Sorry for delay replying. Making up time in garden as stay in hospital last week to sort out my Immune system which is up the creek! -Anyway Obelixx next descending Moon 22nd June so hang on in OR 14-16th is the time to harvest herbs for drying and tisannes, so if those leaves have really yellowed lift then. So excited it rained during my absence but although it kept plants happy, not much to show for it in Water Butts so longing for drenching prophesied by French and UK Weathermen tonight and tomorrow. Now it's honesty time -The Sprouting Broccoli that I sowed and overwintered is superb AND I have avoided the Cabbage Whites -HOWEVER the crop is not as good as standard plantings, a middle sprout wooshes up and is delicious but there are few side shoots. I'm not 100% sure of the reason for this but as the plants are so healthy I am leaving them in to see if more side shoots appear and eating humble pie -I shall sow some more to bring on as per normal. All advice welcome. -Everything else is thriving and I have just bought some Bettroot plugs too Obelixx -They really do do better sowed by someone else first!!
Anyway here is the Lunar Calender 11-24th June
11/12/13th June - Moon Ascending in Aquarius so Flower Days. If weather good enough gather Lime Flowers/Camomile and Mallow for Tisannes. Sow Bi-annuals in a Nursery Bed together with perennials keep soil damp but not too wet.
14/15/16th June - Moon Ascending in Pisces so Leaf and Shoot Days. On 15th no gardening recommended before 7.05am (Don't think you would be anyway!) Moon apogee (Furthest point from Earth in monthly cycle) Harvest Herbs in the middle of the day if dry and sunny place them in a place dry and warm but out of the light. Just learned from Herbal Recipe Book that you can put them in brown paper bags and give them a shake every few days as opposed to hanging them up. Sow Wild Chicory and Lettuce that will put up with Summer heat such as Iceberg, Cutting leaves young will help to make up your Mesclun well into the Autumn.
17th June -Sorry only 1 Fruit Day -Outside sow 3 Cucumber or Courgette seeds in holes saving strongest as they sprout.
18/19/20th June -Moon ascending in Taurus so Root Days. Sow more Beetroot/Winter Radish and Swede. (I shall buy some more plug plants for Beetroot and just sow some to pull leaves for Mesclun) Never have been successful with Swede or ordinary radishes -Just don't like me! Winter Radish OK but I prefer Moolu which is really sweet/tasty and dead easy.
21st June NEW MOON and SOLAR ECLIPSE.No gardening recommended -too many forces working in opposition to each other 22nd June - Flower Days - Prune Shrubs and Hedges that have finished flowering. Take cuttings from Perowskia and slide a few lower stems of Rhododendron and Wisteria under the soil (make a little slit in the bark) to encourage babies. (Can't remember what this is called in English!!) Plant out Broccoli sown 15/16th May.
23/24th June - Moon Descending in Pisces. Leaf Days again Thin out Beet/Chard sown 17/20th May Attack weeds in drives. (Salt works well just sprinkled on top)
This lot will keep you busy!! -I cleaned out greenhouse yesterday and potted Tomatoes onto final places. Kept 11 in the greenhouse and put all the others outside as supposed to be a hot Summer. Heritage varieties growing on really well. Ate 1 Strawberry each last night -The first of what looks to be a good crop.-Much nicer than the shops.
Anyway Happy Gardening -Keep all comments coming. Your gardening news is always welcome.
Hope you are all sorted now or have at least found a way forward @biofreak That technique is called layering.
We are having the rain as forecast so definitely an indoor day. That's OK. Loads to do.
All our tomatoes and 2 cucumber plants are in the ground in the polytunnel and I have installed a seep hose to water them. It's working well so far and we have trusses forming already on Sungold. We've been eating strawberries and raspberries for a while now and the blackberries are just ripening now and super tasty. Way ahead of the wild brambles along our boundary with the neighbours.
Loads of cabbages ready for eating in the next few weeks and garlic ready for harvesting when t's a bit drier. Onions will follow soon after. Working on the principle that beetroot plugs are better than sown, I have some Swiss chard plugs to put in alongside.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Yes have found way forward - lots of gardening!!! Keeps my brain straight if nothing else!
Anyway Beetroot plugs thriving plus beetroot seed that I soaked coming up now (5 weeks later!!) On search for more Beetroot Plugs today as leaves super in salads. Swiss Chard sprouts easily from seed and have not seen it in plugs. Bought Seed Tape of Carrots yesterday in Noz (37p!) Trying for first time GWRS after your recommendation with Lidl Tapes which I haven't found here in France. Onions doing brilliantly but a little worried about them bolting -Someone said stop watering them -Opinions please. Cutting back Lemon Balm today to let light into sad Dahlia (I had not allowed for so much shade from overhanging trees back in March when I popped them in) - Found recipe for Lemon Balm Drizzle Cake which sounds yummy. American and Canadian websites are much more informative than UK or French ones.
Moving Rhubarb as well as not happy -Think it needs more sun as overshadowed by Fennel and Yarrow that have gone berserk this year! - Bought one extra dustbin for water, filled already. Saved spare for Nettle/Comfrey and Prele (Marestail) Brew, so must buy yet another today as more storms forecast -Bound to get dry again soon so gathering as much rain as possible. I don't really like collecting grey water with washing up liquid etc in it -Thoughts on this??? Might be a good idea but not Bio. Mesclun coming up that I only sowed 4 days ago. Spinach and Batavia sprouting too. -Munching our way through the Spring Onions, Never successful with sowings but Snowball white onion sets superb -Just never plant enough! Potatoes nourished with Horse Manure and Seaweed last w/e are thriving. Definately better results in new Lasagne bed -Will be interesting to see what the crop is like. O/H doing Farmers Market for me today, strict instructions to buy new wheelbarrow on way back home as he has the van! Very protective about what goes in his car -Must not get dirty!!
Bought new lawnmower yesterday in Garden Sale at Leroy Merlin - Our 15yr old one has nearly given up the ghost so birthday present for O/H as can't bear watching him struggling around lawn any longer! -This one has a wider cut (56cms) and speeds so he should zip round next time he mows!!!
Anyway, better go and check on Polytunnel and open doors. New Cover so tight have difficulty closing it! At least it won't blow off!!
Had trouble connecting to the Forum earlier this week, think site might have been down.
Will put up more BioD Preperation Info when I have finished wading through new Newsletter.
Water, personally I would not use grey water unless absolutely necessary , we have had some cracking storms so water butts full , also I’m lucky to have a stream a side of garden which I can dip into . When my cousin had a farm house in France 🇫🇷 he had a well and pumped out water to water the garden
Raining at moment , nice weather forecast to return at weekend
Onions , I don’t see the logic of not watering them to stop them bolting ? just pull off the flower heads seems sufficient to me Or use them Hope the carrot tapes work for you , again mine are looking good at moment but you never known until you pull them Garlic , we had such a hot April & May , garlic 🧄 pulled up and drying
Would you be better to move Rhubard in the winter , pleased to say ours is doing well , O/H has made some Rhubard & stem ginger jam for the first time , also Rhubard and real ginger cake Both fab
Now stopped cutting asparagus , it’s been a good year for it Your broccoli , could it be a variety that grows that way ? After all there are so many different types
Yes the furom was down for a while don’t known why ?
Non essential shops opened this week
Bio hope your feeling better and O/H enjoys his new lawn mower
Technical probs kept the forum offline for 6 days.
I'm about to go and lift my garlic as the foliage says it's ready. I will then dry it for a few days in the shelter of the party barn - dry and not too light or warm - and then confit at least half in olive oil. Last year's crop went soft very quickly for some reason so I need a backup plan.
One onion has a flower bud showing. I shall let it flower as the bees and hoverflies love them but will bend the necks on the rest to get them to fatten and ripen then lift them next week.
Our rhubarb is planted in shade to stop it frying but it's under a mimose tree that is far too vigorous - branches and suckers and babies - so I'm planning to move it, just as soon as OH has dug me a deep hole at the front of the PT where I have looped a bit of excess seep hose I've laid for the toms. The rhubarb will then get watered every time the toms and peppers and chillies and cucs get a drink and I'll put a trellis in front for shade from the south. Had loads of it in the Belgian garden and it was luscious - jams, chutneys, crumbles, cobblers and assorted cakes with ginger/nuts/strawberries/orange.... Yum.
Building a hen run later this week and working on insulating and organising the former donkey shed for a hen house. Then I just need to find an egg farm that's changing its hens so I can re-home some. Eggs, compost and entertainment coming up.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Happy Summer Solstice and don't forget Solar Eclipse tomorrow so just weeding for me -everything now planted up/moved/sown and waiting for harvest. Yes I will wait until Autumn to move Rhubarb and have chosen a new place for it this morning near it's sister who is now thriving! -very contrairy these plants! Well Lunar weather prediction for June has proved right with all this wet weather -What a joy, all butts and bins filled. Hope to buy one more later this morning. I had forgotten the folding over leaf trick with onions and the word 'layering' -Teach me to live abroad 30yrs, my English is disappearing -unless its age!!
O/H longing to test out new mower. Told him that old one isn't bust quite yet and he should finish this season with that, but no -it has already been de-moted (is that a word?) to join the bent bicycles behind the trailer. Still I can't really blame him as the new one is his Birthday Present. Broccoli is the original Purple Sprouting packet and there are some side shoots coming, just not the same crop as Spring. Interesting to know from BioD Newsletter that:
Yarrow helps to boost Potassium and Sulphur in the soil particularly neglected soil.
Chamomile helps to stabilise plant nutrients through calcium processes and invigorates plant growth.
Nettles have a relationship with Iron, develp sensitivity in the soil and help to stabilise Nitrogen.
Oak Bark is rich in Calcium and helps to ward off plant diseases and fungal attacks.
Dandelion is connected with Silica and activates light influences in the soil.
Valerian Has a strong affinity with activity of Phosphorous and helps to warm up the compost heap, plus soil in cold weather.
Peppermint and Tansy are excellent plants to turn into Purins to protect against aphids and blackfly.
I have definately found that by letting grass grow around raised beds and when weeding leaving weeds (without seed heads) on ground in flower borders keeps wooden frames protected from excess heat from the sun and mulches the flower beds. May look tatty but certainly works. GREAT EXCITEMENT yesterday -A hedgehog arrived in the shrubbery in the afternoon -Lovely sandy coloured adult -He/She took their time under the Bird Feeder I assume munching scraps that had fallen out, then wandered into the Raspberry bed. Our first hedgehog at this house. This must be the reason we have had no snails or slugs this year. Great Joy!
Weather , currently glorious sun shine , however , storms due at weekend , at least we are now getting regular down pours , everything looking nice and green again Allotment doing well , lots of strawberries 🍓 & Rasberrys which o/h is turning into jam , did a strawberry/Pims a new one Broad beans have done well picked another tub yesterday bound for freezer today Older raddish has bolted but left them to flower Once again peas looking like a disaster !!
Gooseberrys & Jostaberry will be ready soon , more jam
Hope o/h is enjoying his new lawnmower , just about to cut back lawn this morning
Unfortunately we have had no hedgehogs 🦔 this year , great news that you have one
Bought 2 more dustbins this am for water as major storms forecast for tonight and tomorrow and want EVERY drop! A quick peak at July Lunar Weather forecast shows alot of thundery periods so hopefully we shall not suffer with drought conditions. Don't use a hosepipe but no restrictions forecast. -Obelixx -Where can I get a fine watering can rose here in France. Only seem to be hose attachments and the usual green waterung cans with roses with huge holes!!! GWRS -How many Broad Beans do you plant -I never seem to grow enough for more than 5-6 scatterings on salads. Did succumb to buying 2 mesembryanthemum plants and another batch of Beetroot plugs this am. First Garden Fair set for last w/e in August. Can't wait!!
Received this notification from the Biodynamic Association in UK -Thought you would find it interesting.Biodynamics In-depth Video Tutorials with the one and
only Claire Hattersley. We have released the first one " The Planting
Calendar - working with moon rhythms in biodynamic Gardening" and it is
easy to find and access via the club's BDGC Resouce Library via this
link: https://www.biodynamic.org.uk/bdgc-resource-library/
Just put the laundry out and seen lots of Cabbage White butterflies hovering over Broccoli -So glad mine have tough old leaves now -No eggs found to date. Also getting a few more meals out of them, so will sow and over winter crop in greenhouse again.
\here is Lunar Calender until end of month.
25/26th June - Fruit Days Take tops out of Tomatoes (When you have 5 sets of flowers) to encourage fruiting and stop thm getting too tall and leggy. Take tops off Cucumbers aubergines and Chillies after 8th Leaf and Melons after 5th to encourage bushing up and fruiting. Take out diseased apples and pears and Prune top growth 'In the green) making sure to leave at least 40 leaves on branch so that tree can respire.
27/28/29th June -Moon descending in Virgo so Root Days. Plant out Leeks sown 13/14th May. Thin out Carrots sown 9/10th Jun e and Winter Radish sown 18-20th June. Start harvesting First Early Potatoes. Lift Garlic if leaves yellow (Did mine yesterday -Super big heads, now drying in the sun.) plus Onions and shallots if leaves yellow.
30th June -No gardening before 8.20am as Moon Perigée -after this plant out Cauliflowers sown 15-16th May as Flower Day.
I have a plastic watering can with a fairly fine rose on it - bought in Belgium. I have an old galvanised watering can bought in a flea market and haven't yet used its rose but I suspect not that fine. We have 4 350 litre water butts connected up to drain pipes or gutters and 2 more to set up - once we've attached gutters to two bits of roof that don't have them for some reason.
I've put up a seep hose with holes at intervals round the polytunnel and planted the tomatoes, peppers, cucs, chillies and a lemon grass right next to a hole. Working well so far and much better than using the sprinkler which wets all the leaves and makes everything too humid. I have another seep hose for the dahlia bed but that one is porous all over and no idea how that will work out.
We have netting over our brassicas so they're protected. Garlic was harvested last week and is now drying upside down in a cool, dry, open ended barn so there's ventilation. They should be ready to plait and hang next week to make space for drying the onions. 39 bulbs from 42 cloves planted and 16 of them were immediately cleaned and peeled and the cloves were confit'd in oilve oil.
I sowed 6 rows of 7 broad beans in a raised bed. All but 2 germinated and all cropped well. We only have a few servings left in the freezer so I shall sow more rows next year and provide some supports as, tho not tall, they did suffer in strong winds and were blown over when heavy with pods so not so easy to harvest.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Well I set the dustbins up and did the usual Rain Dance around them -Lots of thunder NO RAIN!! -Just my luck, if I hadn't of bought them it would have poured. -Anyway made a pot of strawberry jam yesterday as so many small ones (Saved big ones for munching) delighted with crop but must buy in new ones for next season (I always take out first year flowers) as fruits very tiny on 6yr old plants and they never seem to throw out any runners to speak of to bring on.
Planted out new Beetroot Plugs and cleared one raised bed to make room for more beans and that Carrot tape that I have not put in yet. Obelixx you must be working like a beaver on your plot, how big is it? We have about quarter of an acre which was all laid to lawn/flowering and evergreen shrubbery and gravel driveway when we came here. Now flower beds/ rockery/Wild flower section and Potager which I am expanding at speed as just love this Raised Bed system. Started with 3-now have 7. Worked out I really need 11. The Herb garden is bang in the middle with Dahlias and Roses in pots situated in the angles of the raised beds to attract the pollinators . I let all the herbs run to seed so they spread themselves together with the Comfrey as it is nice and damp (Rosemary and Thyme are in the Rockery). Tried Broad Bean Aquadulce Claudia this year instead of The Sutton -really pleased with results. Telegraph Peas have shot up the Bamboo Stciks and beyond just beginning to flower. Kelvedon Wonder podding up well. Oregon Mangetouts also starting to flower. Gooseberries ruby red so ready to harvest to eat raw. Can really recommend theser although they have taken 5yrs to give me a decent crop! -But they have also moved house so that disturbed them a bit.
Just put my head outside and got blown in again!! O/H not doing Farmers Market today just too windy. All cats indoors snoozing -They are now 100% nocturnal and leave various bits and pieces of bodies outside the kitchen door to greet me in the morning. Still they are earning their keep so I don't begrudge the snoozing!
Watch out for July Lunar Weather Calender prediction Tuesday. Happy Gardening.
Posts
We are having the rain as forecast so definitely an indoor day. That's OK. Loads to do.
All our tomatoes and 2 cucumber plants are in the ground in the polytunnel and I have installed a seep hose to water them. It's working well so far and we have trusses forming already on Sungold. We've been eating strawberries and raspberries for a while now and the blackberries are just ripening now and super tasty. Way ahead of the wild brambles along our boundary with the neighbours.
Loads of cabbages ready for eating in the next few weeks and garlic ready for harvesting when t's a bit drier. Onions will follow soon after. Working on the principle that beetroot plugs are better than sown, I have some Swiss chard plugs to put in alongside.
Onions , I don’t see the logic of not watering them to stop them bolting ? just pull off the flower heads seems sufficient to me Or use them
Hope the carrot tapes work for you , again mine are looking good at moment but you never known until you pull them
Garlic , we had such a hot April & May , garlic 🧄 pulled up and drying
Your broccoli , could it be a variety that grows that way ? After all there are so many different types
Bio hope your feeling better and O/H enjoys his new lawn mower
I'm about to go and lift my garlic as the foliage says it's ready. I will then dry it for a few days in the shelter of the party barn - dry and not too light or warm - and then confit at least half in olive oil. Last year's crop went soft very quickly for some reason so I need a backup plan.
One onion has a flower bud showing. I shall let it flower as the bees and hoverflies love them but will bend the necks on the rest to get them to fatten and ripen then lift them next week.
Our rhubarb is planted in shade to stop it frying but it's under a mimose tree that is far too vigorous - branches and suckers and babies - so I'm planning to move it, just as soon as OH has dug me a deep hole at the front of the PT where I have looped a bit of excess seep hose I've laid for the toms. The rhubarb will then get watered every time the toms and peppers and chillies and cucs get a drink and I'll put a trellis in front for shade from the south. Had loads of it in the Belgian garden and it was luscious - jams, chutneys, crumbles, cobblers and assorted cakes with ginger/nuts/strawberries/orange.... Yum.
Building a hen run later this week and working on insulating and organising the former donkey shed for a hen house. Then I just need to find an egg farm that's changing its hens so I can re-home some. Eggs, compost and entertainment coming up.
Allotment doing well , lots of strawberries 🍓 & Rasberrys which o/h is turning into jam , did a strawberry/Pims a new one
Broad beans have done well picked another tub yesterday bound for freezer today
Older raddish has bolted but left them to flower
Once again peas looking like a disaster !!
Unfortunately we have had no hedgehogs 🦔 this year , great news that you have one
Stay safe
I've put up a seep hose with holes at intervals round the polytunnel and planted the tomatoes, peppers, cucs, chillies and a lemon grass right next to a hole. Working well so far and much better than using the sprinkler which wets all the leaves and makes everything too humid. I have another seep hose for the dahlia bed but that one is porous all over and no idea how that will work out.
We have netting over our brassicas so they're protected. Garlic was harvested last week and is now drying upside down in a cool, dry, open ended barn so there's ventilation. They should be ready to plait and hang next week to make space for drying the onions. 39 bulbs from 42 cloves planted and 16 of them were immediately cleaned and peeled and the cloves were confit'd in oilve oil.
I sowed 6 rows of 7 broad beans in a raised bed. All but 2 germinated and all cropped well. We only have a few servings left in the freezer so I shall sow more rows next year and provide some supports as, tho not tall, they did suffer in strong winds and were blown over when heavy with pods so not so easy to harvest.