Frost....

    This spring has seen a lot of mornings of frost. In some ways welcome in others not. Early sowings and plantings need to be protected and it is a gamble as to whether or not one manages to succeed in getting anything off to an early start. They french more often than not do not plant anything out until the middle of May. Beware of the days of the Saints de glace which are  St Mamert (May 11), St Pancrace (May 12) and St Servatius (May 13). In my neck of the woods May 15th is touted as the last day of frost. Despite what the pictures look like all of these plants will come back and are generally frost tollerant to about minus two centigrade.

18/04/21 Frost affected broad beans

      It has been a busy week in the garden. Some work done at my daughters house but much done in my vegetable plots! 

     Sugar snap (mangetout) pea netting set up and seeds planted. That will please my  youngest grandson, Toby. Yet more potatoes planted although only a small bed. A delivery of horse manure meant shifting and spreading over the plot where I will be planting out sweet peppers and other plants. Also muck spread on the long bed in the poly tunnel. I have sown some tomato seeds in two propagator containers as those in the poly tunnel fleece clouche do not seem to be doing anything! First radishes pulled from the poly tunnel much to the delight of my grand daughter Caitlin and more sown. A couple of greyhound cabbages transplanted withing the poly tunnel. Never know might get something. I prepared my brassica bed which had been manured with the chicken bedding over the winter and planted out some Cabet Poet (french pointy cabbage) cabbage plants which I had bought from the local market. Of course the usual mowing of grass and I have finally got down to the bank on the river and mostly mowed that area. Small area of weeding done and I have some lettuce bought also from the local market to plant out in that area. They, like the cabbage, will need to be protected from the frost. I have an ample supply of plastic water bottles with the bottoms cut off which are ideal for the job.

   Last week I mentioned that there was no sign of the asparagus. There is now. Two spurs are up and hopefully more will follow.

18/04/21 Frost affect peas beetroot parsnips

   Chickens are being chickens (menaces!) and over the last week produced a average of 6 eggs a day. A little down on last week but heck I have a stack of 90 eggs!!