A new camera (Samsung SH100 – supposedly wifi capable but I haven’t yet got it to work :/) and a day planting seeds means lots of photos!
I have these 24 cell trays, and am testing out a combination of peat free MCP (B&Q’s Verve – own brand) to half fill the cells, then topped up with seed compost.
For peat free MCP it’s not too bad – bit woody but nothing insurmountable.
First, some tomatoes! 16 cells with 3 Pomodoro in, a determinate/bush forming cherry plum tomoto, then 4 cells with 4 Money Makers (cordon normal tomato) and 4 x 4 Gardener’s Delight (cordon cherry). Last year all my toms didn’t fruit (maybe because I thought they were indeterminate and pinched their side shoots out…) and then got blight. Finger’s crossed for better luck this year!
Then another set of cells; 6 x 3 Sweet Pepper Californian Wonder, 6 x 3 Cayenne Pepper, and 12 x some Turnips Petroski. A bit random, but it’s how it worked out.
Then yet another tray, this one with 18 x 1 Mangetout Shiraz and 6 x 3 sweet pea. I’ve gone for Shiraz this year, with it’s purple pods, as last year I had trouble finding the pods in the mass of plants! The Sweet Peas are saved from last year’s garden plants, my first ever seed saving exercise! These were just planted in MCP – I figured legumes could care less about seed compost.
Onward! These are mushroom trays recruited as seed trays for nasturtiums, French marigolds and comfrey. The comfrey is for home grown fertiliser and the marigolds and nasturtiums are companion plants.
Aubergines! Five in this pot. That’s it – I’ve only room for one or two plants so five seeds is enough. This is Aubergine Black Beauty.
Almost there! These are the herbs. Two trays with fussy seeds Sage, Dill and Chives in one, now covered in cling film, and Coriander, Mint and Thyme in the other, uncovered. The little pot at the top was to have Rosemary and Oregano in, but just has Rosemary as my Oregano pack was empty! I’ve contacted the makers.
A quick drink and a sunbathe for everyone, including the onions, leeks and brassicas…
…and all tucked up in bed!
A quick check on the allotment to sprinkle some BFB (blood, fish and bone meal) on the potato bed and overwintering onions, garlics and shallots.
I am very pleased to see that after just 2 weeks the little cut offs from the gooseberries are already budding! Very pleased as I just stuck them in the ground and wished them luck…
And last but not least, I managed to unstick my stuck fermentation crab apple wine by moving it to a different house, taking out a pint of wine, adding a tea spoon of yeast and some water, then adding that back in after a few hours and topping up the demijohn. And here we are… BUBBBBLES!!!
And that was my Sunday.
