winter plans / jobs

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winter plans / jobs

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gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18424

Posted: Mon Dec 18, 06 9:17 pm Post subject: winter plans / jobs

What are your tasks for this winter ?

My list includes (some started)
1. Take out hawthorn hedging (too near apple trees, seemingly a risk of fireblight here)
2. Unblock field drain (managed this at the weekend, but it has blocked again, and I think I will have to replace the section that runs under the access track)
3. Limb dead cherry tree; tidy up other trees
4. Fell assorted surplus larches, etc.
5. Clear ditches
6. Hedge-cutting (beech)
7. Hedge-planting in gaps where hawthorn was.
8. Coppice willow and sycamore

...perhaps more relevant to Grow your Own
9. Plant more fruit trees
10. Prune apples and pears
11. Prune bush fruit
12. Plant bush/other fruit

And
13. (unlucky for some) check holding tank and drainage to the septic tank

LynneA

Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Posts: 4893
Location: London N21

Posted: Mon Dec 18, 06 11:02 pm Post subject:

1 - Get Organised
2 - Tidy Up
3 - De-Clutter

Allotment tasks
1 - Make new compost bins from dismantled potato box we bought this time last year
2 - Use any left over wood to make new potting bench
3 - Reinforce shed
4 - Lower height of bank and put new pond in. Get soil ready for new fruit trees & bushes (due to arrive February)
5 - Make new shade garden behind old shed. Make logpile for wildlife. Plant helebores & acanthus.
6 - Put pea supports in place before they need it (and before voles eat the lot

)

Right - that's the Christmas break planned.

Howard will also be cleaning the carpets, putting up a new wardrobe, sofa, coffee table and possibly some more Ikea shelving.

Probably when he wakes up at 3am unable to sleep.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Mon Dec 18, 06 11:27 pm Post subject:

- install septic tank
- connect electricity
- landscape (and fence) round reedbed
- replace pipe under gateway (old pots, water finds its way through, but not very quickly so replacing & widening with a 12" pipe

)
- install office & coldstore & hopefully start on livestock building
- 1100m sheep fencing & a some hedging
- more fruit trees if there's some spare cash
and if that lot gets done I'll have to eat my hat

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19862
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Mon Dec 18, 06 11:53 pm Post subject:
1 Deal with septic tank problem - another theme developing??! I don't think that this can be a winter job though as the garden is a sticky mess already and the thought of what would happen if we try to dig anything up with all this rain!

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 06 4:18 am Post subject:

The priority is to build/find a shed or something (OH thinks container) for our 3 ewes to lamb in in April. They have an open fronted shed, but the height is not conducive to humans, nor is it big enough for the purpose.

We also need to fence another bit of grazing for them. Thinking of electric fencing so that we can move them about, but unsure as to cost.

Have looked at the business side of my plant producing for next year, and have made some hard (and some easy)decisions on what I will not produce.

Looking forward to doing B&B from Feb.
Anyone fancy a nice Valentine's break in an ensuite B&B in North Cornwall?

Lorraine

Jenna

Joined: 30 Sep 2005
Posts: 263
Location: Away with the fairies

Posted: Thu Jan 04, 07 11:52 am Post subject:
ooo 'eck, where to start! Probably finish the bathroom is number 1, be nice to have a bath that is more than 18'' square! Loads more hedge to plant, but too soggy so far. Ditto re retaining wall at the bottom of our slopey (and sloppy) garden. New 'tater patch to fence out of next door neighbours field (what a nice man). And loads of plumbing. I hate plumbing.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu Jan 04, 07 5:42 pm Post subject:
I'm still waiting for it to get properly cold so I can prune the apple trees and coppice a little patch of trees. One of them, a hazel, still has a few green leaves on it as we've not had a decent cold snap yet. I also need to sort the guttering on the shed and connect it up to a couple of water butts.

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