Down on the Allotment

Matron grows vegetables and fruit in a Hampshire garden. I've been growing veggies since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Some traditional varieties and old favourites as well as new ideas. I share my garden with my allotment assistant Daisy the Labrador. On Twitter as @MatronsVeggies

Friday, April 23, 2010

More Seeds Sown

In a few weeks hopefully all danger of frost will be over. This will be the time to plant out the more tender veggies. Today I made a first sowing of sweetcorn 'Extra Tender & Sweet'. In the past few years better sweetcorn varieties have been bred which are more suitable for our British climate. I grew some of these F1 hybrid varieties last year and they really last on the plant for several weeks without going over. Well worth the extra money you have to pay for an F1 hybrid. I've left another dozen seeds in the packet for a second sowing in May. Now is a good time to start saving eggshells. I dry them in the greenhouse till they are brittle, and when I plant out my tomatoes I scrunch a handful of crushed eggshell into the planting hole to provide extra calcium for the plant.
I found a little unwelcome surprise in my garden shed this afternoon. Hanging from the ceiling was a little wasp nest. It was the same colour as the surrounding chipboard, an the wasps had been eating the chipboard and regurgitated it into this beautiful, delicate nest. It weighed next to nothing.
Quite a stunning feat of architecture. You can see that the multilayers would keep the nest well insulated and well ventilated.
But I don't want it in my shed thank you!

8 Comments:

At 6:21 AM, Anonymous kitsapFG said...

Nests (birds and bees) are really beautiful works of art.

I am planting out my sweet corn this weekend. I started them in flats to get a jump on the season and they have been hardening off. Ready to go into the garden now.

 
At 8:10 AM, Anonymous Damo said...

Good tip on the eggshells Matron thanks. I planted my sweetcorn out two weeks ago, too early I guess oh well see what happens.

 
At 9:09 AM, Blogger Jo said...

I must get my sweetcorn planted too, thank you for the reminder. I wouldn't want a wasps nest in my shed either. It's lucky that you found it when you did.

 
At 9:22 PM, Anonymous KatieLovesDogs said...

Ooohhh.... Thanks for the ideas. I've had problems with end rot on my tomatoes in the past. I love the eggshell idea! It looks like I'll be eating quiche and omlets over the next couple of weeks!

 
At 5:10 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Nice little home for the wasps. I'm sure they'll build some other place.
My tomato plants are growing too - just the handy tip for using egg shells.Thanks!

 
At 11:44 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

What a beautiful work of art the wasp nest is - they wasps are out and about already- all this hot weather methinks. And there was me hoping that the winter might have resulted in less of them!

Congratulations on your 600th post

 
At 3:30 AM, Blogger Kalena Michele said...

I started planting corn three weeks ago. They all have little blades up now! So excited :)

 
At 10:02 AM, Blogger Peggy said...

Hi matron, I have started the egg shell drying process in the greenhouse now. I have started the sweet corn in there too and it is just up but will not think of planting it out until maybe the beginning of June to be sure to be sure.

 

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