On May 23, 1:11*pm, "Ian B" wrote:
wrote:
Christina Websell wrote:
We are hoping it will blow the !"%^ing pigeons and their nest out of
the tree in our garden.
Why?

Don't know about anyone else, but the number of pigeons strutting
around my garden is very annoying this year. *the cherry tree will
need netting in a week or two. *:-(

Do pigeons go for gooseberries as well? There are a pair of stupid looking
fat birds hanging around in the garden and I'm wondering if they're waiting
for my cherished first gooseberry crop to ripen. I'll be heartbroken if they
all get stolen.

Ian

Here outside Swansea we have had a few heavy showers but the wind has
been around 45MPH gusting to just over 55MPH according to met office,
lits of leaves and twigs off and bigger bits of dead wood, and would
you believe it a team from the council are cutting overhanging
branches along the lane, on a day lke this.
I want it dry and calm as I have to rotavate in the weed seedlings
that are starting to show then I've got a couple of hundred meters of
fabric mulch to get down to plant the dahlias through.

wrote:
Ian B wrote:
Don't know about anyone else, but the number of pigeons strutting
around my garden is very annoying this year. the cherry tree will
need netting in a week or two. :-(
Do pigeons go for gooseberries as well? There are a pair of stupid
looking fat birds hanging around in the garden and I'm wondering if
they're waiting for my cherished first gooseberry crop to ripen.
I'll be heartbroken if they all get stolen.

I've never noticed them doing, but they are probably more attractde
to my currants on the allotment, so the gooseberries aren't as
tempting. Especially witht he spines.

Thanks!

Daniel picked a gooseberry at the weekend and was most put out when I
told him it wouldn't be ready yet. He also found our first ripe
redcurrant!

I know how Daniel feels. I keep going out and squeezing mine. I do love
gooseberries, I really can't wait. There is a crumble in the future, and it
has my name on it.


Ian

I am glad to say that I have recovered from my poly tunnel excitement, I was
not hurt only cross, I tried to hold on to the frame but stood no chance at
all but thank you to those who were concerned :-) While I am here can I
pick some brains, a neighbour had a good sized load off our muck heap some
years ago, she has only just told me that the muck was infested with red
spider/red mite - are they the same thing - and they ruined her vegetables
because they ate all her potatoes ?

kate
still windy Gloucestershire

On May 23, 9:06*pm, "Kate Morgan" wrote:
I am glad to say that I have recovered from my poly tunnel excitement, I was
not hurt only cross, I tried to hold on to the frame but stood no chance at
all *but thank you to those who were concerned :-) *While I am here can I
pick some brains, a neighbour had a good sized load off our muck heap some
years ago, she has only just told me that the muck was infested with red
spider/red mite - are they the same thing - and they ruined her vegetables
because they ate all her potatoes ?

kate
still windy Gloucestershire

No.
They were not red spider, they were bright red whilst red spider is
more of a dull orange/ brick colour.
They move much faster than red spider and in fact will feed on them.
There is no way they would/ could eat her potatoes.

That sounds very bizarre.

Red spider, which is really red spider mite, is, as I'm sure you know, a minute sap sucking creature which is a particular nuisance in greenhouses. It like hot dry environments, and I can't imaging it being carried in muck, nor could it "eat potatoes".

So presumably she's talking about some other pest? Googling "red mite" shows them to be a pest of chickens, but they don't eat potatoes either.

Kate Morgan;922571 Wrote:
While I am here can I
pick some brains, a neighbour had a good sized load off our muck heap
some
years ago, she has only just told me that the muck was infested with
red
spider/red mite - are they the same thing - and they ruined her
vegetables
because they ate all her potatoes ?


That sounds very bizarre.

Red spider, which is really red spider mite, is, as I'm sure you know, a
minute sap sucking creature which is a particular nuisance in
greenhouses. It like hot dry environments, and I can't imaging it being
carried in muck, nor could it "eat potatoes".

So presumably she's talking about some other pest? Googling "red mite"
shows them to be a pest of chickens, but they don't eat potatoes either.


kay



Thank you Dave and Kay your input has helped me a great deal. I thought that
the neighbour was wrong but I needed to be clear in my own mind so that I
could stand firm if she starts on about it again. I am afraid she complains
about most things and I am in the firing line at the moment :-)

kate

Kate Morgan wrote:
Thank you Dave and Kay your input has helped me a great deal. I thought that
the neighbour was wrong but I needed to be clear in my own mind so that I
could stand firm if she starts on about it again. I am afraid she complains
about most things and I am in the firing line at the moment :-)

Sounds like my neighbour --- that way.
Easiest solution is to stop giving her things, then she has nothing to
complain about. :-)

I am glad to say that I have recovered from my poly tunnel excitement, I
was
not hurt only cross, I tried to hold on to the frame but stood no chance
at
all but thank you to those who were concerned :-) While I am here can I
pick some brains, a neighbour had a good sized load off our muck heap some
years ago, she has only just told me that the muck was infested with red
spider/red mite - are they the same thing - and they ruined her vegetables
because they ate all her potatoes ?

kate
still windy Gloucestershire

Is it possible the muck heap contained manure from animals that had
been grazing on fields treated with weed killer? There's one which
passes through the animal without affecting it but kills off or
distorts plants when used to manure the ground. Did you use it
yourself and have any problems at all?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon


The muck came from our own horses, the only thing that I do is pick up the
dropping`s in the paddock. lots of people have used the muck and no one has
had any problems except Mrs Woman next door so I think she is cross about
something, she usually is :-)

kate

On 23/05/2011 21:06, Kate Morgan wrote:
I am glad to say that I have recovered from my poly tunnel excitement, I
was
not hurt only cross, I tried to hold on to the frame but stood no chance at
all but thank you to those who were concerned :-) While I am here can I

When the wind in a storm has a hold of your greenhouse or polytunnel all
you can safely do is walk away into the wind. You don't want to be on
the receiving end of any flying debris.

pick some brains, a neighbour had a good sized load off our muck heap some
years ago, she has only just told me that the muck was infested with red
spider/red mite - are they the same thing - and they ruined her vegetables
because they ate all her potatoes ?

Hogwash!!! Don't give her any more then! She doesn't deserve it.

Red spider mite might put a web on new shoots of spuds grown in a
polytunnel but the plant is far to vigorous to be more than mildy
inconvenienced by their prescence. Outdoors I have never seen redspider
mite (misnamed because it is clear to straw coloured) thrive in the UK.
The worst that would happen is the growing points would turn silver
and have webs on. They definitely do not eat spuds (slugs do) or
tomatoes even when grown in a hot greenhouse for that matter.

It wouldn't surprise me if both tomato and potato green stems contained
enough toxins to kill redspider mite and most other sap suckers. The
only one that ever manages to be a nuisance for me is white fly.

Regards,
Martin Brown

When the wind in a storm has a hold of your greenhouse or polytunnel all
you can safely do is walk away into the wind. You don't want to be on
the receiving end of any flying debris.

I do agree with those wise words Martin, I don't go into the greenhouse when
it is very windy.
As for silly next door Mrs she can go and boil her whatever :-)

kate

On May 24, 10:28*pm, Sacha wrote:
On 2011-05-24 21:14:21 +0100, "Kate Morgan" said:



When the wind in a storm has a hold of your greenhouse or polytunnel all
you can safely do is walk away into the wind. You don't want to be on
the receiving end of any flying debris.

I do agree with those wise words Martin, I don't go into the greenhouse
when it is very windy.
As for silly next door Mrs she can go and boil her whatever :-)

kate

The only time I've known this place close (other than over Christmas!)
is when some glass fell out of a greenhouse roof in high winds. *It was
just too dangerous for either the staff or the public to carry on. *
Back to normal next day, however. Your Mrs Wotsit isn't worth your
worry by the sound of it!
--
Sachawww.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Well with no wind to talk of this afternoon I got the whole field
rotovated and the posts in for the first row of Tree dahlias, but the
forecast is for the wind to be back tomorrow.

I feel your pain about flying polytunnels!
We lost a huge 120ft by 25ft tunnel in the gales in last march this year....scarey as hell!

The manure thing will almost certain be because the stuff is way too fresh!
If you don't allow the manure to compost for long enough (2 years is best) then it will be way too strong in nitrogen and ammonia, which will burn the plants stems and roots and will cause them to die, it's almost like weedkiller when it's too fresh!
The stuff you are getting should always be taken from the oldest part of the muck heap which has been turned regularly and there should be no signs of the stuff being hot or steaming when you dig into it.
Also, the texture of the stuff should be crumbly and friable and not slimey or clay-like.
The colour should be black as pitch and there should be little or no smell coming from it, save a slight mushroomy/earthey smell.

Only then is it safe to use!

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 23 May 2011 21:52:35 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


"Martin" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 23 May 2011 20:18:04 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


"Martin" wrote in message

Who mentioned only. We also have the low flying incoming traffic for
Schiphol Airport when the wind blows from a northerly direction.


Oh, that's a bit of a bummer
I was in that airport once on my way to Germany. I got lost in it and got
told off (in Dutch)
Luckily I did not understand and kept smiling ;-)

Or northern Britons. Lisbon is sort of SW of us. If we want to fly to Lisbon, the only way is to first fly in an easterly direction by various amounts - the shortest option being via Schipol. Strange place. Full of blue and white pottery.