Friday 8 June 2012

Soup and nest building

Even though it is early June, I have just started another big pan of soup!



It is wet and windy here today, with sudden gusts of high wind but the temperature is around 11 Celsius. I have already had to go outside in the rain to tie up my tomatoes and tomatillo's which had flopped over. The miniature tomatoes have been put back into my little greenhouse to give them a rest from the rain. No doubt, they will succumb to blight later in the year.



As soon as I have some decent side shoots from the tomatoes, I shall snap them off and pot them on. They will then form new plants after a few weeks to give us a late supply of tomatoes for early autumn. As I don't have a full size greenhouse, these plants normally get brought inside around late September.



I learnt this trick a few years ago. The side shoots need to be around 3” - 4” long when you snap (not pinch or cut) them off their parents. They usually roar away as they have a good supply of natural growth hormone at their bases.



We have a pair of Goldfinches building a nest in the front fruit arch in the back garden. For three or four years now, we have had them nesting in our fruit trees. Their nests are small but beautiful and the eggs are only the size of the nail on my little finger!

2 comments:

  1. It certainly doesn't feel like June, such a grey, dank day today. Definitely soup weather.
    I took some side shoots a few weeks ago, now have 3 extra plants for later toms. Also my neighbour has just given me two plants which are the big 'beefy' tomatoes.
    We do have Goldfinches but have never seen their nests.
    Hope you have a lovely weekend despite the weather.
    Carol xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Carol, I will. Also will try and get a picture of the nest when and if I can - they are very beautiful.

    ReplyDelete

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