Subscribe with Bloglines At last I've got my plot!

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Today's haul included a rake with a long metal handle, a scythe, some corrugated iron, baler twine....three colours, chicken wire.....all in a ball, bones (thought I might find a body there were so many!), two iron bars, rusty secateurs, a knife, and lots of plastic netting. Also....5 buckets of white roots. I know I said this yesterday but another two days should finish this bit.
I've bid for and won some fruit bushes on eBay. 8 "Autumn Bliss" Raspberries, an "Invicta" Gooseberry and two crowns of "Timperly Early" Rhubarb. I'll soon be ready to plant them, but I don't think they'll be here until late next week.

It was foggy today. The allotments are high up so I got the sun, but the ships in the Solent were in the fog and their mournful foghorns were loud.
There were some women playing tennis on the courts next door and it sounded like they were having a whale of a time.

I forgot the camera today, but really the photos would be much the same as before......!

4 Comments:

At 19/12/06 7:54 pm, Blogger clairesgarden said...

its amazing what can be hiding under the long grass! I bought some fruit bushes from e-bay last year, they were all really good plants.

 
At 20/12/06 12:01 am, Blogger Greenmantle said...

What?... a proper sythe, like the Grim Reaper?

Timperly early is V. good for forcing, just don't try and pull too much in the first year. It needs to feed the crown first of all.

 
At 20/12/06 6:10 am, Blogger lilymarlene said...

When I typed up yesterday's entry only the word "scythe" came to my brain. It is really what my husband calls a "bagging hook"....ie a 12" scythe shaped blade on a short handle. My Mum always called that a scythe but I know the word really means a big one.....like the Grim Reaper has!!!!!
I was actually surprised to find it as I thought those blades were so thin that they rust to nothing in no time.

I'll take notice of your tip for the rhubarb. Just a very few stalks this year!!!!!!! I thought that by getting two crowns I'd be able to force them in alternate years, thus staggering the harveast a bit. Or would it be better to get another later one as well?

 
At 20/12/06 10:34 am, Blogger Greenmantle said...

Round there 'ere parts we'd call it a "brushing hook"

You can force rhubarb every year once it's established. It just needs a season to get settled before you start stressing it too much. Depends on how vigourous it looks I suppose. I'd be tempted to let it grow naturally the 1st year, and take a few stalks now and them, and really go for it in year 2.
Once it really gets going, you need to keep up with it to keep it in production..don't let the big flowerheads form.

 

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