Here come the slugs again

Daffodils and Tulips going strong...

After nearly a hot sunny day today (actually a hazy day with an cool east wind nothing like what the met office predicted again) , the forecast for what it's worth is for showers and warm nights so expecting a slug population explosion.

Saturday
Sown peas and carrots in pots outdoors, plus full trays of cabbage(hispi) and kale (nero di toscana) and half trays of parsnip (white gem), leek (carantan), celeriac (monarch) and some aubretia. Scattered a few old watercress seeds into ponds.

Friday
Sowed packet (100+) of peas in attic.

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Sunday 18th
The forced rhubarb has been growing at a rate that makes Usain Bolt look a little casual and the first of this year’s perfect pink crop was picked today. Likely to give it another couple of weeks, before cropping again for freezing... pending the arrival of blackcurrants in summer to turn into jam. Much less slug activity than last year, perhaps as a consequence of a longer colder winter? or maybe just the current dry spell combined with cool nights is keeping them quiet for now, plenty lurking about.

More seeds sown... half trays of beetroot(x2), unnamed free co-op salad leaves (look like mustards) and Gardeners World red lettuce (from last year’s free seeds). One beetroot tray into mini pollyhouse, rest of seedlings into plastic box.

Spinach from two weeks ago still not up, but rest of seed trays taken out of plastic box and put under open sided glass.

Plenty of naturally occuring radish from last year's seeds - so sliced a couple of spadefuls into a tray. Rest of bed roughly hoed to kill off a few weeds.

Installed new raised bed donated from next door and filled with compost from last year’s piles.

Saturday 17th
A nice long day in the sun – hottest day of year - with more weeding and tidying, found another small newt hiding under water butt when moving it, so was relocated to ponds area.

Sawed a bit of prolific Iris tuber off to give a bit more space in main pond and re-planted them in ground. Plenty of frogs and newts enjoying the weather once debris settled.

Friday 16th
Flying visit to water seedlings on a warm day, before work. After a sunny dry week all seeds showing except spinach.

Saturday 10th/ Sunday 11th
Long dry~ish spell allowed a few trenches to be dug (yes, I know!) and manured on Saturday before planting main crop of Cara potatoes on Sunday.

Only 1 radish from last week’s sowing showing on Saturday but few lettuce popped out by Sunday.

Brassicas potted on to bigger pots after a good week's growth.

Shitting in the Wind

Sown first of this year's seeds - 6 x half trays of early salad stuff... radish, little gem lettuce, mixed lettuce, mixed mustards, spinach and (the much nicer) spinach beet.

Potted on the broad bean seedlings that had doubled in height since buying, and checked on brassica seedlings which were still damp and fairly warm in mini polly house. Added an extra shelf layer to lift beans up away from the awakening slugs.

Fairly windy and more forecast for first half of week so wrapped a line around just in case. Weather looking like a reasonable prospect of a high building from Weds so some sun and cool nights likely.

Wind too cold to get much done - hampered by achilles injury too - so just a general bit of tidying done and a bit of newt spotting.

Rhubarb has finally awakened and forced bin rocketing into action.

Some selfish idiot from other end had chosen to allow their dog to run around loose and uncontrolled again, shitting in other people's allotments - quite ignorant behaviour and should be kicked off.

Lovely bit of Toxacara Canis never did anyone any harm, did it? I mean its not like the eggs stay in the soil for months waiting to blind someone... do they? Maybe I'll just invite myself round to dinner and shit on their table.