POTATO PLANTING

Potato planting. This plot is main crop DESIREE

   Well between dodging tempest and chickens I have been planting my potatoes over the last week. Varieties I am growing this year are early NICOLA, second early RIKEA neither of which I have sown before and main crop DESIREE. I have also sowed a row of early peas. This variety of pea I have overwintered in the poly tunnel and tried to grow outside over winter. Poly tunnel sowing is very successful, outside was good until the pigeons found them after the wind blew off the netting. So I am hopeful for an early harvest of peas. Sprouts, cabbage, sweet peppers, aubergines and Tyme de Provence has all been sown and placed in the poly tunnel fleece cloche. Tomatoes, cabbage, thyme and beetroot have all already germinated. 

   All quiet on the animal front. The chickens egg laying seems to be picking up and the rams are more or less behaving themselves. 

  The weather has not been very kind. Mild but rain and rain showers have kept me off the garden. There is plenty to do and time is marching on. 

Sowing in ernest!

        So onwards and upwards! Good number of seeds sown over the last twelve days. De Louvier, Golden Acre, Piacenza (savoy type) cabbage and Brussels sprout, Sanguine beetroot, sweet peppers, Alberto Locoto pepper, Tyme de Provence, Aubergine and white celery all placed in half seed trays or modules in the poly tunnel. I have once more constructed a poly tunnel cloche to give added protection and warmth. The weather remains cool with warm sunny days and also rain. 
I also bought some Batavia Blonde lettuce plants from the local market and transplanted some into the poly tunnel and some outside  under cloches. Maintenance jobs also done. Replaced fence posts and cleaned out the fowl coops. The first mowing of the grass has been done, here we go again!
        On the animal front one of the sheep spiked herself above the eye and an infection set in. We managed to clean it up and pumped anti-infection stuff into the wound. As far as I can tell as I cannot now catch her the eye looks good. Two new arrivals - a pair of Light Sussex hens. The hope is to improve the egg count as these two are about a year old and were laying before being moved. The number of eggs being laid has improved but should still be a little better. The decision has been made to remove the Ixworth coq.

Spring has sprung

BOING!

   As seems to happen here is la Creuse winter has switched into spring within a few days. The days are longer and warmer. Of course, there is still a threat of frost up until the middle of May but every day brings that month closer and lessens the change of a prolonged cold spell.
   So with the milder weather I have taken the plunge and sowed my parsnips under cloches. I learnt that parsnips will germinate at two degrees centigrade. I do like to sow them early and give them the maximum amount of time. Last lot of onion sets planted, a variety called Sturon. I have grown them before and I am hopeful that they will be a larger onion but who knows? Tomato seed sown. Seven varieties. Lettuce sown. Moss curled parsley sown and a hot pepper. The hot pepper, purple Tiger, I have brought into the house to germinate as they require a much higher temperature. Dug up carrots, parsnips, swede and leeks. Cut cabbage. The winter vegetables are now coming to an end.
   On the animal front the hens are laying 2 to 4 a day. I discovered that one of our Buff Orpingtons is a coq! So now the decision has to be made as to which one gets the chop! The buff Orpington or Ixworth coq? My bet is on the Ixworth as I am convinced he is infertile. The sheep are being sheep. I have had some interesting episodes with escaping rams. I think there will be one or two late summer lambs. The female duck has not yet started to lay but it cannot be long.
   So onward with the garden. Lots to do and fingers crossed it does not rain!

Cold winter days

    Since the last blog the weather has not been kind. It has been cold particularly when you take into account the wind chill factor. Having said that I managed to get one day on the garden and planted my shallots and most of my onions. I also hand forked and weeded the garlic bed with my new patent pending hand fork! In the poly tunnel amazingly coriander is starting to grow. The cold weather though has slowed up the 18 Jour radishes.
    As I write this the weather has taken a turn to the milder side. Yesterday it was a freezing -7C today a balmy 13C and the outlook is for the milder weather to continue. No doubt it will rain and once more stop me from getting on. I have dug up more leeks and carrots. The carrots are now pretty much done. I also managed to cut down a small fur tree that has been annoying me for years. Now need to get the stump out! More fencing posts obtained which means work in the fields putting up posts before the ground gets too dry. 
   On the animal front the hens are laying more regularly with the longer days and now a return to milder weather. At least two a day, more often three and now and then five. I expect to be getting four a day soon. The chickens are being chickens and turning over any ground I dig or fork. The sheep are surviving and grass is  getting very short.

Garlic bed

Shallots