The Potting shed

Any views on chitting potatoes... .i have got some first earlies...and we are away for a month back end of march.... .do I start chitting them now.....?

 

I have exactly the same dilemma. Looking on the internet it says chitting should take 5 to six weeks. I think I will lay them out today and then see how they go. As always there are two possibilities, either I get good potatoes or I don't.

 

We are down in Cornwall next week... not been for many years....

 

Welcome to God's county.

 

If you left them somewhere coolish they should not chit too much. Unless you really want early spuds it does not make much difference. Do half?

 

i ahve been watching the Simon Reeve programme on it... and the poverty etc...really revealing

 

You live in Aberdeenshire?

I did not know that...

 

Yorkshire....

 

Yes, it's hidden from us generally, yes revealing.

 

In the major European economic news of the week - Germany is running out of slug pellets !!! Other methods such as using copper are also in short supply. In short the slugs are overrunning Germany in a way Putin could only dream of Torrential rain in the north, south and west (everywhere apart from Berlin) has led to me having to go out with a torch every evening at around 11 pm gathering the critters (what then happens to them is a state secret). All my rows of carrots need to be resown, and more or less everything green is on their radar - but we will fight them on the beaches !

 

Have you tried crushed eggshells? Slugs and snails don't like crawling over them...

 

Cheers BB. These are ok for protecting individual plants but I can't imagine eating enough eggs to protect a veggie plot In the past we've tried ground mussels, but this is very expensive. Barriers such as sand, ash from the fire, and chilli powder work wonders but only when it's dry ie. when you don't need them so much.

 

I have now almost given up sowing anything this year because of the rain. We had more overnight. I will have to do a major job of cutting back brambles simply to be able to walk along the green lane and reach my fields. Meanwhile, snails are attacking plants in Mme's garden up here at the house. When I get given the job of removing them, they take the ariel route across the lane and into the field. I haven't noticed them slithering back across the tarmac.

 

When they start thinking they can get into our house, they encounter a six inch wide barrier of salt. That stops the majority (and I've no idea where they then go to) although occasionally one of the more foolhardy ones tries to cross - the clean up can be rather messy.

 

We have ants here.... just spent most of the day clearing moss off the terrace and encountered several colonies in the cracks....... white powder going down soon as they come right up to the door of the house....

 

Sounds like a waste of good cocaine...

 

Anyone know what breed of flower the tall one is?

My heath problems stopped me from dealing with the ravages of winter, so I decided to be kind to bees and threw a few bee bombs around. A few of these popped up and I quite like them - as do the bees.

 

Looks like foxgloves. I have them down the fields, and they self set, and come back each year.

 

Hmm - digitalis. Toxic for dogs - so I either have to rip them out or keep our collie out of the garden...

 

Yes a foxglove, seed everywhere. I like them and leave them and then pull them out when they finish flowering.Is your collie likely to eat the plant.