Terracotta Pot Slug Traps

If you catch 'good' slugs, like Leopard Slugs, release them away from the traps. Here is how you make and use a chemical free terracotta clay pot slug and snail trap. Two pots keep moisture in the trap and that equals a wonderful trap home for snails and slugs! You get to evict them. You can decide what varieties to keep, relocate, or remove. No chemicals are used so you can chose what to do.

All By Myself .....

 

Today I went back to the allotment all by myself, for a couple of hours and took the timber stacked on SFG Bed 2 off and bottomed out the bed of the Mel's Mix into a couple of square flower buckets.

I lined the bottom of the excavation with a few layers of Magic Cardboard and watered those in place, then I took my mini chainsaw and my Kent & Stowe Sure Cut All Purpose Extra Power Loppers which will handle up to 35mm diameter thick branches to the plum tree and started to fill up the bottom half of the Square Foot Garden Bed 2 with the timber.

Scraped the outside Mels Mix away from the inside of the timber forming the bed

Then bottomed it out using the plastic shovel. The Magic Cardboard that I originally lined the beds with was never found, the worms and bacteria has consumed it, and I know it's not a barrier to weed roots or invading raspberry canes but I'm going to line the bottom again with additional cardboard to try and hold the weeds back a little if possible.

Lined with a layer of Magic Cardboard which was watered in place

Then another layer layer of Magic Cardboard which was also watered in

Then I attacked the plum tree and started to cut up the branches to fill the bottom of the raised bed. It stared to spit a little with rain, so I packed up the tolls and went home for a late lunch.

I picked up this mini Bamsa chainsaw when it was on offer on Amazon for £39.99. 

It's Lightweight and manoeuvrable, with a cutting chain as good as any full-size chainsaw. Quick and easy to set up and use. It is supplied in a case which keeps all of the bits together, the kit includes all of the adjustment tools necessary, a comprehensive instruction manual and even a small tube of chainsaw oil.

It's the first time I've used it and it was awesome. 

I'm looking forward to attacking the rest of the tree with it.

The Kent & Stowe Sure Cut All Purpose Extra Power Loppers which will handle up to 35mm diameter thick branches also made light work of cutting up the branches into more manageable lengths. 

The Kent & Stowe Loppers knocked spots off the long handled loppers I already have, the grip is better and the length of the arms is selectable and longer giving me more leverage, and as can be seen the cutting sections look much more robust and fit for purpose.    

I used secateurs to cut the smaller branches and drop them in the bed.

May The Forth Be With Us

It was also our first Family BBQ on the allotment, and I hope its not the last. The weather was kind to us, even getting cloudy in the afternoon once we had all had a little too much sun in the morning.

Yes we knew it's Naked Gardening Day but we resisted !

Pre germinated parsnips transplanted into loo rolls of compost on the back seat of the car and ready for transit to the allotment to go into the ground this morning. 

Kelly & Frazer who excavated the Mels Mix and installed posts at the ends of the Raspberry beds so I can get a framework assembled to hold the Raspberries back this year

The Square Foot Garden Beds are only going to be made one additional frame higher. The top level of timber is for the bed next door

The top level of timber is for the SFG bed 1 next door

There is not enough timber on the wood pile to make both beds this high, but two frames high will at least enable me easier access for weeding and maintenance.

Raspberry beds now the security fencing panel has been relocated means the raspberry paths will be accessible from both ends now for harvesting this year. 

Raspberry Beds. I though I had more roofing battens than I do so I may have to buy a few 2.4m lengths to complete the cages to keep the canes from covering the paths.

Mels Mix from the beds in sacks in front of the potting shed, and too the rear of the potting shed. In the Potting shed Lazy Housewife french beans are germinating and 3 of the 5 varieties of cucumbers sown are showing in the pop bottle self watering propagators.

Two gorgeous daughters in the foreground and three not so wise monkey's in the background sorting timber from the timber pile for the bed frames.

Emma cleared a lot of the mares tail bless her I know she hates weeding, which makes clearing it even more special.

Emma & Kelly planted 105 Parsnips in loo rolls into this years parsnip bed. Then covered them up with hoops and scaffolding debris netting.

Andy retrofitted timbers to the Loft Conversion and re fixed the louver grill and fans on the Plot 1A Greenhouse. I just need to sort out the support for the solar panel and the fans will be operative again. I'm also going to put some straps internally against suction and uplift, but that's a job for another day once I have built some steps to get in and out of the greenhouse or modified the door opening. 

Three Men and a Wood Pile, there were so many different sizes of cross sections of timber that I had salvaged when they were doing the conversion of the industrial units to domestic flats behind the allotment, we had to go through the whole wood pile to find enough timbers of similar cross section to extend the height of both of the Square Foot Garden beds by one additional timber height of approximately 200mm or 8".

Egg Shells Help Your Worm Composting Bin

Egg shells are a fantastic source of calcium for your soil in addition to being beneficial to the worms digestive system and sex life, and reproductive process. They also help prevent high acid conditions that can harm your worms in your composting bins. 

However we need to undertake a little work to the egg shells before adding to our compost bins. I collect the egg shells until I have enough, I normally wash them out just after the have been used or place in a bowl of boiling water. Then I let them air dry and then finally I nuke them in the microwave a few times in 2 - 3 minute bursts to sterilise them as they can carry salmonella bacteria in and on them.

The alternative to using the microwave is to Preheat your oven to 400°F and bake your eggshells on a baking tray for 10 minutes. In addition to killing bacteria, this will also make the shells more brittle and easier to crush into small pieces.

Once they have been heated up and are totally dry, its time to add them to my mortar and pestle and grind them up and turn them into a powder as egg shells if just added to your compost bin they would take a very long time to decompose, and I want the egg shell grit to aid my worms. 

Crushed egg shells is what stone restoration companies used to grit blast old buildings, so be cautious about using a blender as it will scratch the blender jugs up.

Once I've ground up the egg shells enough I add to a take-a-way container and once full enough I take the crushed egg shells down to the allotment to add to my compost bins. 

If you can't be bothered to process your own egg shells you can always buy them pre processed. Below is the results of a google search. Crushed egg shells can also be used as a barrier to slugs.  

Planning and Reviewing May in Previous Years

Reviewing the diary over the last Eleven years for May

2013 - Spring was the coldest for 50 years, I had the first six beds and the comfrey bed in place.Beds 5 & 6 were Sprouts and Cabbages, as expected lots of sowing and potting on happened.

2014 - Frost warnings and seedlings grown in the grow house inside the green house on Mill Green.Potato Halums were a little frost damaged, Slabs at home laid for the Space Saver Greenhouse, Erected the Space Saver Greenhouse at home and the Double grow House at Mill Green.

2015 - Potatoes in Buckets, transplanting Tomato plants, High Winds and damage on the plots, Cherry Trees have Cherries on them, Planting out Spring Onions, Harvesting Over wintered spring onions, Planting Cabbages and Cauliflowers and the Crimson Crush plants arrive, three more bed frames made.

2016 - Spencer Road - Second sowing of sweetcorn due to slow germination then the first sowing germinated after the first !, Beds 1-3 completed, Potatoes in bed 3. Comfrey bed 2 completed

2016 - Mill Green - overwintered onions in greenhouse planted to replace those that were nobbled by slugs in the beds, Sowing frenzy of beetroots, Spring Onions, Cucumber, Celery, second sowing or brassica's as first sowing died. Frost second week of May. Bean frame maintenance.

2017 - Spencer Road Allotment - Working on infrastructure and the watering system for the plot, spuds and onions growing well, Walking Onion infrastructure created. Comfrey Pipe erected.

2017 - Mill Green Allotment - Mosquito Nets to Protect fruit on the trees, Brassicas planted, SoilFixer Potatoes in Buckets experiment, Push Lawn mower obtained off Freecycle.

Having two plots on different sites really did have an effect on the overall progress last year, but the additional beds provided more opportunity for sowing and planting a greater range of varieties of vegetables to try  in 2017.

This year the decommissioning of Spencer Road and the Infrastructure works at Mill Green Plot 1 to accept the Shed and Greenhouse has not gone as quickly as I would have liked primarily due to the bad weather we have had in the way of snow and rain, combined with getting Mill Green Plot 1A back into shape as before the drop off and pick up area was created it was difficult to gain access to Mill Green and keep it up to scratch, plus the intention was to move to Spencer Road so the focus was off Mill Green, Its now firmly back on it.

 

2018 - Moving tomatoes from vending machine cups into larger pots, Sown Sweetcorn, Hardening off Tomatoes in the cold frame, Transporting items from Spencer Road to Mill Green Tomatoes transplanted into flower Buckets, Cucumbers & Courgettes planted. Runner Beans & Beetroots started off at home planted. Two Crimson Crush and a Repunzel grown out in the open on the plot, they were left to go wild and become so prolific .Bought an Apex Rotary Sieve from Germany for less that the version from Wales. Radish in cut down flower bucket. Rain & Thunder storms  

2019 - May as always means the Spacesaver Greenhouse heaving with seedlings and everything getting started off so that it can finally be transplanted at the allotment during the end of the month. The framework for the greenhouse was finally assembled with Andy's assistance and Emma & Andy as I was having problems getting down on my knees due to my leg injury. Andy & I planted spuds, Brassica excess supplied by Pauline, Hazelnut tree arrives and is taken to plot and potted up. Cutting and Painting bed timbers continues, Onion Sets planted by Emma, Beetrootrs sown but fail to germinate or are eaten by slugs. Comfrey Pipe cleaned out, Insect Houses bought from Morrisons.  

2020 - Due to Covid and the lockdown I  didn't visit the allotment during May as I was shielding my wife. My daughter and son in law visited and tried to keep the allotment tidy and undertook weed management. All of my growing was done in the back garden.

2021 - Sieving my own compost. All potatoes finally in. High winds and damage on the plot. Apple trees at home pollarded. Rhubarb plants arrived. Sowing Courgettes, Gherkins & Cucumbers. Tomatoes sown early May which was a little late really. Self tapping screws for polycarbonate sheets on greenhouse. 25th May Towel Day, Bought 21 HD Containerwise Plastic trays.  Trimming the Path with the old strimmer and new blades. Lots of grass from Emma for composting. Second SFG bed dug and the bed frame in but never got around to filling it and planting it up.

2022 - Anti Cabbage whites Hoops and debris netting mesh installed, Red Grapevine growing well, Ordered additional spring clips to fix debris netting, Additonal 600mm radius black hoops cut from roll , Sweetcorn sown, Mares Tail weeded from the raspberry paths, Celery Tango planted in SFG Bed, Weed Free Onion Beds thanks to Emma and Walking Onions Planted, Renewing Woodchip Paths, Where is Wally from areal photo of the plot, two lots of paving slabs off Freecycle, Guidance on Pruning a Grapevine, Topping up Potatoes in Buckets, Potatoes in Buckets sown. Seedless Grape vines planted. Swarm of Bees on the allotment.  

2023 - Spuds in Buckets sown, Solar Powered water pump in Pebble Pool installed. Brassicas sown and potted on this month. Sweetcorn sown, Installing the climbing frame horticulture beds. Mares tail attacked in the AFG Beds twice this month. Emma & Andy helped me get a lot of jobs done on the allotment. Apples showing on the trees. Growing Tomatoes for the Grow Off between Westland & Dalefoot. Two MRI Scans during May. First Meeting the the Maxi Facial team CT and MRI Scan results and the investigations into what turns out to be Cancer starts 22nd May 2023. Andy provided four sacks of grass from cutting their lawn. Luffa & Burpless Tasty Green Cucumbers planted in the climbing frame greenhouse Courgettes, Cucumbers & Broccoli plants potted on. Westland Horticulture V Dalefoot Compost Tomato grow off started. Lazy Housewife French climbing beans went into the ground. Melon went in under glass up against the wall, Girls came and weeded the parsnip bed. Drying coffee grounds and making the birdfeeder. Potatoes in Buckets foliage showing. Laying woodchips in the paths to the climbing frame greenhouse. Transplanting Cucumbers into the climbing frame greenhouse. PET Scan at St Georges Hospital 

The weather in April did not improve and that combined with my mobility issues meant that I didn't get as many visits to the allotment as I hoped I would, and a lot of germination of parsnip seeds and transplanting into toilet rolls has happened in doors during April.

I now have some medical boots that will go over my dressings and I'm hoping that I will be able to drive myself down there at least 2 or 3 times a week come May. 

To Do List   

Mill Green - Plot 1A

Re Add additional supporting timbers to the roof of the shed - TBD

• Greenhouse 1A - Modify the dormer window and replace.
• Greenhouse 1A - Modify the frame and door
• Greenhouse 1A - Set up more Coffee to dry out 
• Daleks on Bed 5  - Empty and relocate the Daleks - Done 
• Beer Traps - Set Up Beer Traps - Done some more needed  
• Bed Near Hotbin  - Clear Netting & Hoops and Vegetation into Hotbin 

Mill Green - Plot 1 

• Greenhouse 1 - Modify the dormer window and replace.
• Greenhouse 1 - Modify the frame and door
• Raspberry Beds - Make Framework on Beds to hold canes up and keep paths clear.
• Square foot Garden Beds - Make more Frames and raise the heights of beds for better access.
• Square foot Garden Beds - Remove the Mels Mix from Bed 2
• Climbing Frame Greenhouse - Weed and finish of the last arm of the beds internally.
• Blueberry Ares - Weed and make a base then fence in using spare panel  
• Tidy Up Behind The Shed Ares - Weed and clear path.
• Potatoes In Buckets - Plat First & Second Earlies in get the main Crop in ASAP
• Beer Traps - Set Up More Beer Traps 

Home 

• Planning - Ongoing
• Space Saver Greenhouse - Clear and Clean then try and sow to the planned schedule.

Sowing and Planting Plan for May    

May

Week 1              Lettuce (Winter) - Sow 

Week 1              Broccoli (sprouting) late varieties - sow seed bed

Week 1              Cabbage (summer) - plant out indoor sown plants

Week 1              Celery - plant out

Week 1              Cucumber (ridge) - sow seed under cloches outside

Week 1              Kale (curly) - sow in pots or seed bed

Week 1              Runner Beans - sow seed in pots indoors

Week 1              Runner Beans - sow seed under cloches

Week 1              Tomatoes - begin to harden off

Week 1              Carrot - sow maincrop seed

Week 1              Radish – Sow fortnightly

Week 1              Spring Onions – Sow fortnightly

Week 1              Lettuce – Sow fortnightly

Week 2              Beetroot - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors  

Week 2              French Beans - sow seed outside

Week 2              French Beans - harden off seedlings

Week 2              Onion - plant out seedlings

Week 2              Potatoes - nitrogen feed fortnightly

Week 2              Rhubarb- apply mulch

Week 2              Squash / pumpkins - harden off

Week 2              Strawberries - mulch around plants

Week 2              Cucumber  – Sow Party Time 3 plants into the greenhouse 

Week 3              Beetroot - thin out seedlings

Week 3              Brussels Sprouts- transplant

Week 3              Cabbage (spring) - harvest

Week 3              Cauliflower (autumn) - sow seed in pots

Week 3              Courgette - Harden off indoor grown plants

Week 3              Cucumber (ridge) - Harden off indoor grown plants

Week 3              French Beans - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors

Week 3              Runner Beans - harden off seedlings

Week 3              Swede - sow seed outdoors

Week 3              Sweetcorn - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors

Week 3              Swiss Chard - thin out seedlings

Week 3              Parsnip – Transplant into loo rolls once signs of germination

Week 3              Melons – Amarillo Oro - Plant Out

Week 3              Melons – Sugar Baby - Plant Out

Week 4              Radish – Sow fortnightly

Week 4              Aubergine – Plant Out 

Week 4              Spring Onions – Sow fortnightly

Week 4              Luffa  - Transplant into pots

Week 4              Lettuce – Sow fortnightly

Week 4              Onions Onwards - water in dry conditions

Week 4              Courgettes - plant out

Week 4              Parsnip - thin seedlings to 15cm / 6in apart

Week 4              Radish - begin to harvest

Week 4              Runner Beans - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors

Week 4              Runner Beans - sow seed outside

Week 4              Shallot Onwards - water in dry conditions

Week 4              Squash / pumpkins - plant out

Week 4              Tomatoes - plant out