Firstly - @biofreak, pleased to read your good news - a couple of times in my life I've been in hospital with a load of white coats talking about me rather than to me so I sympathise completely- a big relief.
@allotmentboy, I am well aware the mass of the sun has a huge influence.
I didn't doubt that you knew/realised that the sun/moon has influence over us - but I did get the impression that you might not be aware of all the facts.
@allotmentboy, I like to keep an open mind about all aspects of gardening & growing, unlike you who seem to suggest you already know everything & the rest of us are talking rubbish.
Kindly point out exactly where I have said "you are all talking rubbish." Where have I ever posted "I know everything"? Okay, yes, I trained a long time ago, have been a professional running my own firm and have a scientific bent but you couldn't be more wrong about my personal ethos - what I've learned has only opened my mind to huge areas of ignorance. I am genuinely interested in everything and what other people think - I wouldn't "rubbish" someone's ideas for the hell of it. Just recently, I had a whole series of chats and emails with the village vicar who was quite well aware of my staunch atheism beforehand - there was no suggestions of rubbishing in either hand.
Religion or atheism is a matter of faith (or the lack of it!) Bio Dynamics was put forward as an empirical system - with causes and definite outcomes. I find it very interesting.
You make selective quotes to undermine others. You tried to patronize me by saying " go research the inverse square law and then come back." I am a retired scientist, but I keep an open mind I do not claim to know all the answers. There are a lot of things that science has got wrong or cannot explain. There is a very old saying about physics which bears repeating. According to the laws of physics the common bumblebee can't fly. It's wings are too small and its body too large and heavy. Fortunately for the bee it knows nothing of Physics and it continues to fly regardless. Some things that have been observed for centuries still elude rational scientific explanations.
Snoozed in the Polytunnel yesterday and actually saw a Sunflower peaking through when 2hrs before there had been no sign of it!! Sheer delight sitting back and watching Nature. My Seven Sparrow babies from last year have turned into 4 lager lout males who have not found wives yet and 2 shy females. I assume number 7 is happily married and on the nest. Tom has turned into a brilliant Mouser. Presents at the front door every day and joy of joys he does not play with them he kills immediately --I do wish that he would not leave the head and tail for me to dispose of..the middle is obviously a delicacy!!
So to May.. Look out for the Eclipse of the Moon on the 26th. Around the 27th certain aspects of the planets will cause humidity and we must be on the alert for mildew and fungal disease on our plants. Nearer the time we shall talk about Purins and decoctions to prevent or alleviate this. The Lunar Weather Calender shows general instability in May
From 1st to 4th Temperatures will be variable and we can expect rain mainly in the North. Also that wretched wind is still with us until the 5th when temperatures should rise steadily up to the 17th but the nights will remain unseasonally cold. On 18-19th May the wind picks up again yet it will be gloomy. Storms are possible further North in paerticular towards the West on 29th May.
Last year I remember watering and watering because it was so hot. We may not have those temperatures again this May but I hope that my rain barrels refill soon as I don't seem to have stopped watering during most of April.
So what to do this weekend?
1/2nd May. Moon ascending in front of Sagittarius so Fruit Days. Sow some Beans!!Both Dwarf and Runners can be popped straight into the ground now in pockets of 3/5 seeds. I prefer to start mine in pots and sow in June follow on crops when risk of frost is over.
3-4th May . Moon ascending in front of Capricorn so Root Days Sow some Beetroot for harvesting in the Autumn (Don't forget you can pull the leaves for tasty Salads.) Sow Leeks and Chicory where you wish them to crop, remembering to keep them moist.
I am still thinking about your previous conversations during my absence so will reserve my comments for a little longer although much of what I would have said has been mentioned already by Allotment Boy and Obelixx. I may not comment at all to avoid further 'scraps'!!
Hurray it's raining!!! All the shops are shut tomorrow as May Day, and on principle the French won't work, so have raided the Garden Centre this morning for extra compost for the Flower Beds which are seriously depleted of nutrients after all the Winter Rain. Shame we haven't got horses anymore, would just have put some barrow loads of muck over everything!! Talking about Muck..How long do you have to keep poultry manure Obelixx before you can use it? I picked up 10 Asparagus Plants for 3Euros as well and Spring Onion Sets 'Snowball' for 1 Euro a pack of 500g. Plus 3 Agapanthus Plants for 2 Euros. All look good and end of line stock...So off to soak and plant.
Thanks for all the info @biofreak. It's very dry here too but I found a 50m hosepipe in Leclerc yesterday so that will make getting water to the potager easier with fewer joins, releasing one shorter one for watering the pots when I bring the citrus out to the south-facing front of the house in a few days.
It's cool here and frosts are expected till Monday morning which is 2 months later than last year. Getting very twitchy about putting out pots and dahlias to fee up space in the polytunnel so I can get in and prepare for tomato and chilli planting.
Our mouser brings live presents in thru the cat flap and then has "help" from the fat cat and the ratter dog. If it's just her we find a stray organ and maybe a bit of tail.
We put chicken poo and used straw on the compost heaps so can't tell you how long it takes to break down. OH is chief compost turner and spreader and a lot depends on whether or not I water the bins and piles between rainfalls.
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)."
@allotmentboy, posted - You make selective quotes to undermine others.
I'm sorry if you feel undermined, if you really are a scientist ( do they ever retire?) you will have often read the jolly banter between advocates of opposing views - I was looking at some rather unflattering things written about Richard Dawkins only this morning - but it's not personal abuse only a difference of opinion.
@allotmentboy, You tried to patronize me by saying " go research the inverse square law and then come back." I am a retired scientist, but I keep an open mind I do not claim to know all the answers.
By all means, keep an open mind but you cannot close your eyes to immutable Laws and your post suggested to me that you had. Instead of complaining about my impugning your intellect why not set out some contradicting physics.
@allotmentboy, There are a lot of things that science has got wrong or cannot explain.
Quite so - and it was the scientist themselves that pointed that out.
@allotmentboy, There is a very old saying about physics which bears repeating. According to the laws of physics the common bumblebee can't fly. It's wings are too small and its body too large and heavy.
Oh dear, oh deary me! That is one of the classic fallacies - it was never uttered by any "scientist" worthy of the name. It doesn't pass the Feynman test for starters - "if a theory doesn't fit experiment - it's wrong" so back to the drawing board. There was some wonder at bee flight but that was before the discovery of their energy productive metabolism. How do bumblebees fly? — Animal Dynamics (animal-dynamics.com)
@allotmentboy,Some things that have been observed for centuries still elude rational scientific explanations.
@biofreak , thanks for up date , I’m with you on beans , prefer to sew in pots then in ground in June , had another hard frost last night Wonder if there a scientific reason why such hard late frosts ?
I used chicken pellets but they come in tub from Wilkos Glad Tom is behaving himself , how Bengal ?
@GWRS - clear skies, cold northerly and easterly winds? Jet stream in the wrong place I suspect. 2C here at 8am this morning. Last year we were in the mid to high 30s for much of April and the duvet had come off the bed by mid March. Not this year.
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)."
Posts
Religion or atheism is a matter of faith (or the lack of it!) Bio Dynamics was put forward as an empirical system - with causes and definite outcomes. I find it very interesting.
There is a very old saying about physics which bears repeating.
According to the laws of physics the common bumblebee can't fly. It's wings are too small and its body too large and heavy. Fortunately for the bee it knows nothing of Physics and it continues to fly regardless.
Some things that have been observed for centuries still elude rational scientific explanations.
@SporophyteBoy you don't have arguments. You have mere polemics.
It's cool here and frosts are expected till Monday morning which is 2 months later than last year. Getting very twitchy about putting out pots and dahlias to fee up space in the polytunnel so I can get in and prepare for tomato and chilli planting.
Our mouser brings live presents in thru the cat flap and then has "help" from the fat cat and the ratter dog. If it's just her we find a stray organ and maybe a bit of tail.
We put chicken poo and used straw on the compost heaps so can't tell you how long it takes to break down. OH is chief compost turner and spreader and a lot depends on whether or not I water the bins and piles between rainfalls.
I'm sorry if you feel undermined, if you really are a scientist ( do they ever retire?) you will have often read the jolly banter between advocates of opposing views - I was looking at some rather unflattering things written about Richard Dawkins only this morning - but it's not personal abuse only a difference of opinion.
Don't leave it there - instances please!
Wonder if there a scientific reason why such hard late frosts ?
Glad Tom is behaving himself , how Bengal ?