Have you tried Green Manure before GWRS? I haven't but would like to give it a go. Which one are you using? - My compost heap is coming on well so will definately cover new flowerbeds with that. Not sure which green manure for Raised Beds -So many to choose from. Gunnera thriving in this wet weather. Off to Rennes this w/e and UK for 24hrs Wednesday so here is the Lunar Calender 18th-30th September, as I have Festival of 1001 Vegetables 23/24th September at Chateau Beaumesnil in Bernay and Festival of Forgotten Vegetables at Routot 1st October , so felt I should keep you up to date today, to avoid an unforgiveable gap last month.
18/19th September - Moon descending in Leo so Fruit & Grain Days. Plant strawberries and other Bush Fruit. Place bricks or slates under courgettes/pumpkins/marrows to encourage further ripening and to protect them from damp ground. (My pumpkin plant is now 12ft high up trellis -wonderful flowers but no fruit setting -will try one earlier next year -Great ornamental plant)
20/21/22nd September - New Moon 6.30am on 20th -Root Days. Start planting White Onion sets or prick out those sown 6-8th August. (The Japanese Onion Sets make great Salad Onions -I am going to get them from UK next week as can't find them here at all) If pricking out, trim top and root like leeks to ensure a stronger plant.
23/24th September - Moon descending in Libra so Flower Days. Plant out acid loving plants and evergreens. In shady and woodland areas plant out Lily of the Valley and divide last years. Obelixx I bought some super tulips and daffodils from Lidl and Super-U in the Euro Sale last week. Busy planting them out now in new border.
25/26th September - Leaf Days Plant out Conifers and POtted Shrubs. Blanche Endive and Celery.
27th September -No Gardening before midday Moon apogee.
28/29th September -Moon ascending in Sagittarius -Sow Peas in mild areas, Earth them up 15-16th October and they should get through the Winter (Not sure about this one -Might try it, most of my Autumn plantings don't get through Winter and greenhouse not up yet -Any tips??) Perhaps fleecing would be good? Try raising Peach/Apricots and Plums by stratifying (Scratching) surface of stones and planting in pots of sand, place next to a North facing wall. (I have tried this and have a lovely little Peach Tree 4yrs on -Very long wait though! Harvest Fruit on these days as they will keep better.
30th September - Root Days Start spreading compost heaps on veg patch and flowerbeds.
Peas & Broad beans before winter Have in past years done well under clouches , however , very poor this year , the way it goes sometimes
Green Manure , did use clover a couple of years ago , however , I would NOT use it again , very difficult to dig in and keeps coming up , may be ok if rotavated in
Have got some more , called Summer Mix from Suffolk Herbs ? and is growing really well in 2 beds and will need digging in by 23rd Oct
Have also put in a bed of Grazing Rye again from Suffolk Herbs but this can be left all winter
I hope the plant fairs go well BF. Been away quite a bit here on road trips with Possum so no gardening done, not that rain levels let me do any anyway. We had an inch last week which brings us up to a giddy 111mm since mid-Jan.
OH has started forking out weeds from the potager in preparation fro making more raised beds and fixing the ones he built to the wrong dimensions. Pumpkins and brassicas doing well now along with beetroot and Swiss chard but very mixed results for the sweetcorn.
I have peppers and chillis and poire-melons in pots which i shall plant out in the polytunnel at a suitable moment.
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)."
Just back from Festival of 1001 Vegetables( 'Festival des 1001 Legumes' sounds better!) absolutely brilliant - Obelixx -I was shocked to find out that in the Eure (South of Paris) they have not had any significant rain since 25th July so Half Acre of Raised beds looked really poorly. - Found out all about pumpkins and how to grow them up trellis Mine is enormous and now sprouting fruit -Far too late but apparently you can eat the flowers like courgettes so new culinary challenge! - GWRS do you want to borrow a Bengal?? Boots would be happy to dispatch rats! -although not seen any here yet as we have no barns nearby and no apples now.
Pushkin has never met a rat -Current sport Dragonflies -we are inundated with these beautiful green and turquoise adults from the lake next door, but Push will jump up and catch them, says much more fun than moths and butterflies!
Still finding caterpillars on broccoli but plants are doing well so I hope to have good crops. Runner Beans coming out of our ears and tomatoes still going strong.
Festival of Forgotten Vegetables (Fete des Legumes Oublies) this Sunday -so looking forward to it. Adding Rosemary & Chocolate Cakes and Savoury Scones to my range to sell as very popular last w/e.
The Oven calls and then back into the garden to continue planting Bulbs and preparing bed for Japanese Onions I bought in UK last week. Arrived in Folkestone and told O/H to drive immediately to Garden Centre!!!
Will give Weather Report and Lunar Calender October on Monday, plus tips from Fete.
Green Manure , did use clover a couple of years ago , however , I would NOT use it again , very difficult to dig in and keeps coming up , may be ok if rotavated in
Have you tried Crimson clover? (NOT red clover) This almost always gets killed off by winter frosts and I never bother digging it in. If necessary I cut it to the ground and the roots die off and the nitrate nodules do their work.
It covers the ground well, feeds the soil and has beautiful flowers too.
Only since July 25th BF? Here it's been 13 months and counting still. One inch of rain in the last week is not enough to break the drought so 14 months now.
I grew pumpkins up trellis in Belgium - frees space and also get the fruits up into the sun for better ripening and no slug munchies.
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)."
Paul C , not come across that clover will keep an eye out for it and try it
Oberlix , we had a lot rain last night , good morning at allotment , cut down apragus which went into compost bin with some spent g/h grow bag , then weeded and mulched the bed
Need a rest now
Bio , forgotten vegetables sound interesting ? Have a good time
O/H made some savoury scones for the Village show and won first prize , considering she has never made scones before , amazing , just bought her a Scone cook book
Bengal would love the allotment a real hunting ground, lots of people keep kitchens
Hi Everyone and welcome Paul - Where did you get your Clover Seed as sounds ideal. Fete des Legumes Oublies was great. The main feature was a lecture on wild forraging and there was a lovely Raised Bed Garden designed to show off; 1. Forgotten types of nettle (Only one stings apparently) -Some used originally to make cloth as we do with Flax (lin -linen). 2. Original wild varieties of vegetables from which our current veg are derived (eg wild cabbage) 3. Weeds used for dyeing cloth 4.Plants used in Witchcraft! and I have never seen so many varieties of pumpkins and mushrooms. Obelixx which variety did you grow up trellis and how did you support the fruit when it got 'top heavy'? There were lectures on composting and making the most of different weeds for Companion Planting.There were authors signing books on Self Sufficiency/Composting/Cacti and their Medecinal Benefits. and much much more including Lunar Gardening Diaries for 2018, so I'm all set for next year!
Despite storm and tempest predicted it stayed fairly dry and I sold loads of cakes with Rosemary & Chocolate proving to be the favourite which was really rewarding as I had made the recipe up! Well done O/H to GWRS, on the scones.
Well, with October here the Lunar Weather Chart shows days alternating between fresh and humid with sharp frosts predicted for the 24th with unseasonally cold winds. We shall see. I hope it gets drier as not sure how to stop Raised Beds getting sodden with Winter Planting. Think I might have to overwinter Japanese Onions in Polystyrene Boxes on the Terrace instead of planting them out.
Here is the Lunar Calender for 2-13th October
2/3/4th October - Moon ascending -Flower Days Sow perennial Sweet Peas at base of Trellises.They may not sprout until the Spring but the wait with thise early sowing will benefit from early flowering.
5/6/7th October - Full Moon 7.40pm on 5th Moon in Pisces so Leaf Days. Sow Winter Spinach (I sow Perennial Spinach and Welsh Onions now plus Liveche which is a wild Celery type plant good for Spring Salads) Sow Lambs Lettuce, Winter Hardy Lettuces and Green Manures. Cover with tunnel if you are in a really cold exposed area.
8th October - Fruit Day (Sorry only one!) - Sow Broad Beans. Harvest fruit before the 1st Frosts (predicted for 24th)
9/10/11th October - Moon ascending in Taurus so Root Days -No gardening before Midday as Moon perigee (at closest point in cycle to the Earth) Sow last Salad Radish under cloches. Sow some Beetroot for fresh leaf salads ignoring Roots totally.
11th (from 1pm)/12th October - Flower Days Plant out bi-annuals and perennials sown 12-14th July. Plant Spring Bulbs and Iilies (Apart from Madonna Lily too fragile to overwinter outside). Bed straw around artichokes to protect lower stalks and roots.
13/14th October - Moon descending in Cancer so Leaf Days again - GWRS you beat us to it! -Cut down and burn Asparagus stalks. Weed the Asparagus Bed and top with compost and wood ash. Plant out cabbages sown 11-13th August.
So there we are -lots to be getting on with. Will try and send you lots of rain Obelixx, because I don't want any more!!
Happy Gardening and keep those coments and cheery notes plus your advice coming
Thanks BF. I grew Japanese onions in wet old Belgium and they were fine. They just don't have the keeping power of the usual onions so don't store well. No point growing more than you can eat in the gap.
We have rain - that is to say a couple of good downpours yesterday and drizzle on and off today. No strong winds so it's soaking in and might make it more than one inch down now. That'd be good as I've loads of bulbs to plant out from last year's finds and pots plus the new ones that jumped aboard when OH took em to buy 6 bags of compost for potting and also improving soil...
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
Hi Everyone
Have you tried Green Manure before GWRS? I haven't but would like to give it a go. Which one are you using? - My compost heap is coming on well so will definately cover new flowerbeds with that. Not sure which green manure for Raised Beds -So many to choose from. Gunnera thriving in this wet weather. Off to Rennes this w/e and UK for 24hrs Wednesday so here is the Lunar Calender 18th-30th September, as I have Festival of 1001 Vegetables 23/24th September at Chateau Beaumesnil in Bernay and Festival of Forgotten Vegetables at Routot 1st October , so felt I should keep you up to date today, to avoid an unforgiveable gap last month.
18/19th September - Moon descending in Leo so Fruit & Grain Days. Plant strawberries and other Bush Fruit. Place bricks or slates under courgettes/pumpkins/marrows to encourage further ripening and to protect them from damp ground. (My pumpkin plant is now 12ft high up trellis -wonderful flowers but no fruit setting -will try one earlier next year -Great ornamental plant)
20/21/22nd September - New Moon 6.30am on 20th -Root Days. Start planting White Onion sets or prick out those sown 6-8th August. (The Japanese Onion Sets make great Salad Onions -I am going to get them from UK next week as can't find them here at all) If pricking out, trim top and root like leeks to ensure a stronger plant.
23/24th September - Moon descending in Libra so Flower Days. Plant out acid loving plants and evergreens. In shady and woodland areas plant out Lily of the Valley and divide last years. Obelixx I bought some super tulips and daffodils from Lidl and Super-U in the Euro Sale last week. Busy planting them out now in new border.
25/26th September - Leaf Days Plant out Conifers and POtted Shrubs. Blanche Endive and Celery.
27th September -No Gardening before midday Moon apogee.
28/29th September -Moon ascending in Sagittarius -Sow Peas in mild areas, Earth them up 15-16th October and they should get through the Winter (Not sure about this one -Might try it, most of my Autumn plantings don't get through Winter and greenhouse not up yet -Any tips??) Perhaps fleecing would be good? Try raising Peach/Apricots and Plums by stratifying (Scratching) surface of stones and planting in pots of sand, place next to a North facing wall. (I have tried this and have a lovely little Peach Tree 4yrs on -Very long wait though! Harvest Fruit on these days as they will keep better.
30th September - Root Days Start spreading compost heaps on veg patch and flowerbeds.
Hope this will keep you going.
Happy Gardening!
Thanks for the update
Peas & Broad beans before winter Have in past years done well under clouches , however , very poor this year , the way it goes sometimes
Green Manure , did use clover a couple of years ago , however , I would NOT use it again , very difficult to dig in and keeps coming up , may be ok if rotavated in
Have got some more , called Summer Mix from Suffolk Herbs ? and is growing really well in 2 beds and will need digging in by 23rd Oct
Have also put in a bed of Grazing Rye again from Suffolk Herbs but this can be left all winter
Wiil let you known how it goes
I hope the plant fairs go well BF. Been away quite a bit here on road trips with Possum so no gardening done, not that rain levels let me do any anyway. We had an inch last week which brings us up to a giddy 111mm since mid-Jan.
OH has started forking out weeds from the potager in preparation fro making more raised beds and fixing the ones he built to the wrong dimensions. Pumpkins and brassicas doing well now along with beetroot and Swiss chard but very mixed results for the sweetcorn.
I have peppers and chillis and poire-melons in pots which i shall plant out in the polytunnel at a suitable moment.
We have given up on sweetcorns at allotment , it grows really well but just as it is ready the rats eat it
Just back from Festival of 1001 Vegetables( 'Festival des 1001 Legumes' sounds better!) absolutely brilliant - Obelixx -I was shocked to find out that in the Eure (South of Paris) they have not had any significant rain since 25th July so Half Acre of Raised beds looked really poorly. - Found out all about pumpkins and how to grow them up trellis Mine is enormous and now sprouting fruit -Far too late but apparently you can eat the flowers like courgettes so new culinary challenge! - GWRS do you want to borrow a Bengal?? Boots would be happy to dispatch rats! -although not seen any here yet as we have no barns nearby and no apples now.
Pushkin has never met a rat -Current sport Dragonflies -we are inundated with these beautiful green and turquoise adults from the lake next door, but Push will jump up and catch them, says much more fun than moths and butterflies!
Still finding caterpillars on broccoli but plants are doing well so I hope to have good crops. Runner Beans coming out of our ears and tomatoes still going strong.
Festival of Forgotten Vegetables (Fete des Legumes Oublies) this Sunday -so looking forward to it. Adding Rosemary & Chocolate Cakes and Savoury Scones to my range to sell as very popular last w/e.
The Oven calls and then back into the garden to continue planting Bulbs and preparing bed for Japanese Onions I bought in UK last week. Arrived in Folkestone and told O/H to drive immediately to Garden Centre!!!
Will give Weather Report and Lunar Calender October on Monday, plus tips from Fete.
Happy Gardening.
Have you tried Crimson clover? (NOT red clover) This almost always gets killed off by winter frosts and I never bother digging it in. If necessary I cut it to the ground and the roots die off and the nitrate nodules do their work.
It covers the ground well, feeds the soil and has beautiful flowers too.
Only since July 25th BF? Here it's been 13 months and counting still. One inch of rain in the last week is not enough to break the drought so 14 months now.
I grew pumpkins up trellis in Belgium - frees space and also get the fruits up into the sun for better ripening and no slug munchies.
Paul C , not come across that clover will keep an eye out for it and try it
Oberlix , we had a lot rain last night , good morning at allotment , cut down apragus which went into compost bin with some spent g/h grow bag , then weeded and mulched the bed
Need a rest now
Bio , forgotten vegetables sound interesting ? Have a good time
O/H made some savoury scones for the Village show and won first prize , considering she has never made scones before , amazing , just bought her a Scone cook book
Bengal would love the allotment a real hunting ground, lots of people keep kitchens
Soon be October
Hi Everyone and welcome Paul - Where did you get your Clover Seed as sounds ideal. Fete des Legumes Oublies was great. The main feature was a lecture on wild forraging and there was a lovely Raised Bed Garden designed to show off; 1. Forgotten types of nettle (Only one stings apparently) -Some used originally to make cloth as we do with Flax (lin -linen). 2. Original wild varieties of vegetables from which our current veg are derived (eg wild cabbage) 3. Weeds used for dyeing cloth 4.Plants used in Witchcraft! and I have never seen so many varieties of pumpkins and mushrooms. Obelixx which variety did you grow up trellis and how did you support the fruit when it got 'top heavy'? There were lectures on composting and making the most of different weeds for Companion Planting.There were authors signing books on Self Sufficiency/Composting/Cacti and their Medecinal Benefits. and much much more including Lunar Gardening Diaries for 2018, so I'm all set for next year!
Despite storm and tempest predicted it stayed fairly dry and I sold loads of cakes with Rosemary & Chocolate proving to be the favourite which was really rewarding as I had made the recipe up! Well done O/H to GWRS, on the scones.
Well, with October here the Lunar Weather Chart shows days alternating between fresh and humid with sharp frosts predicted for the 24th with unseasonally cold winds. We shall see. I hope it gets drier as not sure how to stop Raised Beds getting sodden with Winter Planting. Think I might have to overwinter Japanese Onions in Polystyrene Boxes on the Terrace instead of planting them out.
Here is the Lunar Calender for 2-13th October
2/3/4th October - Moon ascending -Flower Days Sow perennial Sweet Peas at base of Trellises.They may not sprout until the Spring but the wait with thise early sowing will benefit from early flowering.
5/6/7th October - Full Moon 7.40pm on 5th Moon in Pisces so Leaf Days. Sow Winter Spinach (I sow Perennial Spinach and Welsh Onions now plus Liveche which is a wild Celery type plant good for Spring Salads) Sow Lambs Lettuce, Winter Hardy Lettuces and Green Manures. Cover with tunnel if you are in a really cold exposed area.
8th October - Fruit Day (Sorry only one!) - Sow Broad Beans. Harvest fruit before the 1st Frosts (predicted for 24th)
9/10/11th October - Moon ascending in Taurus so Root Days -No gardening before Midday as Moon perigee (at closest point in cycle to the Earth) Sow last Salad Radish under cloches. Sow some Beetroot for fresh leaf salads ignoring Roots totally.
11th (from 1pm)/12th October - Flower Days Plant out bi-annuals and perennials sown 12-14th July. Plant Spring Bulbs and Iilies (Apart from Madonna Lily too fragile to overwinter outside). Bed straw around artichokes to protect lower stalks and roots.
13/14th October - Moon descending in Cancer so Leaf Days again - GWRS you beat us to it! -Cut down and burn Asparagus stalks. Weed the Asparagus Bed and top with compost and wood ash. Plant out cabbages sown 11-13th August.
So there we are -lots to be getting on with. Will try and send you lots of rain Obelixx, because I don't want any more!!
Happy Gardening and keep those coments and cheery notes plus your advice coming
Thanks BF. I grew Japanese onions in wet old Belgium and they were fine. They just don't have the keeping power of the usual onions so don't store well. No point growing more than you can eat in the gap.
We have rain - that is to say a couple of good downpours yesterday and drizzle on and off today. No strong winds so it's soaking in and might make it more than one inch down now. That'd be good as I've loads of bulbs to plant out from last year's finds and pots plus the new ones that jumped aboard when OH took em to buy 6 bags of compost for potting and also improving soil...