[ldavidcooke]

scrapemedic, on 07 June 2012 - 11:59, said:

I'll try the pop, later today maybe, so will let you know how I got on, but its weird that the same gas/oil mix i used theother day siezed it up this time.

Hey Liz,

Based on your performance loss also look at your plug if glossy black you may have lost the oil ring.

If you get rotation, open the crank oil, screw in the spark plug; but, do not attach the spark wire. Then put your thumb over the crank oil fill hole and give the starter rope a pull. You should feel a pull and push. Replace the oil fill cap and see if you can cover the exhaust with a thin card of paper. Again pull the starter you should see the paper pop away; but not suck back to the surface, (sucking back is an indication of a blown exhaust valve). If you can do the same for the carburator intake, (it should suck up tight), if not it will tell you if you have a possible head gasket failure.

I know a bit of a bother; but it reduces un-necessary work. If any of these fail try a bit of heavy oil in the cylinder, (about a teaspoon), if cold you should get a good compression at the spark plug hole, if it falls off after 5-10 pulls of the starter cord it is a sure sign of cylinder ring loss.

Oh as to your mix check the color, white/straw yellow not good... Should be either deep amber or gold with 87-93 octane, and green towards brown with 97-110 octane when mixed with brown/green 2 Stroke oil, if I recall my old av-gas lineman days correctly...

[scrapemedic]

Its pink, but thats with ryobi's own oil.

[ldavidcooke]

scrapemedic, on 07 June 2012 - 16:26, said:

Its pink, but thats with ryobi's own oil.

Hey Liz,

Ah yes, red oil or Cramolin we used to call it, a bit like transmission fluid.

(IMHO, red oil is lowsey for 2 Strokes..., too thin to protect the metal in a combustion environment likely as not to fail reed valves... Though pink, could be a form of unmixed high test..., another reason I employ synthetic oils.. (it's green or blue usually)).

[mrfizz]

This wind is playing havoc with me hollyhocks!

[Dave K]

As an experiment with a spare Red Duke of York seed potato I stuck one in a 12" pot at the end of March to see if it produced anything. Yesterday it got bashed about by the wind and a lot of the stems were broken so I though I might as well see what was there. Not too bad for a single plant after about 10 weeks in a pot that's too small in less than ideal weather. Largest is just a bit bigger than a hen's egg. Gives me some encouragment that the ones in a properly large container will be good in a fortnight or so. Proof will be in the eating of course!

[Dave K]

Had some of the above tonight as new potatoes, and very tasty indeed! You may find the variety in markets or supermarkets, often sold large for baking and I can recommend them for flavour. Very pleased to have got at least these out of this mainly cold and damp few weeks of difficult weather, proves that you don't need "ideal" weather to succeed. I just hope I have many more in the big container...

[skanky]

Big Dave, on 11 June 2012 - 17:35, said:

Had some of the above tonight as new potatoes, and very tasty indeed! You may find the variety in markets or supermarkets, often sold large for baking and I can recommend them for flavour. Very pleased to have got at least these out of this mainly cold and damp few weeks of difficult weather, proves that you don't need "ideal" weather to succeed. I just hope I have many more in the big container...

You can help with some polythene too. Keep any old clear stuff you get (packaging etc.) and can, using a stick or cane, make a teepee over the pot. You'll need to hand water, but if you keep say, a bucket or other container out, it should trap a similar amount of water as the pot would. If it's in the ground, then you should be able to avoid the need to water - this is assuming cool and damp conditions.

The difference in growth between the plants that were under polythene and those that weren't was very striking, in our raised bed.

[Dave K]

skanky, on 12 June 2012 - 09:32, said:

You can help with some polythene too. Keep any old clear stuff you get (packaging etc.) and can, using a stick or cane, make a teepee over the pot. You'll need to hand water, but if you keep say, a bucket or other container out, it should trap a similar amount of water as the pot would. If it's in the ground, then you should be able to avoid the need to water - this is assuming cool and damp conditions.

The difference in growth between the plants that were under polythene and those that weren't was very striking, in our raised bed.

Thanks for the suggestion, it's a bit windswept where the veggies are so anything like that has to be extremely well secured or they end up taking off and landing in France! It's surprising with potatoes that no matter how heavy the rain there is so much foliage that not much of it actually reaches the soil below.

[skanky]

Big Dave, on 12 June 2012 - 10:42, said:

Thanks for the suggestion, it's a bit windswept where the veggies are so anything like that has to be extremely well secured or they end up taking off and landing in France! It's surprising with potatoes that no matter how heavy the rain there is so much foliage that not much of it actually reaches the soil below.

Yes wind could be an issue, our garden's quite well sheltered, even if the property's aspect isn't.
Another idea watering would be a large funnel to one side that's stuck in the edge of the pot. Might look a bit odd though.

[Dave K]

Wow, I've never seen this before as a weather warning, not that I have ever thought of looking TBH

Quote

Conditions favouring the spread of potato blight will occur up to Sunday 17th June. Issued at 13:00 on 14-Jun-2012


www.met.ie

This is a really useful page for growers in Ireland, I suppose the UKMO offer it as a specialist service (i.e. have to pay for it?) http://www.met.ie/la...gricultural.asp

This post has been edited by Big Dave's Gusset: 14 June 2012 - 13:56

[Nigel Bolton]

Potato blight also affects tomatoes.

Have moved mine so there is plenty of space between each plant. Always put my toms into tubs, so they are easily moved.

Warmer nights have had a positive effect on the rest of my veg. Growth rate has now really taken off. Should have first crop of spinach this weekend. Trying not to harvest the rhubarb, is in its first year, but growth is superb!!!

Broad beans nicely in flower, and have now had tops nipped to prevent blackfly. They are a great crop to plant if you want to attract bumble bees into the garden. I have a nest in one of the bird boxes.

N.

[Dave K]

Nigel Bolton, on 14 June 2012 - 14:07, said:

Potato blight also affects tomatoes.

Have moved mine so there is plenty of space between each plant. Always put my toms into tubs, so they are easily moved.

Warmer nights have had a positive effect on the rest of my veg. Growth rate has now really taken off. Should have first crop of spinach this weekend. Trying not to harvest the rhubarb, is in its first year, but growth is superb!!!

Broad beans nicely in flower, and have now had tops nipped to prevent blackfly. They are a great crop to plant if you want to attract bumble bees into the garden. I have a nest in one of the bird boxes.

N.

Very true, there's plenty of space for my tomatoes except for two in a growbag which are by necessity close to each other. They are all fairly distant from the potatoes. My first earlies, the rest of the Red Duke of York, I'll be taking up within a fortnight anyway, and the second earlies in mid July so hopefully they'll be OK. Not easy when they are in containers to water them to the soil and not over the leaves, and the rain is hard to do anything about unless you take Skanky's suggestion and build a tepee!

This is a useful resource for checking reported outbreaks of blight in the UK: http://www.potato.org.uk/node/910

[Dave K]

Going to try my first home grown spring onion of 2012 today, just a little young but I'm tired of waiting for things to grow to full size this year! Growing 'Guardsman' this time as well as the usual Shimonita. Also experimenting with dwarf beans 'Rondo', never tried to grow legumes before so will see how it goes.

[Dave K]

Bit of a disappointing yield from my main Red Duke of York container, digging up some more first earlies after 14 weeks. Whether it's the poor weather or down to me but only enough new potatoes for three servings (admittedly I go for large servings of potatoes!) to add to those I unearthed a while ago. Just hope the second earlies do better than that.

The French bean seedlings germinated quite quickly though and seem tobe enjoying this rare sunny spell.

[Nigel Bolton]

After failing with rhubarb several years running, the plant I bedded in early this Spring is now HUGE!!!. As it is its first year, I should not pull any stems, but am reall tempted, as some are big enough, each to provide enough for two or three servings. Also, another small crown I planted last year, that did nothing, but I left in to rot, has thrown up some leaves. It is hidden within the broad bean bed, so will transplant after the harvest of those. Each stem weight for weight at supermarket prices, must be a couple of quid.

Harvested salad onions and radishes last night. Toms have now statred to produce fruit.

Strangely, the spinach has bolted. Normally it weill keep going for months, and through the winter, to bolt the following Spring.

N.

[Dave K]

Quote

UK: Apple prices set to soar as harvest goes pear-shaped

Apple prices set to soar as harvest goes pear-shaped due to this year's terrible weather. Shoppers have been warned to brace themselves for another unwelcome side effect of our terrible weather: soaring apple prices. Growers say their orchards have been blighted by frost, rain and hailstorms, meaning this year’s crop will be dramatically reduced – and prices significantly higher.

http://www.freshplaz...il.asp?id=97539

Some growers have had problems with pollination due to the inactivity of bees in poor weather (and no doubt wind damage to blossom too). A report I saw today in the DT said some growers expect to lose 90% of the usual crop!

Meanwhile, I have around 70 or so tomatoes on 6 plants ( 4 outdoors and 2 greenhouse ) of various sizes. Some are "sonogram" size and a few are approaching full size - now all that is needed is warmth and mucho sunshine to ripen them up but that doesn't look very likely after a brief bit of summe this week.

[Christopher]

I have a dwarf stock apple tree in Pollination group A. It was covered in blossom in April but there just weren't any bees around. Despite many attempts with pollen from next doors tree we have 9 apples. We had over 30 last year!! The honey bees appeared just as the last blossom at the top of the tree was out, and this is where the most fruit is. Hand pollination clearly doesn't work that well.

[Christopher]

First cucumber flowers appearing. Sungold tomatoes have around 4 trusses, with fruit on the bottom 2. Cayenne chilli's have flowers out. Pea pods have formed in their pea bags and potatoes are just getting their flower buds ( maris piper). Charlotte's have no flowers yet. Also in bags.

[Andy Mayhew]

I still have 3 pots of 'winter' pansies - planted last October - flowering .....

[Nigel Bolton]

Apples may just be taking a break. Last year was a bumper crop, and trees may just be taking time out. It is not unusual for fruit trees to have a two year cycle, especially if they are heavy fruiters.

Also, the winter was mild. Fruit trees like a period of severe cold in the winter, so they can completely close down.

I have a few apples on my tree, but are slow to form.

Bees. I am lucky enough to have a bee colony in one of the bird boxes. They were very helpful in polinating the broad beans.

N.