Update 12 March 2008

OK, some pics, then a quick blurb about what I have done in the last 3 days.

I have helped Lauren make her own little raised bed and in it so far she has started garlic and peas. A pic of her sowing her peas and a view of it with pea sticks in place. I need to get the other half filled up so she can plant a couple of other bits in it.

I have divided and planted out the rhubarb crowns given to me. They are in the bed that the Jerusalem Fartichokes were in last year, found a few while I was digging it over ready for the rhubarb!

The toms in placcy bags have achieved 100% germination and have now been gently placed in small pots of compost to grow. Have just been down the plot to give the girls their evening corn, so took the opportunity to tuck the toms up in a protective layer of bubblewrap as the temperature is forecast to be about 3-4 degrees tonight.

Hurrah!! have finally finished sorting out the blackcurrants. Took a close up of one bush as they all have leaf burst now. So nice to see things coming to life on the plot.

And finally, the chooks are all ok. Can start using their eggs again on Friday, but their laying rate has slowed right down because I have wormed them. That will come back up again in a week or so though and I will once again be wondering what on earth to do with all the eggs!!

Update 9 March 2008

No pics today, but a quick update on things that have been happening down t'plot lately.

Gardening: today I have sown calabrese, cabbages Copenhagen Market and Winningstadt, Hannibal leeks, mixed salad leaves.
Last night at home I started some tomatoes off on moist tissue inside blown-up plastic bags, varieties are Marmande, Supersteak and Tigerella. When they germinate I'll transplant them to modules until they are big enough to pot on. Also started off some Capsicum Sweet Delight Mixed in the same way.

I recently sowed Kelevedon Wonder peas in guttering, they haven't come through yet. Fertled around the pots that I sowed Butternut Squash, Sprint F1 and found that they have rooted, but no leaves above the surface yet. My Kalibos red cabbage, Webbs Wonderful lettuce and Spicy Mixed Salad are coming on a treat.

Potatoes chitting in the greenhouse to go out in another week or so are Red Duke of York, Pentland Javelin (First Earlies) and Estima (Second Early). Still debating whether or not to put maincrops in this year or not as I had terrible blight last year. But as I'm not an organic gardener (shock horror) I could always get some Dithane from the garden centre to spray them and the toms with as a preventative if I need to.

Bedfordshire Champion onions that I sowed in modules are doing ok. Will leave them where they are for a while yet before putting them out. Musselburgh leeks are up, but still crooked. They'll be ok in the tray until its time to plant them out in a couple of months.

Got another bit of ground dug over ready to move the blackcurrants into. Its beeen taking ages because the ground got quite dry and I was having trouble getting the spade and fork into it! Last nights rain has made that job easier and I should finish that Tuesday morning and then get the raspberries in too. Got some rhubarb crowns to plant out too.

Bad news on the chook front though. Have had a very poorly Maran, who subsequently died. Vet tells me it was a mycoplasma infection. The others have all been medicated and we can't eat the eggs until late next week because of the antibiotics they have been on. Rest of flock all thankfully healthy, but will be watching them very closely!