Hurry up 2007!

Not much happening in the garden at the moment apart from tidying up still....as and when the weather allows. We've had loads of rain so everywhere is waterlogged.

I did manage to drench the beds in my two greenhouses last weekend with several buckets of rainwater. This needs to be done over winter to stop a build up of salts in the border soil which can prevent the roots of plants taking up nutrients. Some growers will remove the glass (or polythene if polytunnel) and allow the winter rains to get at the soil. However, I have some pots of show daffodils in mine and my growing cabinet will be assembled soon so that I can grow on my show leeks and onions (more of this in the New Year).

I also spread several bags of horse manure over the soil in one greenhouse and will do the other one when more is forthcoming from my daughter's friend who owns a horse. I'm intending to grow my large onions in the greenhouses next season in order to give them a more even growing cycle. They will be lifted before the tomatoes and cucumbers are too big and blocking out the sunlight (I hope).

Only other thing to tell is that all my seed orders are starting to drop through the letter box. I've ordered over £200 worth of seeds/sets/plants and spuds with quite a few new varieties to try. But I will have to do a proper 'cropping plan' so that I know exactly what is going to be planted where and when. Last season I was poking plants in where I could with no thought as to how they would grow and when they would be harvested. This caught up with me in the long-run as the season petered out disappointingly, with many crops running out of steam.

When 'growing for showing' things have to be timed to come good when you need them so you have to count back from the show date and sow/plant accordingly. Again, more of this in the next few months.

Bye for now.