Blimey another six

I am surprised to be here again with my #six-on-saturday but I actually started this last Monday while half watching TV after planting up a stack of seeds. Here we go,

1. Remember the new beds construction – well they are finished, covered with a layer of compost and paths laid.

Next job will be to finish off bed to the left (it’s a mess, trashed during the construction of these two) and then create a willow arch between trashed bed and bed above on the left to take climbing squash and peas.

2. I haven’t had great success with root vegetables over the last few years. I don’t see them germinating and even last year I put some carrots in from plugs from Rocket Gardens and I think these all were eaten. However I once had a scorzonera root therefore I know there is some potential. Before you all start laughing as to how useless I must be as I can’t grow carrots, in my defence, I understand from other allotmenteers at my site that there isn’t a huge success with carrots there unless you really create a good environment for them. So there.

Anyway, I decided I am going to give it another go, not with carrots though, for me they really are not worth the effort. Easter Monday I sowed scorzonera, salsify, root parsley and parsnips, but not into the ground, I cut toilet roll tubes in half and have sown into these and put outside into my little shelving greenhouse. I only read yesterday on another blog or FB comment about doing it this way so though it was worth a try – thank you whoever you are with that tip).

3. Another retry eh hem failure from last year were some seeds I bought from Agroforestry Research Trust. Without doing a hole heap of research I sowed these into little trays and left outside over winter expecting that these woukd germinate in the Spring. They didn’t. This time I have carefully researched and am trying 3 different ways to get them to germinate. As I do like a list here they are,

1. Quince – seeds in mix of compost and vermiculite in the fridge for 4-6 weeks
2. Kiwi – soaking in water in a warm place for a week, then kitchen paper for few days hopefully then they germinate and then planted
3. Strawberry tree – same as kiwi
4. Szechuan pepper – in freezer for a week before sowing

Fingers crossed. I do like a challenge. If you have a tip for any of these please let me know.

4. Next weekend is the RHS Show Cardiff and I have volunteered to be a helper. I will be a plant finder and on Thursday I will go for an orientation session. Let’s say I am a little nervous, only hope no one asks for Latin names as I will then become a littke unstuck.

5. Planting up salad leaves. It’s rained again today, April showers well and truely the shape of the weather however this afternoon should be drier. Two years ago G. made me some trugs on legs that I call a manger and although we have 3 up at the allotment with strawberries in we have one next to the house that was supposed to be filled with winter salad. This didn’t quite work as I had hoped, everything seems to have been chomped (but not by us) and the only thing surviving is the sorrel. Today, I am planting up the manger with salad leaves.

6. Biodynamic update – call me a rebel, well hardly. Last weekend I sowed the root veg and potatoes at the auspicious time according to the bd calendar, this weekend I am doing the same with the ‘fruit’; cucumbers, peppers, tomatillo, luffa and peas (personally never thought of peas as a fruit but hey ho. However as you can see from 5. above it hasn’t stopped me from planting up my salad manger. So there, if all my salad leaves now fail at least I can blame the moon and the stars for my inability and beta status as a gardener.

Have a good weekend and a good week.