Category Archives: weather woes

Taking stock, weather woes

Ice Ice baby

Ventured down the plot this morning. Was all rather crispy and crunchy underfoot. Not quite sure which one is safer; having slushy mud under foot or Ice.

A sheet of ice covers the puddles that dot the plot. Looks a lot like a sheet of glass, that would be really quite precarious if one was to stick a wellington through it. There is little beauty to be observed on the plot at the moment. The desolate damp nature, makes it all a bit dreary. Though the potential is there; that is the upside. It could all be beautiful.

There are things growing though! Not many, I might add. There are green shoots scattered around. Suggesting onions and garlic are taking flight. For the moment, we shall see!

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weather woes

Puddly, pools, paddle boat?

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Walked down to the plot today, just to see what difference a couple of days had made if at all. Needless to say, it hasn’t. It was dry today, or at least I think it was; the little that I saw of the day having been inside for the most part. All that is missing really, is perhaps a couple of gold fish, a frog, a rubber ducky. Watching the news as I speak, the newsanchor suggests that the precipitation will continue into next week and there is possibility of the white stuff also descending. Well, they always say that at this time of the year. Apparently, 93mm of rain fell over the weekend. That would make sense, given the level of water that seems to be just sitting there on the plot. This flooding business may only get worse.. The wendy house, a former shadow of itself, stands there all skeletal looking. I would just it to be dry for a spell. Dry. I don’t mind cold. But dry, and lack of precipitation perhaps.

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I’ve attached the links as I have yet to figure out how to put videos and things in. It is somewhat perilous just getting to the plot. The red wellingtons squelched some what in making my way to the plot. As you get closer and closer to plot 2a, the surface underfoot becomes muddier and muddier. It is difficult to stop sliding around and not ending up one’s backside. I met another plot holder as I left. He had a story to share, given how I had shared my excess of onion sets with him. He had sunk them, as you do. Only for evil squirrels to dig them up, bite the bottom and then rebury them. This is apparently what the critters do with acorns and such like.

When it comes to my own plot; something is growing. Something has sent up some green shoots. There are a couple of green shoots belonging to broad beans. Easily recognisable with the big, wrinkly leaves and stout shoot. The shoots of the onions and garlic are quite slender in comparison. All is not lost, just a bit of it. Perhaps some rescuing could be done in the Spring. Though this spring, putting in onions at the point didn’t really work; or the onions for that matter. Even so, it was from the spring that we had the start of this years miserable freak weather. The sogginess is just as demoralising as not having a productive plot. I have been advised to move; but I really don’t want to. Having worked so hard on this one, I’d like to see all that hard work pay off.

Sat at home, is the pot grown Reuben Blackberry. Hardy as it may be, I’m not sure about sinking it into wet clay. In addition, raspberry canes are expected at some point. Have invested in a pot making device; you know the sort, the little wooden things that you wrap newspaper around.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

weather woes

Carnage, chaos, Courage canned.

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What day was it now? Thursday. The day that the heavens opened, the sceptred Isle saw a nation wide band of precipitation cut a swathe through the land. It is still going today, it may well be a different system actually. I forget now, incensed as I am.

And why, am I so angry? Below is the reason why. I wandered down this morning, me, my red wellingtons. Dad’s words that I should at least change into my scruffy jeans before I go, ringing in my ears. I fully anticipated it not to be there. I envisaged,  that the Wendy house would actually be half way across hobbitland and require fishing out from somewhere. It was still there. In dire shape, and in several pieces.  The broom handles-not quite the two ronnies, I know-were still there. One lay, looking rather sorry for itself behind the wendy house. The others needed rearranging a little. It didn’t take too long, to right the wendy house. It’s big enough, it towers over me a little. Trying not trip, fall and land in the mud, I did manage to pull it up. It’s not sitting firm, but sitting as squarely as it can. Tomorrow, there is a further deluge predicted. So it may well end up keeled over yet again.

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The contents have been entirely disgorged. it was never organised in the first place. So that was tidied up a little. Have moved the bag of compost, and will probably store that in Dad’s shed over winter so that it remains dry. The cover itself, it torn to ribbons. Shredded completely. There are serrated edges, that would suggest the elements have savagely gnawed at it. Chomped on, chewed up, and then spat out. Thankfully, there is a second cover that is somewhere in Dad’s shed. I won’t be putting it on just yet. This wendy house has given me nothing but grief since it first arrived!

With the further onslaught from the elements expected, the state of the plot leaves a lot to be desired. That said, on close inspection, green shoots-not many, mind-were observed. Most likely garlic or onions, perhaps the odd spring bulb. However, that means not an awful lot. All those onions, shallots, garlic and tulip bulbs planted are now most likely a write off. There a few bits of shallots that are sat in dad’s shed; I didn’t get around to planting them last month, and space was getting short.

There are puddles every where, and they are only going to get deeper. Other than stand there with a bucket, I’m not entirely sure how it is all going to drain away. The chances of a dry winter are not worth taking a gamble on at all

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

weather woes

Puddles, perils and Puzzlement

Dear Mother Nature, what exactly is one playing at? Look what you have done now!

We’ve had blistering and balmy days earlier in the year, followed by Olympic sport type rain. The situation does not appear to be changing any time soon. As such, it is hard to not be demoralised and despondent. The productivity of this year has left a lot to be desired. With the exception of garlic, onions and shallots, not a lot else has come off. In autumn, at least there is an opportunity to get an early start. With overwintering, it’s a bolt on to whatever you might grown in the spring or summer. Arguably, it can be risky. Especially, if as now, the weather throws you all the curved balls it can muster.

Image Am tempted to get a metre stick, and see just how deep these puddles are. I really would, though the worry is, that I fall in, and will have difficulties coming back out again.

Donned the red Wellingtons this morning, to survey the damage done by the over night deluge. A deluge, that has in fact been passing over the sceptred for the last few days. Above and below is the sight that I was met with. Submerged, soggy and really quite slippery under foot. It was a mission to get there, with the path leading up to the plot very boggy. It was not high heel wearing terrain! The half plot is right at the end of the site, and for some time was very unloved. What is evident, is that drainage not just on the plot, but also on that section of the site is an issue. Mine is not the only plot to be somewhere under water.

Image The raised beds are there, in the hope that in being raised; there is a reduced risk of flooding. The ground that does remain, is however going to be sodden. GYO-ing is then severely handicapped. As it stands-the water anyway!-it is difficult to ascertain whether things are drowned, dead and defunct. With the sheer volume of standing water, the persistent precipitation, and the fairly erratic weather; the likelihood is that the clay is going to eat anything and everything. This time last year, it was much drier. The overwintering garlic shallots, onions and even broadbeans had been sown. They were starting to send up shoots. This year, a few had been starting to grow shoots. With the mud and water, any of these are now a little difficult to see.

In the cold light of autumn and winter, the plot does look miserable. The one light at the end of the tunnel, would be that by Spring, there could be change. If there is drier weather between now and then, the greedy clay may not get fed so much. This year. as a first year allotmenteer, has been challenging. It is not just hobbitland, a vast majority of gardeners have faced the same adversities and challenges. And with that, it is no good being morose and defeatist. This year, all being well, has been a fluke. The product of freak climatic conditions.

Let’s just hope the water drains!

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

weather woes

Surviving the Siberian beast from the east

Well, it is nearly half term, and I’ve not really had much opportunity to go play. There have been a couple of hours here and there, when I have been along and shuffled around. Last weekend, I did go and dig over what will be the pumpkin patch after having gone to the Ryton ‘tato day. I naively ignored the advice to stretch before I started to dig, and boy did I feel it later. This had been on my mind for some time, and I still have to add the FYM that is sat next to the water butt. Job for Half term that. There is long list of things I want to do. I have also cannibalised the struts from the wendy house that fell down last year, and they will be forming the basis of the supports for the legumes in addition to bamboo canes. I plan to string pea net across them. The plan was to sow legumes this week, alas the cold snap has persuaded me otherwise. Will wait for a bit. As it stands-and it does, for the moment-the wendy house is still there. I did worry this morning, that post snow, it may have fallen over. Looked a lot warmer than the rest of the plot. Was all right, didn’t need to sweep snow off the top That would have been interesting, on tip toes in pink wellies. I assure you, grandad Mike was supervising. The broadbeans-claudia aquadulce, are now has beans. I forgot to cloche and cover them as I was having a fight with a tooth ache(grinding your teeth in your sleep does that to you, apparently). Ventured over on Friday after school, to find them keeled over as ex-beans. Beans that have ceased to exist. The pics are of the plot this morning and of yesterday. The over wintering onion and garlic patch was altogether depressing, looked like everything had keeled over. I was not in the least bit buoyed when I bumped into the ‘lotment secretary busy chopping down dead branches; who told me that that nothing over wintered on the site as it was so cold. “oh, right, thanks” said I, wandering off to my plot with fleece under my arm, muttering under my breath. I dare not to even open up the wiggly woo’s. Just made sure on Friday, that they were covered up. Haven’t opened up since before Christmas when they were stuffed with paper, fed and covered up. If I have ex-worms as well, I will not be a happy hobbit. Chillies have been sown inside, with a fair few causalities. Early Jalapeños, don’t quite like it this early. Killed a few early tomato sowings, but second ones are coming along. The aubergine analogue study has also started. Once the heated propagator is empty, they will be moved there. Currently on a warm window sill. I like my bog basic heated ‘lectric propogator. Makes me feel that bit more confident! Am itching to sow curcurbits but will most definitely wait til March. March will also be the time for carrots and parsnips. For the carrots at least, the generous advice garnered means digging in some sand. March will also see Maris Pipers and King Ed’s spuds going into the ground. I don’t fancy digging a huge trench, so I’m taking advice about bulb planters. Just need one industrial strength to do the job. There’s lot more to be done. I’m just not there yet 🙂

Taking stock, Termly reports, weather woes

With April, come the showers

With April, come the showers.

With the country in the throes of a drought, you’d think that April showers were something of a God send. Finally, the arid earth of the hobbitland allotment would be quenched. The easter weekend passed with the lotment being left to it’s own devices; I was elsewhere, but it was most definitely at the fore of mind. The plan had been to use Easter Monday to sink potatos. Alas, the April showers suggested other things ought to be done.

It was grim this morning, when the curtains were twitched. The heavens had opened, there was a lot of precipitation. We were being rained upon, from a great height. The precipitation had put paid to the potatos. Sat with their chits a-twitching are the Maris Pipers from the tattieman. Along side them, six or so King Edwards. I have resisted, in buying more. Especially as there are space constraints, and I have never grown potatos before. I have been meaning to also look into Christmas potatoes. That will have to be a summer job.

In the last few weeks, a number of valuable lessons have been learned.

The cold kills, for one.

Even more brutally, when things are sown early.

One would have thought that the four tier blowaway was a fairly safe place. However, since it is unheated, that doesn’t necessarily mean a thing. Today, there was a close inspection of the beans and peas that were sown at the start of March. With the exception f the Cascadia sugarsnap, a few of the borlotto fire tongue bean, there were a few that were decimated. White lady, and the suttons prizewinner, had all but keeled over. Gone black in places. I have actually made a second sowing of runners, as there is now a frame built to accommodate them. Built today, in the spitting rain. Slightly wonky, but serviceable.

I hasten to add, that the legumes are all very experimental. I have yet to get my head around sowing them properly. There have already been lotment transplantings of shiraz mange tout and also Bijou mangetout. The aquadulce broadies have recently started to flower, since we have had a lot of mild weather. I will be double checking these, they are very small!

Standing sentry on the plot is the garlic and onion crop. Mulched at the base, I do hope that will help with watering. I was getting rather annoyed in having to water so frequently with the unseasonably warm weather. Now, there is a wonderful alpine and allieum smell from that bed. A bed that may see a few decapitated shallots and onions, as weeding before the mulch was a monstrous job.

Before Christmas, I had sown a great number of blooms. Hyacinths, tulips, anemones. The anemones, are as good as gone. I’ve not seen a single one push through and bloom. I assume they have all rotted down in the clay. What has come through, are the hyacinths and tulips. Lots of pretty pinks and purples. A nice splash of spring colour. The plan is to now add some summer colour too. Marigolds have been sown, as well as poppies and are sat in the 4TB as babies. These will be then transplanted when the time comes. In adition, there are some summer flowering bulbs that will be put in once the late may frosts have gone. By which time the squashes and things should be ready.

The squashes and things, that whilst sown; the first batch of babies keeled over when being moved from the heated propagator to the wendy house. This was despite being covered in fleece. Second resowings have been made, and more care will be taken of these. The aubergines, for the moment, seem to be okay. However, with the growing season still in it’s infancy, everything is still woefully precarious.

I don’t want to see another baby onion. There are easily a couple of hundred, dotted around the plot. And shallots. There is a fair few there. From observation, I can see that the over wintering one’s are okay. In fact, most of the overwintering garlic, shallots and onions has got foliage. Only a few of the recent sowings of onion and shallots have. The recently planted garlic, is probably a write off. Nothing is happening there at all.

Chillies, are biding their time as per usual. Less than half the class of thirty has germinated, but this the umpteenth sowing due to cold killing them. I think we are on twelve babies, with two sweet peppers only just starting to germinate. I have had more success with these in the unheated propagator compared to the heated one.

Sprouts have been sown in the wendy house, some purple sprouting autumnal broccoli. As well as lettuce. Some bubbles and Claremont. The cabbages will need potting on, some are quite big. Not quite to the six leave stage yet, though.

Parsnips are sown, but nothing appears to have germinated. Thought it is hard to distinguish between a weed and a parsnip baby. Carrots are germinating beneath a fleece. A fleece that needs to become a cloch type thing soon. There are baby turnips also. The cabbage bed has been dug over, I just need to stamp on it now before i transplant. Though I will also need to sink slug traps. Tomatos are splint into two groups. Those that are growing, look lovely, are very much tomato plants. And those that are taking their time, and will be tomato plants but haven’t got thereyet.

Stay tuned, and thank you in anticipation

Horticultural_Hobbit