[growth] WELL

[kaberett]

1. So far, three of the butternut squash (of six) have hatched (i.e. the sprouts are clearly visible above the soil), and a fourth is On Its Way. Two of those are already growing through the egg carton, so I brought a bucket of manure home from the allotment just now and I'll be transplanting them into bigger pots once I have finished this additional pint of water and recovered a little more.
   
2. At the allotment, I further characterised the extent of the decay of the smallest raised bed; I scraped eight buckets of manure through it; I watered it Extensively; and I topped it with wood chippings to inhibit weeds. (The council provides both manure and wood chippings, which is helpful.) I think I'll probably struggle to fit more than two of the squash plants in it so I had best get cracking with another bed (... not that I actually have confirmation that it's My Plot yet, but it's not like I'm doing any harm by weeding it and planting some crops out...). Alas, all the remaining beds are larger, and so far this small one has taken me about three hours including breaks-for-lying-down...
   
3. Having got that bed finished (for now), I staggered around the rest of the plot (tripping over a fence along the way), established that I Cannot face doing anything to encourage the artichoke to be edible this year (it's seven foot tall, okay), and toward the back of the plot found my own redcurrant bushes as well as Even More Raspberries, many of which were actually ripe. So! I ate a couple of handfuls of those, and It Was Good.
   
4. I thiiiiink my poor sad jade plant (rescued from a shrivelled-up stem someone else had broken off at Kew about four years ago, shhh, nobody dob me in) has finally (once again) recovered from the trauma of repeated house moves and is contemplating actually growing new leaves in addition to its more enthusiastic root system. Fingers crossed for it.
   
5. Parsley and mint have achieved a second wind.
   
6. ... I am enjoying my grobag tomatoes so much, people. So much. They keep making more flowers! And tomatoes! None of them are even thinking about ripening yet, but give it another two weeks and we should be well on our way to Home-Grown Tomatoes for the rest of the season.

Comments

[lunabee34]

This all sounds so delicious! And like hard work. But delicious!

[kaberett]

I have also finally got around to joining the local gym today, and I am sincerely hopeful that some combination of rehab work&physio at the local gym + being... actually a bit more gentle with myself than I was at the allotment today will result in me becoming slightly more functional? Watch this space...

(I think the next allotment job is probably to alternate digging out the least decrepit of the remaining raised beds for the additional squash with weeding and harvesting the redcurrants + raspberries. With a CHAIR.)

[lunabee34]

That sounds like an awesome plan!

I haven't been to the gym in three weeks because of the move, and I am starting back tomorrow; I am very excited.

[vass]

That is some excellent gardening.

[kaberett]

There is a grape vine, vass! I have no idea what to do with it! (And something that I'm pretty sure is a gooseberry but miiiiiiiiiight be blackcurrant; I'm not sure, I haven't fought through that particular patch of weeds sufficient to confirm yet.)

Raspberries were on my non-negotiable list and so were blackcurrants. Artichokes are a Definite Bonus. I am really very excited about all of this (and absolutely using it as a way to avoid thinking about house purchase, although that is pooooooooossibly getting less stressful.)