Monthly Archives: May 2013

Preparation

Human Beans

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“I’m watching you, you haven’t covered them properly.”

Mama and I have taken a walk down and planted the following:
Tendergreen
Borlotto
Fagiolo nano brittle wax
Purple queen

In the Wendy house, some of the sunflowers have been deposited as well as the ‘running’ beans.

As of yet, there are germinators amongst the recently sown broad beans. But….

“Eleven!”

mama spotted eleven direct sown broadies and reminded me to put a stick next to them. Had to remind her in turn, that broadies don’t need support. I will not however argue.

Will be back shortly 🙂

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

classroom experimentation, Planting out, Preparation, The Big Sunflower Project 2013

Burgeoning

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Have made something of a transition, in shuffling things around onto the window sill.

The cucumbers and the squashes have been brought home and placed into the four tier blowaway. I don’t think that in the time that I have had it; it has ever been this full. The contents is getting bigger and bigger; and need hardening off. Am bit fearful actually, for the cucumbers. Might throw a bit of fleece over things tonight as they have been sat in a semi warm classroom. If they don’t make it through the night, that will be a problem.

We almost have a block of sweetcorn. Just waiting on a few more to germinate for security. I witnessed yesterday. The leaves of the sweetcorn transpiring. I have clearly over watered them! It was a wow moment that you had to be there for.

Another batch of runners have been sown. As have loads of petite poise and kelevdon wonder pea. Handful of caulis have been sown too.

Will update further soon!

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

classroom experimentation, The Big Sunflower Project 2013

Waiting in the wings #2

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Some of the inhabitants of the classroom windowsills have made the transfer from the sills to the 4TB. The running beans as mama H calls them have come home. These are scarlet emperor and painted lady. I think there were 20 of each sown; and at least that many have come through. Prior to the weekend, these had only just entered the universe; raising their heads they were very alien like. And beyond the warm bank holiday, they have taken off quite a bit.

As well as these, sunflowers for the The big sunflower project have also come home. These too are growing strongly. I’m concerned that perhaps these may get too big and need potting on or planting out soon. I’m hoping that if they harden off nicely in the next couple of weeks, they may make a further transfer to the plot. I’ve never grown sunflowers, never mind giant ones.

Then there are the tomatos. Some rather sadly, sulky looking things that need some love. They weren’t getting very much love and affection in the classroom, or sunlight for that matter. I forget now, exactly when they were sown; but I’ve never seen tomatos so small and need of such a pep talk. I couldn’t tell you what they were either. I didn’t label them!

There is still a lot on the window sills. I made a sowing of kelevdon wonder pea and some petite pois. The ones on the plot haven’t shown up yet. The sweetcorn is an interesting specimen. I have four babies, with another four trying to germinate. The sweetcorn looks likes what the Leeks need to eventually. Fattened up and pencil thick. Will be interesting to see if that comes off.

Squashes and cucumbers are increasingly more more triffid like. Most of which are now onto their first proper leaf. There is a waiting game with these. To harden off and plant out before the end of may with the next bank holiday.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

classroom experimentation, Preparation

Waiting in the wings

The burgeoning windowsills.

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Lots and lots of squashes, sweetcorn, very very very small tomatos, cucumbers that are increasingly more triffid like. Yes, I know that is a lot of squashes. They all require lots of room, lots of feeding. They might find themselves donated to a loving home. Hoping that more sweet corn will germinate. All of four, will not make for a suitable block.

Chillies are there too, I think the one that is the most rampant the moment is purple Beauty from Real seed Catalogue. There is also an early jalepeno from them, as well as Nigel’s outdoor chilli that they used to do. The seed sown was from a lovely Grape. In that squash box, there is a striato de Napoli courgette also from them. There are a couple of seeds, from another heritage seed collection Thomas Etty For the first time ever, sweet mini red has germinated. There are few patio varieties and other purple ones in the mix.

Painted lady and scarlet emperor runners have been sown. They had only just started to germinate. They do not make for pretty babies.

There are also baby sunflowers for the Big Sunflower project 2013.

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Everything is waiting for the threat of frost to pass. It is going to a long four weeks!

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

Planting out, success

Weekend Welly

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With the heralding of the May Day bank Holiday, you would have been forgiven this morning for being bah humbug as the heavens opened. Everytime I went to even think about putting my wellies on, the heavens opened. It was noon before the threat of rain dissipated. Having spent over a week away, this was an opportune time to see how the land lay as Mama H had been watering in my absence. I have also resisted, in clearing my window sills.

So down we pootled, my mother and I. You go to do one job, mum finds you another 76 to do. The one urgent job to do was to plant out the caulis from
Aunty Tish and net them. There was also a Sunderland Kale that needed to be put out too.So mama H did that as I was charged with watering things. As you can see, lots of fenugreek and various spinach like seedlings are germinating in a carpet of green. Looking good there.

With being charged with the watering, if did so. The potatoes are still asleep, no green shoots there yet. There is still a threat of frost. Frost, that hopefully will leave the blossoming Concorde tree alone. Last year, this was the one tree that stood there sulking; with the apple and plum flowering and fruiting. Something positive to take note of there.

Carrying out a couple of experiment, early direct sow. Dwarf French beans. Varieties sown were purple queen and borlotto dwarf. These are somewhat speculative, as we only just into may. The other experiment, is the laying of shredded paper as a mulch on a potato bed. That one is for further observation.

The Garlic, looks lovely! As do shallots. They in particular seem to have bloomed out of nowhere. Looking fairly sorry for themselves, they have taken on a whole new look for themselves. Some of the spring planted garlic is starting to send out some green shoots as are the onions. These were all mulched today, I really don’t fancy the weeds that have started to pop up.

Finally a few splashes of colour. Not as many as last year, but the tulips are blooming and looking lovely. More anemones were sunk today; whilst racked with pansy envy. There are no survivors on the plot, but at home we have about five or six that were pinched by Ma and put in pots. Providing a burst of red, white and purple.

So much to do. Really would have wanted to plant out a couple of squashes. Might try with a couple later this week. Another experiment….

Have a lovely may bank holiday where ever you find yourselves.

Remember.

Wear Sunscreen.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit