Are you 'bored' yet?

It's was a weekend of highs and lows. Obviously it started with Manchester United being robbed of their rightful place in the semi-final of the FA Cup by an FA/referee conspiracy. Luckily it's only a Mickey Mouse cup and we have bigger fish to fry...........and Arsenal only managing a draw on Sunday at Wigan has cheered me up no end.

I bored and filled all but 2 of my 35 parsnip holes on Sunday with a variation on Dave Thornton's mix.

He recommends:

45L compost

15L vermiculite

10L sand

10L soil

6oz Vitax Q4

3oz Ground lime stone
3oz seaweed meal

I cannot get Vitax Q4 so instead of the last three ingredients I've added 6oz each of superphosphate, potash, lime and calcified seaweed, and 3oz of bone meal. This is a lot weaker mix than I've used in previous seasons and I made sure it was all well mixed by doing it three equal lots.

I've never used vermiculite in my mixes before thinking it an unnecessary expense but now I can see it has definite advantages. It certainly makes the mix more free-draining and should help to encourage roots to go down into the bore hole. The packet also claims that vermiculite helps to lock up the nutrients until they are required. We shall see.

Having said all that when I came to sow my seed I couldn't find the packet anywhere. I know I've had it so I must have misplaced it somewhere in the garage or house and I've had to send off for another packet. What a git I am!