Category Archives: Smallholding

No dig diary, 29th January 2026

My height extension for the propagator is now complete! Hopefully this will allow the peppers to continue growing under the grow light until they’re big enough to be elsewhere.

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No dig diary, 28th January 2026

I’m stunned at how fast the peppers are growing under the grow lights. I’m concerned that before the end of the week the plants will have reached the lid of the propagator, so I’m going to make a collar for … Continue reading

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The wheelbarrow lives!

My replacement inner tubes arrived today. The courier tried to hide them in the cupboard containing the pump for the well, but I found them eventually. It barely took ten minutes to get one of the new tubes back into … Continue reading

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No dig diary, 26th January 2026

One of my garlic cloves has really taken off. No idea why; I’m sure it wasn’t anywhere near this tall just a few days ago. I’m certainly not complaining though. At the other end of the scale, I suspect all … Continue reading

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I’ve never been able to see this

I’m a beekeeper with a strong interest in astronomy. There’s an open cluster of around one thousand stars in the constellation of Cancer known by a number of names including Praesepe, Messier 44 and The Beehive Cluster. The latter is … Continue reading

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Due to the rain today

I have been contemplating automated irrigation for the polytunnels and greenhouses. There are some cheap kits on Amazon these days, but I’m way less than convinced that they’ll flow sufficient water for my needs and after stumbling around trying to … Continue reading

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No dig diary, 25th January 2026

I had a quick check on the peppers under the grow light this morning. They’re looking pretty good now are some are even producing their first true leaves. There are one or two more oddities though, such as these ones … Continue reading

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Well that didn’t go quite as well as planned

Removing the tyre and inner tube from the wheelbarrow wheel turned out to be somewhat easier than I was expecting given that the front wheels of the lawnmower are the ones I usually have to deal with, and they’re an … Continue reading

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Cutting garden, 24th January 2026

The Antirrhinums were sown last weekend and this weekend it’s the sweet peas’ turn. Forty-seven seeds in all which isn’t many, so I’ve sown them one to a cell in module trays. Hopefully I’ll get decent germination and there’ll be … Continue reading

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Errr, what?!

I’ve just been idly looking at the cheap polytunnel that I’m turning into a polycrub on Amazon. Not sure why. My brain is just in random mode at the moment. In the details for the 6m x 3m polytunnel, it … Continue reading

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