Palaisglide

What's the weather like in your area?

Stockton, very wet, very windy, very sunny, in around five minute cycles, very frustrating.

Ailsa Craig Tomato plants have roots outside the pot, Shirley nearly there and sweet tumbler also showing root at the base so time to set them in the large pots although I put pot and all in until they settle then plant them up.
Sweet peas need nipping, beans need to be out but too cold, pepper still needs some warmth, when will we be able to get cracking I ask.

Frank.

Why May?

Fairygirl wrote (see)

Frank/Dad-dead right..

Of course.

Frank

Why May?

When you have been out of this country for a period of years, you realise what a wonderful country we live in and that includes every month of the year with interest shifting from month to month.
Each month has its up and down side, the vagaries of the British weather see to that, even this winter long cold and dull had its up side. Looking out on my ever flowering Primroses, the Golden Privet as stand alone shrubs that look as if the sun is shining on the dullest day, the dog wood with its bare coloured stems that can look like a bonfire at the top end of the garden. My Lawsonia's with their evergreen "Fir" coats one golden the other vibrant green standing like sentinels and a sanctuary for birds.
Then we have winter flowering shrubs, my Forsythia is a golden blast of colour that makes the coldest day feel warm, the awakening early bulbs, as you walk the fields and woods around the Wild Garlic white flowers and the scent, the Celandine a carpet of colour doing its thing before the tree canopies darken the woods.
Life does not get better than that. I love the Autumn with its multi colours and the bringing in of the crops fruit and all the other good things we grow.
Every month is a wonderful month and this country a wonderful place to live, I have had the long hot days, the never seeing rain or even a cloud in the sky and believe me you soon yearn for the green fields the feel of rain on your head and the glorious flora and fauna of these Isles.

Frank.

What's the weather like in your area?

Stockton dull wet and warm.

Frank.

Replacing Wooden log roll 2-2.5ft logs around Garden as retaining border -n

Labradouble, All I did with my log roll was to cut up plastic compost bags to size and nail them on the back of the roll, a slight flap to go under the bottom and those edgings to slightly raised beds are still going strong a lot of years later.

Frank.

Weeds in compost bin?

Lois, I throw it out into a wheel barrow because I can take the slats out of the front to do that.
You do what you can do and if that is getting a fork in and loosening it up from the top then it is better than nothing.
If it has been there a year, try to remove about a foot from the top and check the stuff underneath, you could have good friable compost once you get into it, if so use it, or put some into a bag or bucket then throw the stuff from the top back.
Sprinkle the compost with water, a can with a rose on will do nicely but do not soak it ever.
We all had to learn Lois and still we make mistakes now and then, I have plants that have been on a tour of my garden before they settled and gave results.

Frank.

Advice for raised border

Get some 2x2 tanalised wood and cut it into stakes with a point.
Hammer them into the ground to the height of your log roll and screw the roll to the stake.
I have two beds raised like that and they are now well into old age and still good, the stakes need to be no more than 18 inches apart for stability, and I lined the back with old plastic compost bag cut to size, worked for me.

Frank

What's the weather like in your area?

Stockton, started cloudy in fact went quite dark I thought we would get a storm now the sun is shining, part cloud part clear.
Wintersong, good luck with the allotment, still time to get a crop in Autumn and plenty of salad.

Frank.

Weeds in compost bin?

Compost will get hot in this country providing you work at it.
My bins made of wood home made with room to let air in at the base, half an inch will do and wire it if you fear rats, never found any in my bins ever.
I have slatted front bars which can be taken out the compost forked into my wheel barrow turned and tossed back damping with my recycled waste water diluted in a watering can, and that is damping not soaking.
Cover the top with plastic bags or old carpet and I made fitted lids. The whole arrangement up against a brick wall and gets the sun in the morning and late afternoon, you could boil eggs in it at times.
Three things for compost Air Heat Water and yes most of those plastic things are too small, in the wrong position, kept too dry or too wet, never turned, not the way to make decent compost.
It worked for my father although we had animal manure as well and it works for me, common sense and a workout every five or six weeks, must be worth it.
Oh and no I do not put perennial weeds in it but all else goes in
Lois Paranoid I thought quite harsh, does that mean if we do not know something we are all paranoid? we have to learn and that is from those with experience.

Frank

Weeds in compost bin?

LavanderLois, Everything goes in my compost apart from the odd nasty weed, they go in the bin.
As long as your compost gets plenty of heat, is it steaming warm to the touch? then you can use the compost after six to eight months.
We will never erradicate weeds, they blow about, birds drop them and they can sleep in the soil for years then soil disturbance will set them off.
My compost bins are home made and large filling one whilst emptying the other, they do get up to heat, smaller ones may not although in time what is in there will rot down, it just takes longer.
Lift a hand full and feel it, then smell it if it feels and smells sweet then use it as normal, if not then give it a bit more time but do not watse any of it as compost is pure gold.
If you get the odd weed and you will then a Dutch hoe is the ideal tool, I carry mine everywhere and splat any weed I see,, it also comes in handy to lean on and contemplate, well that is what I call it.

Frank.

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