on into the open soil. But I now plan into my rotation to have a nursery bed where they can grow on before going to their final positions. The bed will never be full and will be empty once all the seedlings have gone through, so I will use it as a spare growing area if I need it, otherwise I will plant it up with green manure plants.
Many of the seedlings in the polytunnel are big enough to survive outside now. In fact, the hardier ones would prefer it outside and are safer out there where there is less risk of the modules drying out. The only risk is that they become waterlogged if there is lots of rain, so I have to remember to periodically empty the trays they sit in. There are still a few weeks until we are safe from overnight frosts, but there is none in the immediate forecast so these plants will have plenty of time to harden off in my old open-toped greenhouse which acts perfectly as a giant cold frame.Monday 23rd April 2018
With the forecast rain holding off for now, I went back over the meadow area with the rotavator.
I plan to have a permanent bee and butterfly meadow area in an area where I used to sow annual seed every year. This worked until the borage and nettles started coming through too strongly year on year.
The first rotavation was about a month ago and turned most of the weeds under, but I wanted to create what is called a stale seed bed. After turning the soil, a carpet of seedlings appears. So you wait for this to happen and them lightly work the surface to kill them off. Now your area is ready for sowing.
I purchased a 20% wildflower mix from Boston Seeds. The rest is a mixture of meadow grasses. Most of the wildflowers won't show in the first year, so I spent a little extra for a mix with cornfield annuals added to give colour in the first year.
This is part of my new wildlife area, which includes the bug hotel, the wildlife pond which I have now reclaimed from the ducks, a couple of willow coppice areas and a managed nettle bed.
I plan to have a permanent bee and butterfly meadow area in an area where I used to sow annual seed every year. This worked until the borage and nettles started coming through too strongly year on year.
The first rotavation was about a month ago and turned most of the weeds under, but I wanted to create what is called a stale seed bed. After turning the soil, a carpet of seedlings appears. So you wait for this to happen and them lightly work the surface to kill them off. Now your area is ready for sowing.
I purchased a 20% wildflower mix from Boston Seeds. The rest is a mixture of meadow grasses. Most of the wildflowers won't show in the first year, so I spent a little extra for a mix with cornfield annuals added to give colour in the first year.
This is part of my new wildlife area, which includes the bug hotel, the wildlife pond which I have now reclaimed from the ducks, a couple of willow coppice areas and a managed nettle bed.
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