Weeding, Leeks, Strawberries, Chutneys and Jams

Saturday started just after midnight with a bit of a disaster, the lights flickered on and off, which switched off my computer. The disaster was that the computer would not switch back on. After trying a few obvious things, I decided to go to bed and hope things would work out in the morning. Well, I lay awake most of the night worrying and wondering what to do.

By 10am I had established my data was safe on the back-up and something major was wrong with the hardware. Luckily there is a firm in town where the chap is excellent with hardware and reasonable in price. He sorted it out within a couple of hours by replacing the power supply.

We also tried to replace one of the monitor power supplies but hadn’t got quite the right model. So down to the plot around 4pm feeling tired and in need of some of the wonderful sunshine.

Weeding

Only one job to really do, weeding. Spending time on the greenhouses has taken my eye off the plots and the weeds have grown incredibly. Oh well, more for the compost bins.

Leeks

The leeks are looking fair having uncovered them from the weeds. I’ve lost a couple but the rest look really good.

Strawberries

Amazingly got a kilo of strawberries with lots more developing. Considering I thought that I should have cut the tops off in the bed last month, my laziness has paid me a dividend.

Beetroot

I don’t like beetroot, but Val does so brought home 4 tennis ball sized beets for her. I’m awaiting the quality report.

Chutney

Val’s been busy making chutneys, this broken ankle having chained her to the kitchen, but she’s run out of jars. We did have loads of jars but she tidied them away to the recycling centre so now we’re short. Anyway, Janice (plot 28) turned up with some for her husband’s tool shed but I swapped them for some courgettes.

After this we settled down with a glass of wine to watch the sunset! Leaving the plot at 8pm in the dark but feeling mellow was not the worst way to end the gardening day.

Sunday started with a bit of a thunderstorm, not too bad but enough to make being outside unpleasant. But the afternoon brightened up so after GQT on the radio and a quick shopping trip for more vinegar and sugar for the chutney factory it was down to the plot in the car carting compost materials and finished pots of compost that tomatoes and Val’s flowers had been in.

Harvested more strawberries – Val’s going to make a. conserve (a fancy jam, I think).

I cut down all the sweetcorn on plot 29, leaving a stump to help pull out the roots and took the stalks to the heap on plot 5. I normally try to avoid moving stuff from one plot to the other but the heaps on plot 29 are full.

I filled one bin on plot 5, cutting the stalks into pieces a foot or two long and making a layer about six inches to a foot thick. Then I cut some comfrey, laid that on as an activator and followed by a layer of weeds, Repeated this until the bin was full. Hope it will go down quickly as I have loads more to weed and compost.

Cleared one of the large deep beds on plot 29, broke up the soil with a fork and started putting a layer of horse manure on the surface. After it has settled, I’ll run the Mantis over the bed and plant some autumn onion sets.

The daylight went before I could finish so back home (sober)