A little progress

Weather has been un-April like for the past few weeks - overcast, and bitterly cold, with strong northerly winds. Some of the seedlings I put out have survived, but some tender lettuces have been badly wind burned, and the potatoes I started inside mid march have been wind burned too.

Today I braved the elements, only to find that it wasn't too cold. We have had a biofire installed (more on that later) and the installer has lots of chimney pipe left over. So I'm trying out the chimney pipes for growing carrots - my raised bed has the look of a steam ship - I'm hoping that the dark metal will warm the compost inside, and get the carrots going better - and that the height will keep them above carrot flies.

Also planted a few early turnips, and some beets. And transplanted some peas which have been happily growing in a chip for the past month.

One advantage of the cold weather has been an absence of snails - so far nothing seems to have been completely eaten. Don't know if the lettuce I planted will survive being out, though - I'd like it to be a bit bigger just to hold it's own.

Fingers crossed todays effort won't have been a complete waste of time, and that the growth rates will pick up soon. Before the slugs pick up....