Minnie's Gardeners' Question Time - help for the new gardeners

[geminisnake]

MINNIE, you need a big poly bag, maybe a bin bag, but it needs to go over your banana plant then you need to have a smoke and blow the smoke into the bag and fasten it shut and leave it for some hours. This will kill greenfly, whitefly and any other kind of fly ime. You might need to do it a couple of times, I've never had to do it to a plant that big.

Btw, I'm not shouting just trying to make sure you see the way to kill the things!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

MINNIE, you need a big poly bag, maybe a bin bag, but it needs to go over your banana plant then you need to have a smoke and blow the smoke into the bag and fasten it shut and leave it for some hours. This will kill greenfly, whitefly and any other kind of fly ime. You might need to do it a couple of times, I've never had to do it to a plant that big.

Btw, I'm not shouting just trying to make sure you see the way to kill the things!

I'll probably kill myself if I have to smoke that much!

I could use joss sticks maybe?

 

[shakespearegirl]

Can I have these instead then Minnie? Chinese Pagodas (Chinese Houses)

I can always pop round and smoke for you

 

[geminisnake]

One cigarette should do it daftie!!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

One cigarette should do it daftie!!

well you did say it was a big plant

I wonder if they like citronella candle smoke?

Will give the smoking a go tomorrow, and then a spray, as suggested by Perroquet after that.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

PS: If any insects jump out of the hole into my mouth while I'm doing it, I'll have you

 

[Perroquet]

MINNIE, you need a big poly bag, maybe a bin bag, but it needs to go over your banana plant then you need to have a smoke and blow the smoke into the bag and fasten it shut and leave it for some hours. This will kill greenfly, whitefly and any other kind of fly ime. You might need to do it a couple of times, I've never had to do it to a plant that big.

Btw, I'm not shouting just trying to make sure you see the way to kill the things!

haven't heard of this before but makes a lot of sense.

let us know if it works.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

haven't heard of this before but makes a lot of sense.

let us know if it works.

If you don't hear from me, it's possible I've been eaten alive.

 

[geminisnake]

Dunno if citronella would work but the nicotine(and other toxins) in the baccy will. I saw it years ago on a programme about the Eden project. It's a 'green' way of killing beasties but it kills good ones too

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Dunno if citronella would work but the nicotine(and other toxins) in the baccy will. I saw it years ago on a programme about the Eden project. It's a 'green' way of killing beasties but it kills good ones too

I read this afternoon that white flies love nicotiana and are so classed as a good decoy plant

 

[Cid]

Dunno if citronella would work but the nicotine(and other toxins) in the baccy will. I saw it years ago on a programme about the Eden project. It's a 'green' way of killing beasties but it kills good ones too

I like that the most effective pesticide you've found is something you'll happily inhale.

/snarky non-smoker.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I like that the most effective pesticide you've found is something you'll happily inhale.

/snarky non-smoker.

Ouch

 

[Cid]

Well at least I resisted bolding 'it kills the good ones too'.

 

[Cid]

oops.

 

[geminisnake]

Who said I smoke?? I know Minnie does which is why I suggested it

People DO know that smoking isn't good for them, I don't think anyone is under any illusion

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Well at least I resisted bolding 'it kills the good ones too'.

Not to worry. Gemini already said it kills the good beasties as well

 

[nagapie]

A friend gave me hyacinths in a pots. I left them inside and they flowered about a month ago in the house as the central heating was on. Now I don't know what to do with them. Should I plant them in the garden or are the bulbs dead? I've read a few things online that give me conflicting advice.

 

[trashpony]

I'd wait until they die back down and then bung them outside. Mine come up every year (although they're forced when they're inside so the next year they're always a bit rubbish).

Ooh Minnie - did you see that really tall pot that they had in Lidl?

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Ooh Minnie - did you see that really tall pot that they had in Lidl?

I did, but didn't get it. For what felt no heavier than a bit of polystyrene, I thought it was a tad expensive at £10.

Not really sure whether to get it or not. Really need the height to stop lemon grass dragging on the ground. Think I would definitely have got it if it was black as the lemon grass would look nicer, but I'm really not sure about it. May have to get it more out of necessity than looks.

Having said that, I don't even have any lemon grass yet.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I chopped all the leaves off my banana plant today (except the one that was coming through). All this wiping the leaves with fairy liquid and water was taking forever and I couldn't get to the bits near the stem, so I decided to be brutal.

Also tried putting a bin bag over and blowing smoke into a hole, but the plant was a big big resulting in bending the only newly emerging leaf, and I wasn't sure I wanted to break that off. Was also getting a bit chilly out there so left it

b-in-law came round with a heated propagator today as well and said all my seedlings were definitely too damp and I'm better off starting again

 

[nagapie]

I'd wait until they die back down and then bung them outside. Mine come up every year (although they're forced when they're inside so the next year they're always a bit rubbish).

So the next year will be a bit rubbish, should I expect them to flower at all? Also I have a north facing garden, do you think they'll be ok?

 

[geminisnake]

Nagapie, they should be ok. My hyacinths are in the front garden and they only get some sun in the late afternoon at this time of year and they do ok But as trashy said wait til the foliage has died back then plant them outside.

 

[trashpony]

So the next year will be a bit rubbish, should I expect them to flower at all? Also I have a north facing garden, do you think they'll be ok?

Yeah, they don't need huge amounts of sun (and no spring flowers get a hell of a lot anyway)

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I've just discovered in the last hour that Californian poppies don't transplant well due to their long root systems. Another explanation for why my seedlings of them in particular are keeling over

 

[Edie]

Minnie, the kids have brought home these mini daffodils from school (they have bulbs and they are in pots of earth). They have flowered and now the whole plant has gone floppy (both). The kids have told me I need to cut the whole plant off and the bulb will regrow. Husband thinks just cut the dead heads off and they will flower again. I think they are just flower once then die plants. Who is right? Thanks xx

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Minnie, the kids have brought home these mini daffodils from school (they have bulbs and they are in pots of earth). They have flowered and now the whole plant has gone floppy (both). The kids have told me I need to cut the whole plant off and the bulb will regrow. Husband thinks just cut the dead heads off and they will flower again. I think they are just flower once then die plants. Who is right? Thanks xx

You're asking me?

You do know I'm brand new to gardening, hence this thread?

 

[Edie]

You're asking me?

You do know I'm brand new to gardening, hence this thread?

Oh sorry hun, I thought YOU were the expert, doling out advice to us idiots

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

This sites says to deadhead them

http://gardenerstips.co.uk/blog/tips/tips-for-growing-daffodils/

and this says to let the foliage die down after

http://www.blomsbulbs.com/growing/autumn/daffodils

but I have no idea what I'm talking about so you're better off waiting for someone else to respond

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Oh sorry hun, I thought YOU were the expert, doling out advice to us idiots

No, 'fraid not. I'm one of the idiots

 

[trashpony]

I deadhead and then leave the foliage to die back. That way all the goodness from the green bits goes back into the bulb. And they will grow again year after year. Even if you forget where you planted them and there are some other massive things over the top of them