[Dave K]

The overwintered fatalli chilli in a bright and warm bedroom has grown back rather large now and produced a couple of dozen or more flowers but none seem to be setting pods at the moment and encouraging pollination with a tiny paintbrush hasn't helped yet. Could be it needs insects to do their job but it's too cool at night to put it back in the lean-to.

The mint which was cut back very hard before winter and disappeared from view is now showing some new shoots once more and grown already to 10cm or so.

[John Mason]

Have just run pH tests: soil is 7-7.5. This is surprisingly high for normally-acid Mid-Wales. Perhaps a) that there has been a garden here for decades and that I've added quite a lot of alkali to it (seashell, wood ash) are the reasons why. Anyhow, will be holding back on adding any more for this year at least.

Cheers - John

[Halo]

The other day whilst working indoors I heard what sounded like a choking noise and thinking it was one of the cats having a coughing fit in the roof I thought nothing of it. It carried on for a bit and began to get on my nerves and going outside found another of the local cats stalking something on the grass - a pheasant. The sounds were coming from this. Seeing me it flew off. I saw it again this morning, and it just legged it across the field. I suspect many other encounters in the near future. Pheasants are all very nice to look at but I have plenty of experience of what the barstewards can do to a vegetable bed (remembering one wrecked the courgette plantation one year, and big holes appeared in the onion patch last year). Bearing in mind the pheasant might be a pet I shall have to think of some ideas on protecting my vegetable plots.

Anyone got any suggestions, apart from shooting it (not that I would want to!)

[Bazmundo]

An impromptu scarecrow, perhaps? Apparently a 6x24" stove pipe with mesh at one end makes a good trap, if they follow seed into it they can't 'reverse' out! Then you could relocate it, but I'm not sure whether it would be back or not.

The only other suggestion I could find from browsing other forums was to leave something more enticing and captivating, such as a mix of seed and straw for them to scratch at - maybe in the neighbours garden?

[Dave K]

Planted the Belle de Fontenay taters today in the container and as I had one seed potato left over, put it in a 12" pot which is probably too small to produce anything but what the heck, maybe get some baby new taters out of it.

Also planted first lot of spring onions, radishes and baby carrots all in containers which can be covered if frosts should threaten. Will wait a fortnight before the second sowing.

After producing loads of flowers the overwintering fatalli chili looks like it has finally set a couple of pods. One "Orange Wonder" seedling has just germinated. Expecting to sow the tomato seeds indoors next week.

[John Mason]

Halo, on 16 March 2012 - 10:26, said:

The other day whilst working indoors I heard what sounded like a choking noise and thinking it was one of the cats having a coughing fit in the roof I thought nothing of it. It carried on for a bit and began to get on my nerves and going outside found another of the local cats stalking something on the grass - a pheasant. The sounds were coming from this. Seeing me it flew off. I saw it again this morning, and it just legged it across the field. I suspect many other encounters in the near future. Pheasants are all very nice to look at but I have plenty of experience of what the barstewards can do to a vegetable bed (remembering one wrecked the courgette plantation one year, and big holes appeared in the onion patch last year). Bearing in mind the pheasant might be a pet I shall have to think of some ideas on protecting my vegetable plots.

Anyone got any suggestions, apart from shooting it (not that I would want to!)

Shoot it and pluck, wrap in streaky bacon and shove in a medium oven for an hour. Yum yum! They are non-indigenous pests but at least they are a good munch.

[Dave K]

John Mason, on 21 March 2012 - 18:58, said:

Shoot it and pluck, wrap in streaky bacon and shove in a medium oven for an hour. Yum yum! They are non-indigenous pests but at least they are a good munch.

But you have to be sure it is a wild one and not released from gamekeepers' stock or you may get done for poaching!

[Nigel Bolton]

75 onion sets will be planted tomorrow, as will some beetroot seeds.

Lettuce seedlings just starting to poke above the surface, all planted tommy seeds germinated.

N.

[Dave K]

Sown the tomato seeds this afternoon; three each of Gardeners Delight, Sungold and Tamina. Nothing now to do for a week or two but wait and see what if anything that I have sown/planted comes up!

[John Mason]

Big Dave, on 21 March 2012 - 19:02, said:

But you have to be sure it is a wild one and not released from gamekeepers' stock or you may get done for poaching!

Only if you get caught

The rule with roadkill is interesting: if you kill a pheasant with your car it is illegal to claim it, but if you are behind someone who hits and kills a pheasant it is yours for the taking. Same applies to deer.

Have planted all onions (~100) and shallot (~200, but some are small ones harvested last year that will do for Spring Onions in the summer months) sets this week and sown leek and parsnip seeds. Cutting fresh parsley, chives and swiss chard and the purple-sprouting broccoli is coming along steadily - just a few more weeks and I'll have a supply of that which is an annual treat hard to beat. Should I grow tomatoes from seed or buy plants? I only want 2-3 plants: don't have the room for more than that.

Cheers - John

[Dave K]

John Mason, on 22 March 2012 - 17:39, said:

Only if you get caught

The rule with roadkill is interesting: if you kill a pheasant with your car it is illegal to claim it, but if you are behind someone who hits and kills a pheasant it is yours for the taking. Same applies to deer.

Have planted all onions (~100) and shallot (~200, but some are small ones harvested last year that will do for Spring Onions in the summer months) sets this week and sown leek and parsnip seeds. Cutting fresh parsley, chives and swiss chard and the purple-sprouting broccoli is coming along steadily - just a few more weeks and I'll have a supply of that which is an annual treat hard to beat. Should I grow tomatoes from seed or buy plants? I only want 2-3 plants: don't have the room for more than that.

Cheers - John

I'd say it's purely down to preference and space, as you obviously have the confidence to plant seeds (not everyone does!). I suppose the big advantage of going for seeds is that you have complete control over when they are planted and ready for planting out if you will transplant them outside, plus you know if they are organic or not right from the start if that's your thing (unless you have a reliable supplier of certified plants). Plus there is more variety available buying from seed. Pretty much every tomato seed I've planted has germinated and I usually have a suplus from which to choose - hoping I'm not tempting the mocker gods this year now

[Dave K]

4 tomato seedlings up out of 9 seeds planted so far after just 6 days None of the outdoor veg seed sowings or potatoes have appeared yet but it's early days.

[Dave K]

7 of 9 tomato seeds now germinated and seedlings one week after sowing. 1 radish seedling up today, one week after sowing. Possible signs in one tub that a potato sprout is trying to push its way to the surface. 3 chilli seedlings growing glacially as is their way...

Chances of air/ground frost for next week seem to be growing too though...

[Nigel Bolton]

All my tommies are up, radishes are appearing, but the broad beans remain dormant.

In the shed, the lettuce and the leeks are just popping up.

Fruit trees now bursting into blossom.

N.

[Paul Domaille]

Nigel Bolton, on 29 March 2012 - 19:52, said:

All my tommies are up, radishes are appearing, but the broad beans remain dormant.

In the shed, the lettuce and the leeks are just popping up.

Fruit trees now bursting into blossom.

N.

Unusually your fruit trees are ahead of us here. Certainly Damson and Plum buds just appearingh, haven't checked the apples though. First flowers appearing on glasshouse Raspberries, but indoor sweet peas are very late, Sowed last Autumn and no sogn of a flower yet....but don't talk to me about the Freesias ! This sunny weather has them quicker than a sting jet !
Cheers,
Paul D

[John Mason]

Had my first pick of purple-sprouting broccoli today. More coming along - just took central shoots out. Always helps with cropping.

However, planting of potatoes is on hold until after Easter, likewise tomato seeds. Mid-month the plan for both.

Cheers - John

[Dave K]

Risk of hard frost seems to have decreased on the most recent GFS runs, still some frost around though for many so precautionary measures may still be needed this week.