Another dry week - water levels in the butts falling and have started supplementing with the odd bucket from the stream to eek it out.
There was a little rain overnight Sunday-Monday, but barely enough to put an half an inch in the butt by the big shed.
Monday to Thursday was mowing for an hour or two and tidying up.
Saturday planted one and a third rows (8 plus 3 spuds) of Red Duke of York potato in Plot 3 rows 3 & 4.
Also sowed second row of Greenshaft peas in plot 2 row 4.
Weather has been very good, sun and some hazy high cloud.
This week have been mostly mowing, tiding up and watering. Weather dry and mostly sunny, a couple of more overcast days, Winds started off easterly but now mostly round to more southerly and lighter so feeling warmer. It rained a bit overnight on Thursday, but aside from that have been having to water all seed beds and seedlings.
Planted a row each of white (Stuggart) and red (Red Karnon) onions in plot 1 on Tuesday.
So this week the sun has shone and ,much progress has been made - by everything that is growing and bursting into bloom and also some progress in getting things planted and sowed and general tidying up.
Winds went round to the east for the week and clear days with barely a cloud for most of the week. Chill in the wind of course when it was more than light, and some nighttime frosts with the clear skies.
Thursday did some sowing in the tunnel - 5 pots of Butternut Squash (hurricane), 4 pots of Jalepeno Peppers, 4 pots of California Wonder peppers, 4 pots of Black Beauty Aubergine. Made a seed bed on east side bed for Greyhound Cabbage, Red Drumhead Cabbage and Bedford Brussels Sprouts.
Friday carried on mowing and tidying. Planted a row of Nicola spuds (having cleared the docks under the carpet cover)
Saturday mowing for a couple of hours towards the quince area.
Sowed 1 row early Nantes Carrots and a row of 12 garlic and 10 Stuttgart Onion sets in plot 4. (after yet more weeding and dock removal)
Visit from Judy and partner from far end of Underlane towards Pipers Pool. Made appreciative noises (they have about 5 acres up there and have been living in social distancing isolation there for 12 years (insecurely and perhaps not entirely legally from a planning point of view). Farmer around them has recently put in 1000 head cattle unit and been polluting the Kensey headwaters with effluent run-off.
Judy says I should paint the tunnel water butt black to stop it getting toxic green algae.
Today spring is here. Sunny day with light easterly wind. Almost down to t-short while mowing, but not quite. Clear blue sky - heard only 3 aeroplanes far overhead during the afternoon - I wonder if the lack of flights will reduce the global dimming and cause yet more problems.
More mowing at the bottom end of orchard. Weeding strawberries - need to give them some fresh compost mulch (and get some straw)
Extended the tunnel seed bed to include Leeks (Mussleburgh) Savoy Cabbage (Vertus), Cauliflower (All Year Round) and Celeriac (Monarch). Made a deeper drill than needed and filled bottome with seed'n'cutting compost then sowed and covers with more see'n'cutting. We shall See...
Wednesday was blustery with cloudy intervals, some sunshine. Wind from the west. Did mowing and raking up in main area
Thursday weeded plots 1 & 4, clearing out docks and dandelions that were coming through in the dug over areas.
Friday spent weeding strawberries. Mowing below tunnel and small bonfire of dock stems and dried grass before a lunchtime shower.
Blossom on the old greengage and damson and Dittisham Ploughmen. Loads of primroses out further back along Underlane.
Put up shelves in shed in front of windows so chitting spuds get some light. Tied in loganberries and removed some deadwood.A bit of pruning of apricots where touching roof, plus hand pollination, first leaves opening. A bit of mowing done. Sunny intervals and showers.
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