Electric Problem Solved, Seed Germination

Sometimes you do a five-minute job and it actually takes more like five hours. Now I’ve managed to reverse that! A job I expected to take an hour was finished in five minutes! And, the seeds sown a week ago are starting to emerge. That’s always a good feeling.

Replacing Outside Electrical Socket

Since we had a break in the weather, I decided to grab the opportunity to change the outside double socket that feeds the small greenhouse.

I thought it ran from the same circuit that feeds the freezer and washing machine in the old cowshed, so I double-checked that was OK with a tester. Yes, sockets showed green lights, all good. The socket outside, however, was dead.

Assembled tools, fixing screws, rawlplugs and silicon ready to fix the new socket. Now since I think the problem lies in the socket and its power cable is live, go to the mini fuse board that controls the old cowshed to isolate it.

I’ve discovered that there is a ring main to the old cowshed for the freezer etc. and a completely separate circuit for the outside socket. That was tripped off. All I needed to do was flip a switch and power was restored.

Since I’d found out the plug tester, checked out the socket and the extension cable. All in the green. Only thing left to do was kick myself.

Setting Up Seed Trays in the Greenhouse

Bustaseed Trays on Heat Pads in Greenhouse

After administering the good kicking and a cuppa, took the seed trays that were stacked up in the potting shed to the greenhouse and set them out on the heated trays.

Checked the propagator and found the Greyhound cabbages are up. Not quite ready to prick out into pots, maybe a few days off. Three Doric Brussels sprouts up, possibly a couple more starting. Not bad for six days since sowing.

The lettuce are also starting to show. Thinned the Marvel of Four Seasons to one seedling per module.

The lettuce, sprouts and cabbages went out to the greenhouse and onto the heated trays. The trays are set to heat the compost to 15ºC, but the air temperature is lower, of course. The start of hardening off.

Sprouts and Cabbage Seedlings

Damaged Greenhouse Update

Still waiting on the insurance company to come back about the storm damaged large greenhouse. They neither make it easy nor fast to sort out a claim. Very easy and quick to take your money though.