Much too hot and dry to sow or plant anything here BF. Just watering and dead heading for me. And dreaming of new beds and projects to come in the autumn.
The best protection for brassicas is netting to keep the butterflies off. Soapy water kills beneficial insects too.
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)."
Bio , thanks for update Personally I’m enjoying the weather , can’t remember a summer like it and being retired I can enjoy it Garden & allotment not doing to bad , always winners and losers what ever the weather
Brassicas , well I have netted sprouts with “ Environment mesh “ and it defiantly keeps the Butterfly white off , compared to cabbages , broccoli 🥦 etc , unfortunately we can’t remember where we got it from
I thought soapy water sprayed was ok to use !
Elderflower cheese cake sounds fab , unfortunately o/h can’t stand Elderflowers Wondered how cats are doing in this weather ? Have a good farmers market
Gold stars to Pushkin. Beat up pigeon attacking Kale this morning. No harm done but Pigeon got a fright! Other cats ok, just one permanent siesta, preferably in the greenhouse at 42degrees!! - Tried cooking chard for 1st time yesterday -Surprised how nice it was -Lucky I.ve got loads of it! Freezing beans every day but upset that Own seed sown from Scarlet Emperor producing much tougher pods than bought seed last year -Is it my seed or just the weather? Blue Lake however brilliant. 16 potimarrons now all doing well and just started eating Red Cherry tomatoes. Finished supermarket reject potatoes last week. Wish I had read the variety on the shelf as really tasty -I remember that they were Spanish. Leaving King Edwards to die right back for late crop. Loads of Ridge cucumbers Marketmore 76, very sweet. Generally delighted with crops this year. Don't bother with Raspberry Sweetcorn though -Really strange taste!! Found one apple (the FIRST!!) on my new Melrose Apple Tree -Really chuffed. Strawberries hate this weather -Think I might have to move them out of strong sun site next year. Elderflower cheesecakes all sold -Made more for tomorrow this morning plus more Lemon Curd. Have taken a stand at local Cattle Show this Friday, never been before and nice and local -Making Rock Cakes and loads of Cookies for hungry Young Farmers!! Had a variety of UK Garden Magazines sent by friend -Why is there such a down on Marestail? Seems everyone wants to recommend killing it it. As we know already on this Thread it makes a wonderful Purin, as excellent source of silica strengthening new growth and enhancing pest resistance. Also good against Mildew apparently. I picked some more yesterday and popped it in a quarter dustbin of rainwater with nettles and old rhubarb leaves as need more 'hooch'! -Must close to make Rosemary Biscuits. Take Care all-and Happy Gardening!
Marestail is a serious pain in the bum and no-one needs as much "purine" as one infested garden can generate. This garden is infested with bindweed. Would it make a good fertiliser?
Still way too hot to garden in any shape or form except for watering or harvesting. Might start to cool down at the weekend. We'll see.
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)."
Hello , glad cats are enjoying this warm weather , today temperature dropped to mid 20’s and a bit cloudy but still no rain Had to fill up water butts at home yesterday from stream
Chard excellent crop usually grow the red but have bought a mixed variety this time The spinach we put in went straight to seed so dug it up and in compost bin , will sew some more
O/H got a load of limes cheap so made “ lime curd “ instead of lemon and very nice Not grown any runner beans this year just French and they have done really well , it is only me that eats them , so some pickled , frozen and loads given away
Our allotment association provided commercial weed killer to spray the mare tail , we have a small patch at the bottom of our plot but doesn’t cause us any problems
Enjoy the Farmers market , the farmers hear are busy harvesting the various grain fields , the size of the Combined Harvester gets me and dust they kick up
Sorry to say but the nights seem to be drawing in , best wishes from Lincoln
Booked solid with Summer Markets next week so here is the Lunar Calender 12-26 August
12/13th Aug. - Moon descending in Leo so Fruit and Seed Days. Plant new strawberries. If you have harvested peaches or apricots, prune the trees or bushes to encouraging new fruiting shoots to start forming for next year.
14/15/16th Aug. - Moon descending in Virgo so Root Days. Start harvesting root crops particularly beetroot as they are full of goodness at this time -Lift potatoes for storage and onions and garlic. Thin out radishes sown 27-29th July (All mine when straight to seed so will have to re-sow)
17/18th Aug. - Flower Days - Plant and divide the Lily and Iris Family and Peonies.
19/20th Aug. - Moon descending in Scorpio so Leaf Days.-Start blanching Celery ready for harvesting in 3-4 weeks.
21/22/23 Aug. - Moon ascending from 3.54am on 22nd Fruit Days again - Harvest beans for drying, putting them in the freezer first to kill bugs (Odd one this?) harvest apples and pears. Continue picking raspberries and strawberries (no good for me this year -just not happy where they are planted -New project for next year) - Collect seed from ripe tomatoes (Put them between pieces of kitchen paper to dry out and place in envelopes in the fridge, remembering to label them!) On 23rd no gardening between 7.15am-5.30pm Moon apogee. and on 24th No gardening before 11am as Noeud descending.
25th Aug. - Root Day. Sow Red and White Onions somewhere where you will be able to cloche them easily or even in greenhouse to over-winter.
26th Aug - Full Moon 12.56pm - Flower Day (going through to 28th) - Sow some annuals where you want them to flower next year.
Really looking forward to w/e of 25/26th as Garden Fairs start again, so off back to Rouen-Evreux. Cattle Fair great fun last Friday, tiny tots competition -6-8yr old children trying to pull calves around ring -I thought donkeys were stubborn but calves just lie down and refuse to move! Lots of parental help needed! very good Horse Whisperer there controlling 5 horses at the same time and a good Musical Dog act. -Rock Cakes a great success and we have been asked back next year. At last the caterpillars have disappeared from my brassicas after massive watering with Marestail Purin, and scattering of Tansy Leaves as a deterrent to further egg laying. The new broccoli that I sowed are becoming nice sturdy plants. Think I shall keep them in the greenhouse as don't want to risk them being attacked by late Summer butterfly attack which we seem to get here. Water butts are now full and it has cooled down a bit, so pleasant days. Interesting to see how the Northern hemisphere as a whole has been affected by these prolonged dry periods and storms predicted in Lunar weather report.
Hello , just read your up date have been to Tenby , had a mixed bag of weather We are starting to get rain and everything is greening up Allotment was weed free when I went on hols , not now , spent morning digging up a bed of main potatoes 🥔 and o/h harvesting lots and weeding
Radish , I watched a recording of Gardeners World last night and one allotmenteer let’s some of her radish go to seed and either puts them in salads or in a potato curry , so I am going to give it a go , will let you known what I think in due course
Have missed all the local Agricultural shows this year , try and go to one , a good day out Glad you are busy with the various Markets 🍰 and Rock cakes a success
Not sure that I want to mention the weather for September after the strangest weather in August! Ok so there were nice days and there were storms, but the rain we've all had seems to have gone on and on. Anyway September Lunar predictions are distinctly automnal, with beautiful days and mild nights up to the 20th, after which there will be a sharp dip in temperatures from 21-24th with colder spells as from 25th (That's cheerful!) with nice days to follow 29/30th.
Got away from the bad weather last w/e -Wonderful Garden Fair in the Eure and learnt alot at conference about the merits of using coffee and coffee grains as compost 'starter'/anti slugs and thrips plus excellent stimulent for young plants. (There was laughter at this 'a propos' the caffeine content) -Not so apparently -Coffee has an excellent balance of nutrients Potassium and Nitrogen . Buttermilk also is a great preventer of mildew when diluted 1 part with 10 parts water it makes an ideal spray for courgettes/peas and tomatoes when they are succumbing to the current humid conditions. Not sure I could recommend it in UK -It is only 36pence a litre here -yet I saw a tiny carton for £1,30 when I visited UK the other month. -Yoghourt would work as well, but in preference sheep or goat as opposed to Cow.
Lunar Calender until the end of the month 29/30/31st August sees the Moon ascending in Pisces so Leaf Days -Sow lambs lettuce and spinach. In mild areas sow Spring Cabbage if you have no plants yet (Or not enough). My broccoli in pots in the greenhouse are catching up fast with the kale and sprouts outside that are now recovering from their caterpillar attack. -Sow lawn seed and grasses -If and that's a big 'if' we get no rain, keep ground damp, to encourage seed to sprout during this last warm period before Autumn.
Clearing raised beds of bolted Winter Radish and Rocket -harvesting some beetroot this w/e and taking a peek at my King Edwards, which have died right back -so there should be some potatoes in there somewhere! -Very excited!. Bought some seeds for next year this morning - Cosmos/Sweetcorn/Red Onion and Larkspur -Also bought a couple of bags of seed compost for early sowings, -Never seems to be in the shops or garden centres before March here.
At last we have a Sunday off, so will write Lunar Calender for start of September this w/e.
It has definitely not been raining here BF! So dry my magnolia and one hydrangea paniculata dropped all their leaves. Copious watering has them producing new leaves but too late to save a crispy pieris.
Ordinary milk will do for mildew. Doesn't have to be buttermilk.
Enjoy your Sunday off.
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)."
Hello , lots of rain ☔️ particularly over night which is ideal , everything has greened up and growing nicely again , even the 2 trees in pots have now got new green leaves , did think they where dead but left them just in case Definately getting Autumnal and colder of an evening Intend to spend weekend at plot to tidy it up and put some Green Manure on some beds which I will leave over winter Looking foreword to September calendar Coffee grounds , some coffee shops bag them up and you take them away , personally I add them to my compost bins when I get some Mildew , other than a few leaves on Courettes and pati pan not really been a problem Forecast is good for the next week Bio , enjoy your Sunday off
Posts
The best protection for brassicas is netting to keep the butterflies off. Soapy water kills beneficial insects too.
Personally I’m enjoying the weather , can’t remember a summer like it and being retired I can enjoy it
Garden & allotment not doing to bad , always winners and losers what ever the weather
Brassicas , well I have netted sprouts with “ Environment mesh “ and it defiantly keeps the Butterfly white off , compared to cabbages , broccoli 🥦 etc , unfortunately we can’t remember where we got it from
I thought soapy water sprayed was ok to use !
Elderflower cheese cake sounds fab , unfortunately o/h can’t stand Elderflowers
Wondered how cats are doing in this weather ?
Have a good farmers market
Still way too hot to garden in any shape or form except for watering or harvesting. Might start to cool down at the weekend. We'll see.
Had to fill up water butts at home yesterday from stream
Chard excellent crop usually grow the red but have bought a mixed variety this time
The spinach we put in went straight to seed so dug it up and in compost bin , will sew some more
O/H got a load of limes cheap so made “ lime curd “ instead of lemon and very nice
Not grown any runner beans this year just French and they have done really well , it is only me that eats them , so some pickled , frozen and loads given away
Our allotment association provided commercial weed killer to spray the mare tail , we have a small patch at the bottom of our plot but doesn’t cause us any problems
Enjoy the Farmers market , the farmers hear are busy harvesting the various grain fields , the size of the Combined Harvester gets me and dust they kick up
Sorry to say but the nights seem to be drawing in , best wishes from Lincoln
We are starting to get rain and everything is greening up
Allotment was weed free when I went on hols , not now , spent morning digging up a bed of main potatoes 🥔 and o/h harvesting lots and weeding
Radish , I watched a recording of Gardeners World last night and one allotmenteer let’s some of her radish go to seed and either puts them in salads or in a potato curry , so I am going to give it a go , will let you known what I think in due course
Have missed all the local Agricultural shows this year , try and go to one , a good day out
Glad you are busy with the various Markets 🍰 and Rock cakes a success
Ordinary milk will do for mildew. Doesn't have to be buttermilk.
Enjoy your Sunday off.
Definately getting Autumnal and colder of an evening
Intend to spend weekend at plot to tidy it up and put some Green Manure on some beds which I will leave over winter
Looking foreword to September calendar
Coffee grounds , some coffee shops bag them up and you take them away , personally I add them to my compost bins when I get some
Mildew , other than a few leaves on Courettes and pati pan not really been a problem
Forecast is good for the next week
Bio , enjoy your Sunday off