Wildman Vegblogs

All of the seeds were sown in March and 90% have germinated, those that fair were effectively drowned. More care needed with the watering. The Broad beans started in November are growing well and have plenty of flowers ready to produce beans.

The Aquadulce broad beans are excellent croppers that go on an on growing producing large amounts of produce for the freezer. The ground was used for onions last year ans was covered with the contents of the compost bin before planting out. The ground is still quite cold and things are not growing a quick as normal.

Runner beans have sprouted well and now planted out surrounded by sand to deter slugs and snails

 I just hope the local wildlife manage to keep their darn teeth off them this year. the scarlet runners usually crop well but this year we have also tried some climbing french beans, which will be picked young and some frozen, others bottled.

Gooseberries look healthy this year, well so far at least. Strawberries have been re-potted as they were getting pot bound. After this year I shall have to start with some new plants I think. Last year was so busy I failed to pot on the runners so really do not expect a decent crop this year. I planted some seed last year but they turned out  so tiny they were hardly worth picking

Well in March I start sowing and planting in earnest and this year is no different. The compost bins have been emptied and gound dug to clear of any weeds. The first planting is the Broad beans that have been growing on in the greenhouse since november and the first lot of onion sets have gone in. As it gets warmer now preparing the seed trays begins. This year thanks to Vegetableseeds September seed allocation I will start the season with fresh seeds so hopefully more seeds will germinate and I shall have a bumper year.

I dug up the remainder of the parsnips and the few scraggly hardly grown carrots that were sown late in the autumn, they certainly did not do too well. ah well better luck this year. I suspect that this year I’ll be hunting for jars for jams and preserves, bottles for wine, and some way to lose the weight I’ll gain from consuming both.  More shelving in the pantry also required.

The rotavator has gone and a little shelf space in the barn regained. the workshop is still inaccessible being crammed full of wood/metalwork machinery, stil when I get a chance to rationalise some more and get floor space to work I can continue making the gates and fences needed on the property.

I have not been too well so further photos took a little while there are 4  complete sets of 4 tines i.e. 16 in total

A couple of fine teeth and an couple of sets of course teeth, enough for a set of each with each machine

There is a second pair of transport drive wheels for use with the hoe

Black plastic sheeting covers fallow ground to prevent weed growth and to warm the bed ready for planting out the broad beans and onions. I am still looking to sell all of the rotavator equipment as one lot. I may be able to help with delivery at cost depending on where you are. email for phone number to discuss any offer please cheers.

Despite the cold weather the tomato plants that I started indoors on the livingroom windowcill are flourishing, two trays are ample to give me a crop this year. I think maybe the cactii will all get their marching orders next year to free up more space. I am very tempted to try and get some runner beans to germinate now indoors, anyone tried it?

following an accident several years ago my back suffered a lot of damage, with advancing years, athritis and the cold weather I realised the full extent of my limitations today and that along with the acceptance that they will not get any  better I have decided to sell my entire collection of “Merry tiller” stuff, there are two machines, plus another engine, probably half a dozen sets of various tines, plough, potato ridger, hoes, transport wheels and a pair of large dive wheels (for ploughing)plus the attachment to turn the machine into a finger mower with a 3ft cut. Ideal if you want to cut for hay, or just cut weeds.  I will get around to taking some photos if anyone is really interested. I am looking for £300 for the lot, sold seperate on ebay would certainly fetch much more but thought I would offer it all to fellow vegbloggers first. I would swap it for a coronet Major or consort woodturning lathe with attachments or W.H.Y.

I am not  giving up gardening but must reduce the amount of work I do. There is a photo of it in use in one of the earlier blogs.

In the mean time raspberry canes are all tied back, tomatos and broad beans coming on nicely and managed to buy my onion sets today. I will put some in as soon as the ground stops freezing.

Daffodils are in bloom here and that is really early, snowdrops were out  mid December. The black current bush is in bud als, The garden is really confused by the weather

This year I decided to start the tomatos off early and put a few seeds in trays on the kitchen windowcill at home. well enough of them have germinated to populate the greenhouse so maybe this year with a following wind and no blight I’ll have a decent crop. Last year we were away in May for a month leaving the garden in someone elses care, The crop totally failed when it was not noticed that the automatic waterer was not working.

A trench was dug out in the autumn and filled with horse manure ready for the runner beans  to be planted out. Due to the high numbers of field mice it is impossible to sow a lot of things straight into the ground. So runnber beans are sown in the greenhouse in March, this year I think I may try a few indoors much earlier and see if they will germinate. I raised a question with the panel regarding builders lime. Has anyone actually used builder lime or tested the PH against normal horticultural lime please.

I am still unable to view my blogs, just comes up page not found. Am I wasting my time typing for it all to disappear into the ether.

the broadbeans are growing well and ready for potting up into 5″ pots.

my blogs still coming up page not found, it it worth trying another or am I wasting my time

November sown Broad beans (Aquadulce) sown in a loam/sand/compost mix have germinated 100% and are now ready for potting on into individual five inch pots in the greenhouse  Many more were sown this year so that we have enough to freeze for winter stews.

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The fruit trees have been pruned and grease bands added to deter pests. Winter wash is the next job as soon as time allows.

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Fallow beds are covered in black poly sheeting to prevent weed germination and will warm the ground ready for planting in the spring.

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The fallow tomato beds in the greenhouse have had the soil conditioned with some sand and well rotted leaf mould. Then carrots were sown. These will be ready befor I need to plant out my tomatos. The tomato seeds have been sown and are in a seed tray on the livingroom window cill.

We have been really busy on the smallholding this year. Creating a caravan site, involved a lot of fencing and installing a water supply over two hundred yards across the field. We were lucky to find a local contractor who used a mole plough to bury the water pipe. 100 yards of new fencing has gone up to keep the horses and cows from feeding on motorhomes and raiding BBQ’s.

The first motorhome rallies were a great success.

Replacing fences is an ongoing job as it tending livestock. The garden has been productive and the hay crop excellent.

We have had problems with moles, and mice but not rabbits this year. This is a double edged sword as no rabbit stew hee hee. The buzzards and some illness seem to have wiped them out. Badgers still frolic in the meadow as do the foxes.

Wildlife benefit from fruit bearing hedgerows. Birds are encouraged every possible way. Nest box building will be a major job this winter.
This year with surplus fruit I delved into winemaking and ended up with 10 gallons of assorted wines, cider and perry brewing away.

A fruit press that I bought some years ago finally came into its own.

Now what else can I do with some apples.

The fertility of the soil continues to improve with the use of crop rotation and addition of plenty of compost. Stable manure is composted to provide rich compost. The soil is getting visibly darker every year. Slugs continue to be a problem but I have found sprinkling sand over and around seeds/seedling does deter them. I am hoping the birds will continue to reduce numbers every year. That’s me worn out for now so time for a sit down .

Thanks to www.vegetableseeds.net for making this facility available.
As my year draws to a close I sit back and start to plan next years garden. Plenty of fruit this year allowed us to make both jam and wine this year, plus a little cider. Now just a few boxes of apples put aside to see us through the winter. Carrots and parsnips continue to be harvested and grapes are nearly ripe. Other wise everything in the garden is quiet and under wraps to keep the weeds down.