Hobby and Craft Corner

Hi Eddie, nope, that's a new one for me, never heard of that. I always use fresh seed from quality stock such as from Medwyn's of Anglesey especially if I'm going to be showing them. 

Well the rain arrived with us about 3.30 and it's still raining now at almost 8.00. Not heavy, just a little drizzle but it's constant. I was transplanting some sweetcorn and leeks. I've just seen a weather forecast and the rain that we're having is travelling east towards you.

Tvman 

Hi Sledge, do you have an old plastic basin that you can put a few holes in the bottom of it for drainage? I'm a stalwart for Clover compost too, like Eddie is. Put about 4 inches of compost into it and slightly dampen the surface then sow some cut and come again lettuce (red and green mixed) and there's a variety of carrot called Paris Market that only grows to the size of a gobstopper. Also some spring onion seeds, White Lisbon is my favourite. Sow all those seeds fairly sparsely. Don't be tempted to sow half the packets, just about 15 to 20 seeds of each (you can keep the packets in a sealed tin until next year). Cover all seeds with about ½inch of dry compost and keep somewhere in the garden. Keep the compost moist but not saturated and wait for seedlings to appear. The lettuce seeds will germinate in around 7 days, the others maybe 2 weeks. 

Eddie's choice is just as good, well almost lol!! 

Whatever you do, don't dig up half the garden and sow 30 types of veg, not a good idea. You'll give yourself a sickener - and a sore head!! Baby steps Sledge. 

Tvman x

Hi Eddie, yes there is rain coming and it'll be great to have it. I have so many carrot and parsnip seeds that haven't germinated because there has been no rainfall for at least 4 weeks. The ground is so hard here. I think you'll have rainfall pretty soon, fingers crossed.

Take care Eddie 

Tvman 

Part of my back garden 

I've just added a photo to my germination post 

You won't be disappointed my friend, fresh young veg is wonderful, you could be eating it in as little as 6 weeks.

Eddie xx 

Hi tvman, the 2nd year parsnip seeds are very reliable regarding germination amongst the older allotmenteers, like you I prefer quality fresh seeds, though I do like to save some as well. Unfortunately when the rain hits the Pennines, it usually gets no further, I hope your right though my friend,  if so, we'll have to call you weatherman.

Eddie xx 

Nice one Eddie 

Morning TVman

Apologies I've just seen this.  Dont have a plastic container but I do have plans for growing ginger. Had it on the cards for a while. But I will try the spring onions this year as soon as my husband is back on his feet. 

Thanks for the advice?

Love Sledge x

Hi all.

Sorry  for not posting for awhile thanks to Eddie for reminding me about this place. I hope everyone is as well as you can be and all treatments and the rest are going well.

 I thought I would give you an update on my bees. So unfortunately I was not able to find much energy and left it a bit too long before starting my spring inspections resulting in 2 of my hives swarming. Lucky the first one declined to come back to the hive as it started to rain quite heavily (the one in the video) and the second I managed to collect as they landed in an easy spot (the picture) which I gave to a friend.

A bee swarm is how they multiply very basically half the bees and the queen will fly out of the hive to find a new home. The remaining bees will have all ready made new queens that will be very close to emerging which will then fight until one remains and the remaining colonie will start to expand again.

The video shows the bee leaving the hive and waiting for the queen to leave then they will fallow her until she rests then cluster round her while scout bee fly out to find a suitable new home.youtube.com/.../cK82iho3o7Q