Trees Planted winter 2021 (11/1/2021)
- Poplus Alba (White Poplar) 5 of 80/100cm bare root ex Perrie Hale
- Carpinus betulus (Hornbeam) 40/60cm bare root ex Perrie Hale
- Betula pendula (Silver Birch). 10 of 40/60cm bare root ex Perrie Hale
- (Goat WIllow). 11 of 40/60cm bare root ex Perrie Hale
- (Hazel) 5 of 40/60cm bare root ex Perrie Hale
- (Sweet Chestnut). 10 of 40/60cm bare root ex Perrie Hale
- Sorbus aria (Whitebeam) 4 of 40/60cm bare root ex Perrie Hale (1 for Mariella)
- Salix alba vitellua (Willow). 16 of whips taken from originals near veg patch
Most of the above planted 11 Jan 2021. All with a sprinkle of root fungi.
Goat Willows, Silver Birches, 2 Horbeams, and a Whitebeam in the NW corner for coppicing. 4 lines of 6 Using 75cm squares of weed fabric
Hazels and Willows in a line above the coppice area below the plums. 75cm wide strip of weed mat.
Sweet chestnut cluster of 6 between Cherry and Wbottom willow patch. Remainder along the bottom of the cntral woodland belt.
Hmm, three months without posting, and I can't blame Covid. Not that things haven't been happening at Gwel Dulas, more that I've simply got out of the intermittent habit of writing them down.
Veg has been good, even a few parsnips made it through. We've just finished the potatoes, still got some carrots and swedes in the ground and onions in store. Plus beans and peas in the freezer.
Pears were good - inevitably a few didn't get eaten or processed fast enough and went off. The Beths didn't produce but the others were good, Gorhams and Beure Hardy good to eat but Lanion Harvest not so much. Oh the odd Tamar Harvest down beyond the cherries has yet to do anything -
A couple of apples struggled through to produce a few small ones from a second blossoming - Saw Pit was the best.
Raspberries still coming well, also picked some blackberries. Made a couple of jars of raspberry jam. Sweetcorn good, tomatoes nearly done. Had second melon - this one from east front of tunnel had gone yellow and was much better than the first one last week when Rex was here. I think these are from old Galia seed, but not sure - could be "Mel" [sic]
Courgettes continue, runner beans just about done, swedes are ready, finished lifting potatoes - much worm again - need to find a solution to that for next year. Still about a row of carrot to lift. Today noticed that one of the parsnips was setting seed so lifted that - big and a bit forked, and a little one growing with it. Have been finding the odd strawberry.
Seem to be a reasonable number of pears - except the Beths - which are still hard but coming away at a touch. Very few apples, picked four Rosemary Russets off the middle tree. Many of the apples there are are tiny and distorted.
Tractor shed nearly finished - just the roof felt to go and then a coat of creosote. Mowing is way behind owing to many family visits during August and early September. Four weeks clear now until the possible Rex and Mariella tree ceremony in mid-October - lockdowns permitting.
Another week of running to catch up. No mowing - grass getting a bit long! Weather very mixed from hot and humid at beginning of week to wet and windy at end.
Progress on tractor shed again - east side nearly clad.
Picking tomatoes, courgettes, runner beans, spuds (kingsman and vales savour - kingsman good, vales savour more wireworm), raspberries on the short row now coming ok, lifted shallots and almost all onions, carrots being listed as required. Red and savoy cabbages (with loads of slug and caterpillar damage) a few peas from the group in plot 7.
Melon plants on east side of tunnel set and swelling well, on west side not set. A few aubergines and peppers coming along.
Mostly weeding this week. Strawberries picking, redcurrants nearly ready. More overcast than sunny with rain Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday, plus other odd showers - water butts full again.
We actually had a bit of rain this week, not much but enough to put some in the water-butts and mean I haven't had to do any outdoor watering since Thusrday.
Monday and Tuesday hot and sunny continuing the May theme - away in Bristol on Tues. Then on Weds we had intermittent light rain showers and on Friday. Saturday it actually rained a bit more.
Have mostly been tidying up, did a bit of mowing this morning along the top hedge and in the top garden, yesterday between the sheds. Also weeding - although plot 4 needs doing again.
Strawberry harvest has been continuing - have had about 4lb++ so far - ice cream is made :-). Loads of lettuce. Some french beans and runners up and recoverring. Leeks remain tiny. Onions look ok, parsnips are rubbish but swede has come up ok.
Monday: Mel melons, Tyson Sweetcorn and Black Beauty courgettes all appearing in pots. Sunny with a light breeze and forecast says remaining the same for the week - no sign of rain. Water is becoming an issue. Mowed around the currant area but a bit late in the day and noticeably tough going.
Tuesday started earlier and got a good couple of hours mowing in before 10:30 - getting a pain in my right side chest as well as the grumbling elbow :-(. Did the nut bank, Sunset Garden, Beths Garden. Sowed a short line of greenshaft peas in plot 7 and 2ft of webbs lettuce to finish the saladbowl row in plot 6. Limes now both in full leaf. I think I identified an enormous Norway Maple on the other side of the Kensey near the centre.
Wednesday - weeding in plot 4, picked a small bowl of strawbs (about 6oz). Sowed some frnch beans in the final gap in plot 2 at the end of the sprunions. Sprunions and leeks not doing well - too dry I suspect.
Thursday continued work on the tractor house frame - just about ready for me to get some timber for sides and roof rafters etc.
Friday - planted out 12 x Tyson sweetcorn, and six greenhouse-started runner beans given by No6 Winsor Terrace in plot 7. Another 8oz of strawberries.
Today spent most of the day there as Jane brought picnic lunch. Has been a very sunny dry week. Done no mowing since Tuesday as too hot and dry. Weeding in all plots. Picked elderflowers and 1½lbs strawberries :-)
Planted out 4 butternut squash and 4 black beauty courgettes in plot 7 and 7 more courgettes in a row in plot 4. All plots pretty much full now. Planted aubegine and pepper seedlings in the tunnel in the gaps. That must be nearly it for the sowing and planting until some space is cleared. Just the MelMel melons to find a home for.
3 loads of water today - also did the currants and some small trees. Forecast still looks like no rain for the next week, and longer term they are saying a dry summer. Strem is still refilling the dipping pool, but flow rates are well down.
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