Old Jack Frost had been painting the garden last night. I decided to do a bit more winter digging with my four prong pike on the veg plot. It's good to get back on the land. Although frost is always a sure sign it will be followed with rain. I hope to strim the lawns tomorrow. They have grown very long and would choke the lawn-mower even on its highest cut setting.
Before with weeds on top of the soil. Notice my old paint tub for a weeding bucket.
After. The soil is ready for another visit by Jack frost tonight. The positive news is the nasties get killed off and the birds can search for them for food. The negative side: my knees and my back ache. I have decided to treat my self to a Buplex tablet and a glass of Chardonnay wine. Shame I can't afford to employ a "little man or woman from the village" to dig over my veg plot.
I remember years a go I use to read postcard notices in shop windows on posh housing estates in Lancashire and Cheshire saying : "Wanted active pensioner gardener for a few hours work for a bit of beer money. " I feel old now and I am only in my early fifties. Do you like digging?
I remember years a go I use to read postcard notices in shop windows on posh housing estates in Lancashire and Cheshire saying : "Wanted active pensioner gardener for a few hours work for a bit of beer money. " I feel old now and I am only in my early fifties. Do you like digging?
My beds were all dug over late autumn, done and dusted ready for spring, we have a little man who comes up to help out, he has been giving the task of reclaiming the hedges on the new land w bought, it takes some of the pressure off Martin.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear that you employ somebody to help on the smallholding Dawn. Rural jobs are very hard to find these days and so many people have to work in the towns and cities. Good luck with your new land.
DeleteNo help here either, but Lester has a Kubota mini tractor which he ploughs with!
ReplyDeleteMy son offers to dig the plots with the mini digger Vera. But I don't let him. A Kubota and plough is a good idea, especially for large areas. We seem to be making smaller veg plots every year we get older. Thanks!
DeleteYes. I rather like having a dig at folk - you know wink , wink !
ReplyDeleteNothing wrong with having a sense of humour and writing tongue in cheek, Heron. I try to add humour to a lost of my posts. Do you grow any vegetables?
DeleteDo strawberries count Dave :-) ?
DeleteYes strawberries count Heron. Fruit, vegetables, it doesn't matter what you grow. There is nothing better than home grown produce.
DeleteI don't like digging. Many winters I have enough spadework and back ache with shoveling snow from A to B.
ReplyDeleteps- I'm not averse to a glass of Chardonnay. Someone here accused me of having emptied the bottle. I had to correct the misininformed: No, I said, that was the Prosecco. The Chardonnay is still a quarter full. Which is better than saying three-quarters empty.
At least you make up with some super hot summers Gwil. I am more of my pint is half empty type of person. Some would say there's was half full. Thanks.
DeleteDon't you feel so pleased with all that hard work1 I get my grandchildren to dig my vegetable plots but they are not very big. The plots and the kids. The kids wont do it anymore once they become teenagers for sure. And they dont remain weed free for very long either. At the moment my garden is being over run by some sort of clover/oxalis/sorrel.
ReplyDeleteHi LA. I do feel pleased when the veg plots are dug over and ready for Spring planting. I prefer to dig mine over than ask our two for assistance digging, it's easier. I don't mind digging/ forking the ground but it is getting harder the older we get.
ReplyDeleteSuppose the oxalis eradication wants a none chemical solution? You could dig the six inches of soil up and sieve out the bulbs? Or you could use the oxalis for a green manure and keep digging it into the soil? I think oxalis/sorrel likes acidic soil. So you could add lime or get a ph tester from a garden centre. Don't lime where you are planting potatoes though. They hate lime. Another idea would be to cover the plot with cardboard/paper or plastic and plant through the mulch. Thanks!
I did cover with newspapers one year and it solved the problem for one season. The garden is full of the stuff. I'm not sure it is oxalis cos I've never found any of those pink bulbs, tho after googling I was sure it was. I'll have to do some local research. Summer is no problem . It dries up and disappears completely
DeleteI pile it in the compost, have tried added lime. Thanks for the advice
DeleteYou are welcome LA. I know if you keep putting compost on the beds the roots will keep close to the surface and it will be easier to weed. You could always use chemicals like Glyphosphate? I don't like using chemicals on vegetable plots. Perhaps you could post photograph of the weed on your blog?
DeleteHey Dave, I read on another blog about frost and snow, capturing nitrogen in the soil from the air. So it is defo good for it.
ReplyDeleteNo gardening here. only my normal herbs, garlic and my containers. I cant wait to get settled some where and grow like my parents used to. It sure saves money
Hi Sol. Yes the snow and does capture the nitrogen and it gets into the soil when you leave it roughly dug. I am sure you will have your veg plot very soon.
ReplyDeleteI live in Cornwall, high on the edge of Bodmin Moor where it's so wet and grey with occasional sharp frosts at present. I was so surprised to read that you are cutting your lawn - mine has grown nicely since it was last cut in September, but I daren't cut it until things warm up and dry out, probably Easter time.
ReplyDelete