Sunday carried on as it started, raining until quite late in the afternoon, by which time the ground was pretty sodden so the plot was out. However, the potting shed was nice and dry.

I spent the morning putting up a page on the Poultry Pages - the My Chicken competition photographs so they’re more permanently on display. It was really difficult to choose who to vote for, I had about 6 favourites but I suppose there can be only one, as they say. My Chicken Photographs. This is the winner, who has a copy of Organic Poultry by Katie Thear on the way - cute does not begin to describe it!

Whilst we’re on the subject of the Poultry Pages, one question that seems to worry people, often with cause, is how to keep chickens with a pet dog. There’s an article on that including a video. Pet Dogs and Chickens.

Anyone for a game of hide and seek then? by Slowef

Right, back up to the potting shed. I’ve some Brussels sprouts and brassicas in modules that needed to move on to 3" pots and some calabrese and more sprouts to sow.

With brassicas, I like to add a little lime to the compost. Brassicas like a high pH and multi-purpose compost tends to be a little acid. Just a dusting on the top and mix. Normally I just dip a pot into the bag to get the compost out but being near the bottom I tipped it out into my potting tray. What a lucky escape I had, there was a massive queen wasp making a new home in there. If I’d have dipped my hand in, it would have been an ouch.

Actually my second lucky break, yesterday on the plot I stepped on a nail poking up through a piece of wood. I felt it go through my shoe and I thought into my instep but when I got home, the skin was unbroken. I’d asked Val to suck the poison out but she just asked me where the insurance policies were, must have misheard me, I suppose.

I’ve sown some Falstaff purple sprouts and Revenge ordinary ones. Two or three seeds per module and I’ll reduce to one seedling if both germinate. We’ve really gotten into sprouts and they freeze well.

I moved my second sowing of Sungold, Gartenpearle and Roma tomatoes on into 3" pots. The first lot went completely leggy as I forgot to check them, but these are looking good. The Roma are just in the greenhouse as they’ll be going outdoors I want to harden them a little. The others are in the propagators, although the Gartenpearle will be going outside, they’re a little small for the big world yet.

I’ve got a rather special cucumber, Carmen,  in the propagator but the stem has got damaged somehow, which is really annoying. It may be OK yet but I’ve sown another just in case. I also sowed a couple of Burpless Tasty Green, they do well outdoors and are really flavoursome.

Next a couple of butternut squash, some courgettes and marrows went into 3" pots.

The cucumbers are in the lounge to germinate as the propagators are set low now and they like quite a warm temperature to germinate. Everything else will be fine in the propagator.

I’ve loads to do on the plot and the weather is set for yet more rain. Looks like my predictions of a drought were in error. Still, grab what time I can and hopefully all will be well. If it’s raining tomorrow, I’ve still bits I can do in the potting shed.