Winter Cold Finally Arrives!

I suddenly realised I haven’t posted for a couple of weeks. Basically the weather continued warm but awful which made going outside something to avoid. It looks like a proper cold winter has finally arrived though.

Snowdon Helicopter Rescue

Snowdon Helicopter Rescue – BBC

The mountains around here have their thick white coats on, three mountain rescue teams and a helicopter mobilised to rescue a couple of climbers. Luckily they had a mobile phone to call for help with, shame they couldn’t look up a weather forecast on it.

We often see the rescue helicopter going over – it used to be the big yellow ones from RAF Valley on Anglesey but it’s a red and white private outfit now who are based even nearer to us.

At home we had a light dusting of snow that didn’t stick and a couple of hail storms. Hopefully them slugs are freezing to death out there tonight. We went over to Bangor, the nearest thing to a metropolis around here, and I picked up a reciprocating saw bargain from Screwfix.

I’ve a lot of wood to cut, branches around an inch or two thick, for which a chainsaw is a bit overkill. Hence the new saw. I know a lot of people would just have a bonfire but since we have a wood burner and the weather has turned cold, free fuel is not to be wasted.

Potash (Potassium)

Of course, the big bonus of a wood burner is the potash rich ashes. I’ve a couple of old kitchen bins in the shed to store the ashes in until I’m ready to use them. It’s important to keep them dry until you’re ready to use them.

Often people think they’re suffering a nitrogen deficiency, plants failing to thrive and yellowing leaves but it’s actually potash that the soil needs. Even the rough pasture here improves dramatically when it gets a good dose. In part this is because the clover does better and clover produces nitrogen which grass needs.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to grab some time outside soon. Cold weather is easily coped with, it’s driving rain that keeps me off the plot. For cold weather it’s just a matter of proper clothing and moving around.

I’m waiting on the electrician to run power to the potting shed so I can get the propagators running. With luck he won’t be much longer and I can get things started in there.

I did have power through to the old greenhouse but that blew down. I just wish I’d realised that it was the other side of the house that was sheltered. Then I would have had power run through to that side as well. Hindsight is so useful!

I expect I’ll have more to report soon now I may be able to get out.

Posted in Allotment Garden Diary
3 comments on “Winter Cold Finally Arrives!
  1. Phil Evans says:

    A novice waiting for some dry weather. It’s now 26 January and it’s still raining. I’m going to grow everything in bags, boxes, pots and dust bins. Which variety of first early spuds would you use.

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