Impatient

[skeast]

Hits me at this time every year ! can't wait to get things started in the garden.

Usually have my heat cable set up to make propagation trays by now. Only holding off because off on hols next week. Will have to wait till end of the month which probably isn't a bad thing. Moved a couple of fruit bushes, tidied up, potted up and filled the conservatory with strawberry plants. Got some garlic started in pots and showing through.

Anything else I could do in a pottering around sort of way ? Got a fence to mend and greenhouse to wash, but apart from that just want to have a peaceful 20 mins after school.

Anyone else feel like this ?

[oldjerry]

Definately,but there's quite a bit you could be doing,'specially on a dry day......couple of things that jump out immediatley,cloch up a bit to dry out this week before the hols,then sow radish/parsnip mix,water,replace cloche,and go on holiday.Best of all,dig your runner bean trench, and begin the steady process of filling it with tea bags,newspaper,mother-in-law etc.etc.

[Flo]

I've just had a delivery of chicken poo in bags which will go on the compost heap that I need to turn. Composting goes on all year even if nothing much happens in winter. Gather ye compost from anyone who will give you items for your heap.

[Keaniebean]

I have a pond which needs sorting out, but every time I have had the weather to go out and do it something else has come up. Mind you I don't need too many excuses not to go near it - the water is bloomin freezing. I have cleared most of the beds ready for planting and sewn a few seeds, but I must say I can't wait for a little sustained warmth now.

Edited to say Oldjerry - that is a brilliant idea by the way. I have need of somewhere to put the MIL. Mind you I might spoil the crop if I put her underneath

[demi]

We've been sorting out the garlic bed, separating and replanting the bulbs. We've transplanted some under cloches. We've actually got shit loads of garlic, way to much for us to eat, iv still got a whole tray full from the end of the summer. We will have to sell some, which is good because it's a cash crop, It's labor intensive though.

Also transplanted some purple potatoes which we had planted in a big tub in the living room, now outside and earthed up well and under cloche so it doesn't freeze.

Pruning will start now too. Tomorrow is a national holiday when everyone goes to their land to prune the grapes, eat BBQ'd meat and drink too much rakia. Fun times! :)


Edit: Totally forgot about the sweet potatoes, although they are still inside taking up all the room on the window sills. Got 10 wee spuds, the smallest ones from last summer's harvest, sprouting in glass jar of water on the window. They've been in the water since the end of December. Been taking cuttings from the sprouting shoots since mid January. They're growing really quickly compared to the once i originally bought from the supermarket which were sprayed with anti-sprouting agent. Been rooting the cuttings in water first then potting them up in little pots and got them on the window sill taking up all the room. Got 27 new plants now and still counting! Going to have loads this year, maybe even enough to sell. They are not common here. We saw them for the first time in the supermarket last summer, they don't have them at all at the farmers market, i don't think anyone grows them, the supermarket must import them. So we can get good money for them but the main problem is that no one used to them and people are scared to buy things that they don't know what they are, so that might be an issue. But we'll see. We might have use of a stall on the market too! One of the neighbours has a stall and has been asking my husband if we want to share it, and share the rent of course.

Exciting and im eager to get going again too, can't wait for the summer!

[diggernotdreamer]

Sowed the first lot of tomato seed on 9th January, they have been potted on once and I will have to do it again in a few days time, they are all my early bush tomatoes, sowing the cordon ones this week. Chitted some Amsterdam Forcing carrots and have fluid sown them into large boxes in the tunnel with a fleece cloche over them, they are now starting to pop through. Chitting some broad bean seeds Stereo which are lovely, so small and sweet and shorter than the usual ones, they will go in the tunnel tomorrow. planted out some spinach I sowed last October. Peppers coming up well and due to be pricked out. Need to dig a moat round my vegetable garden as it keeps getting flooded. Have noticed that there are lots of things popping up that are self seeded in the tunnel, the soil seems to be quite warm this year.

[skeast]

Had a couple of 'bonus' [read sick] days so now have some peas, mange toute, broad beans and salad started in conservatory. Tidied strawb beds, so have loads of new runners to bring on. Want to try some in random leftover deep guttering and maybe a 12'' diameter pipe [cut length ways and hung] oh and all my onion sets are sat in seed trays to get them started as last years lot never came to much. Hopefully they will all survive a week of neglect, plastic bags over seed trays.

Trip to the library and an evening curled up with my fave books, some surfing too.

Always get hyper motivated at this time of year, just wish the weather would match up to it !