Dampen Your Compost Heaps

 

I have been asked by a lovely fireman to remind everyone with a compost heap to dampen them down .

Reports of them spontaneously combusting are rising .

This includes the mound of grass clippings down the bottom of the garden and manure piles .

If you see a pile smouldering , DO NOT break it open .

Increased oxygen will cause it to burst into flames .

Dampen down with a hose pipe etc .

Don’t worry about a hose pipe ban , it’s an emergency .

Call the fire brigade if the fire is spreading or if there are open flames .

Better still , go and stick some water on it now to ensure it’s not on the verge of combustion.

Am I being dramatic ? Hardly . Back in 2022 in Wennington , a compost fire devastated the village .

Vicky

Topping Up Beds 1 - 3

Apples picked up and brambles nipped back this morning 

 
I woke up late this morning and as such I missed the opportunity to get anything done at the top end of the garden. I had rough cut / melted the debris netting and set about forming a much better straighter cut to the start of the roll of debris netting. 

I will measure the ground to the top of the arch and cut the next length of debris netting.

The level of the compost, fertile mulch, coir and vermiculite has dropped a little after watering in yesterday , and needs some additional material blended and added to bed 1.    

Bed 2, has not consolidated as much as bed 1 but still needs some topping up. 

Compost, fertile mulch, coir and vermiculite blended with the 600mm Power Planter added to the front half of bed 3.   

Debris netting clipped back to the hoops to stop the cats getting into the beds to use as a litter tray. 

Beds 1 to 3 

More Coir purchased of ebay, so I can make enough of the topping mix to top up beds 1 to 3 such that no more is required.

Whilst on ebay I looked to see if anyone sold Battery Terminal Covers caps, to protect and prevents short circuits. They do and I have ordered enough for my holding of batteries.  

The Kindness Of Plot Neighbours

Dominika from Plot 11 offered to harvest my raspberries and drop them off to me, she also asked If I needed any shopping bless her, I told her to make sure she harvests the same amount for herself. 

Dominika took on the allotment last last year and this is her first year of growing on her allotment. She worked hard over the Winter to get her allotment ready for this Spring 

She brought a pot of tomatoes and cucumbers from her first harvest bless her.  

Dominika also made some blackberry syrop, It goes well with tea or water. She informs me it has lots of vitamins, I did try some and it's really nice. Dominika is going to have another harvest of Raspberries next week and do a drop off for me again.   

The water finally ran out in the 500ml bottle which has been in place since the 17th July see Self-Watering Terracotta Stakes so that's 7 days not including what water was left in the actual Terracotta stakes.

Topping Off Beds 1 and 2

 

Looking at the weather forecast today there is no rain shown for the Monday 27th like there was on the 19th July forecast 

The Self Watering Terracotta Stakes appear to be doing their job and the water can be seen reducing in the bottle each day. Had I used them before going into hospital for four days, my strawberries would not have been set back as much as they are.  

Three 30L flower buckets of 10L Coir, 10L Compost and 5L Mulch and 5L vermiculite mixed with the 600mm PowerPlanter & my Ryobi drill and spread into bed 1. I cut melted the debris netting roll so that there is enough to hang down the raised bed scaffold boards. 

The sun started to come around from the front of the house, so play stopped for the moment. 

View of Beds 1 & 2 in the late afternoon/ early evening after bed 2 had been topped up 

Bed 3 only half cleared of cat poo, once that is done the last bed in this row can be filled and planted up. 

18 Perennial Veggies

 

Just A Little Thought For The Day.....

 

Timber Decking Tiles Splitting

 

It wood appear that the timber decking tiles are drying out splitting in the sun  

I will try and relocate these tiles under the storage unit, these were the best of what was available and the splits were not there on purchase 

I found all but one leg of the tower 

The tomatoes are growing really well, but as I have not been able to get to the allotment to rescue the Quadgrows or to take these and plant them out, I have offered a few to my neighbour 

Black 10L buckets with lids arrived and compost & small tools and sieves stored in them. 

The Simple Amish Spray That Keeps Bugs Off Your Plants

#seniorhealth #usa #gardening #amish #amishlife #gardeningtips #farming

The Nutrient Density Leader Board

 

Monitoring The Transplanted Tomatoes

The weather forecast today for the next two weeks 

A weather map showing precipitation forecast on July 26 at midnight© WXCHARTS

Separately, in its long-range weather forecast looking at July 23 to August 1, the Met Office said: "For much of the UK, dry at first with sunny spells. Northern and northwestern areas will be cloudier with occasional patchy rain or drizzle.

"Towards the weekend and perhaps into the start of next week, perhaps a more unsettled period with rain at times, especially across northern parts of the UK. This rain may very well reach southern areas too, but could be light and patchy here.

"Confidence becomes lower as we head into next week, but there are signs that high pressure will return, which means dry conditions would resume, especially in the south. Winds will be mostly light or moderate, occasionally fresh around northern coasts. Temperatures are expected to be near or above normal, warmest in the south, perhaps becoming very warm again by the start of August."

The BMF (Big Mother Fucker) and Tennis Ball tomatoes appear to have settled in their new Bio Green City Jungle. 

The Crimson Crush and Crimson Plum also looking happy, I will add some grass mulch tomorrow

The water in the 500ml pop bottle is going down slowly, I will also water every two or 3 days, I do have more strawberries coming and I will be using the Oakland Gardens hanging basket with the water reservoir.

Due to having my leg and foot cleaned and dressed by the District Nurse and the pain despite heavy pain killers I was not out and about on the patio today, so no progress of completing my raised beds and getting some seeds in them.  

It's So Hot Outside

 

Oakland Gardens

 

Potting On Tomatoes

With my foot padded up and bandaged so much, the medical boot I have is not big enough to get on over the dressings, but I still need to go out onto the timber desking to get the washing in.

Whilst doing that, I also potted up a Crimson Plum tomato into one of the self watering pots I have   

The Crimson Crush tomato I potted up a few days ago appears to be happy. 

The Bio Green City Jungle is looking a little weather bleached it has taken six years of exposure to daylight for the green climbing frame to turn white.

The additional Bamboo is a deterrent to keep the cats and squirrels from digging out the compost or pooping in it 

To be honest the tomatoes are around two months late, because of my couple of stints in hospital and my inability to get down to the allotment which is where the BMF (Big Mother Fucker) and Tennis Ball tomatoes were going to be grown.

With the crazy weather we are having, I may get a tomato harvest, but there again I might not, it's all In The Lap Of The Gods

Self-Watering Terracotta Stakes

 

Purchased off ebay 

Package Includes: 4 Pieces Self-Watering Terracotta Stakes

Name: Self-Watering Terracotta Stakes

Size: 17.8 x 6 cm (7.01 x 2.36 in)

Colour: As shown

Capacity: 120 ml (can add extended water bottle)

Material: terracotta

After nearly loosing the strawberries whilst being in hospital for four days recently, I decided to buy some Self-Watering Terracotta Stakes, I have these already in my home and down the allotment using with wine bottles. 

For the hanging baskets, I'm going with 500ml plastic bottles of diet and full sugar coke as they fit just right under the chains. 

A quick trim of the dead areas of the strawberries, and Terracotta Stake inserted in the middle of the hanging basket.  

Terracotta Stake filled with water then 500ml plastic bottle from diet or full fat coke inserted they fit just right under the chains. 

Traditional Hanging Baskets re-hung.

I really should have got the Oakland Gardens plastic hanging basket with the water reservoir built into the bottom. There again I didn't know that I was going to be taken into the hospital during our third heatwave. 

Storage Within Storage

 A google and AI search found the internal dimensions to be The internal dimensions of the Keter Store It Out Max 1200L (Grey) are 132cm (W) x 76cm (D) x 110cm (H). This provides an overall internal capacity of 1,200 litres, which is designed to comfortably hold up to two 240L wheelie bins or large garden furniture.

With an internal depth of 760mm I'm looking for 1 box less that 760mm or two boxes less than 760mm so about 380mm with a little wiggle room say 360mm

Link to Web Site   SpaceMaster Clear Plastic Storage Boxes

I don't understand why the 38cm Mini has a length of 400 when all the others have names that reflect the Length I will check with Elixir once they are open for business. 

I rang and a nice lady called Shelly, looked into it and it would appear it's a typing error and the length of the 38cm Mini should be 38cm and not 40cm. 

Shelly got the typo corrected straight away 

Shelly thanked me for pointing it out and also informed me that if you use the code ELIXIR10 when completing your purchase you will get a 10% Discount on your purchase.  

I have way too many different weed killers. that I tend to buy at the end of the season when they are being sold off cheap and would like to have a storage container for them to go, it looks like I will need a storage box with a minimum internal height of 300mm.

As I'm having to give up plot 1A at Mill Green Allotment, I have a shed load of stuff to evenly distribute between my plot 1 shed and my store at home now that I am making my Back Garden Allotment (BGA) 

I'm looking to purchase a 75cm Max (96L) from Elixir and then use the same size storage boxes that I purchased from £1 or 99p Shop previously as I will get two on top of the 75cm Max (96L) 

Currently in the brick storage shed above the below the counter Freezer 

£1 shop or 99p Storage boxes 

 

The internal height is stated as being 1100mm but its not known if that is at the front or the back as there is a slope to the lid back to front.

1100mm - 410mm = 690mm

690mm / 190mm = 3.6 say 3 levels or 6 number of the 320mm x 320mm x190mm storage boxes.