wayward bob
i ate all your bees
top half dealing with it
bottom half chucked in the towel
bottom half chucked in the towel
The gardening thread
- Thread starter ringo
- Start date
Calamity1971
If Mr Peanut says It's okay, then it is.
top half dealing with it
bottom half chucked in the towel
Wow, that's a corker. Reminds me of holidaying in Torquay. No way would I get a specimen like that on amytivillle hill.
wayward bob
i ate all your bees
there's an 8-headed beast in a neighbour's place but i assume that's in the ground - this one graduated onto a bin when it outgrew its chimneypot
Leafster
.
That doesn’t look too bad. The yellowing leaves are the oldest so perhaps their time has come. Otherwise, it looks like a decent “tree”.top half dealing with it
bottom half chucked in the towel
Leafster
.
It’s been a windy day down here too. The poppies in my garden have taken a battering and my neighbour’s wisteria has scattered half its flowers across his garden.
I have been woefully behind this year...but a virtue of having a mature allotment, is the enormous amount of growth over 16/7 years, thereby looking lush and green everywhere. However, I stopped one of my (worst) meds (ribavirin) a couple of weeks ago and am no longer the creeping, anaemic wraith of a month ago...and with the potatoes in the ground (at last) and 50 fat tomato plants, 4 courgettes, squash and my dye plants waiting to plant, I took my camera to the plot.
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Boudicca
Seaside Queen
Can anyone give me advice on lawns? Had a gardener guest stay recently and he suggested that all I needed to do was "concentrate on the lawn" (i.e. your grass looks shit). It has brown patches and the squirrels have dug several holes. I put that fertilise/kill the moss stuff down, it grows nice and green, but then is same as ever when I cut it. I'm convinced it is just green dye anyway. And I put fresh grass seed on the squirrel holes, but none of it took, I think I need to break the soil more if I try again.
Idaho
blah blah blah
Lawns need aerating (one of those spikey rollers to put holes everywhere or a lot of fork work), and scarfying (brutal raking to remove moss, etc - your lawn will look a bit ruined if you do it right). Then you need some topsoil to fill in gaps and holes.... Then seed and feed.
The brown spots are a bit ominous...and could be anything from soil-borne disease (Fairy rings, dollar spot) to cockchafers. Could you possibly post some pics of the worst parts. There are various treatments, from fungicides to nematodes available and yep, the general lawn care of scarifying (removing old thatch), aerating (can be done with a fork or better yet, hire an aerator which will take little tubs of earth, allowing oxygen and drainage) and finally, topdressing with lawn sand and a general fertiliser (mostly heavy on nitrogen) will make a huge difference.
Lawns are such an essential frame for many of our plants...but personally, I no longer have any grass, apart from a tiny sitting patch on the allotment, as the effort is more onerous than the perennial and veg beds.
No, the spiky sandals do NOT work. - they penetrate no more than an inch or so...unlike the 6inch fork tine length needed for decent aeration.
Ah, it is also possible that brown areas are actually caused by chemical burn so I would probably desist with anymore fertiliser until the underlying problems are solved. You can check for grubs by lifting a flap of soil (in the affected area, with a spade - just an inch deep slice of turf - and see if any larvae are present. Just fold the flap back down, water and you wont notice the cut in a day or so.
Do you have a dog? Because pee is also a significant cause of browning...or even a lawnmower with blades set too low. (have been checking my course notes - did a term of groundskeeping).
Lawns are such an essential frame for many of our plants...but personally, I no longer have any grass, apart from a tiny sitting patch on the allotment, as the effort is more onerous than the perennial and veg beds.
No, the spiky sandals do NOT work. - they penetrate no more than an inch or so...unlike the 6inch fork tine length needed for decent aeration.
Ah, it is also possible that brown areas are actually caused by chemical burn so I would probably desist with anymore fertiliser until the underlying problems are solved. You can check for grubs by lifting a flap of soil (in the affected area, with a spade - just an inch deep slice of turf - and see if any larvae are present. Just fold the flap back down, water and you wont notice the cut in a day or so.
Do you have a dog? Because pee is also a significant cause of browning...or even a lawnmower with blades set too low. (have been checking my course notes - did a term of groundskeeping).
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StoneRoad
heckling from the back!
My lunch today has included home-grown mixed salad leaves ...
As for lawns, the grass I have doesn't come close to the sub/urban gardener's ideal (nor a bowling green keeper).
Apart from being mainly converted field, the mole / rabbit infestations that wrecked my normal enthusiasm for the garden and the soft soil has resulted in a very uneven surface. I'm gradually infilling holes and decapping the humps, concentrating on a couple of "nice areas" for now.
I wouldn't feel right without grass in the garden - apart from us sitting out, the dog plays on it and the clipping ends up in the compost heap. With enough, I can get my heap hot enough to deal with nettles and tap-rooted weeds.
This spring's planting spree has used up three quarters of the useable material I had stockpiled (and I've bought in compost for some containers and seed planting)
As for lawns, the grass I have doesn't come close to the sub/urban gardener's ideal (nor a bowling green keeper).
Apart from being mainly converted field, the mole / rabbit infestations that wrecked my normal enthusiasm for the garden and the soft soil has resulted in a very uneven surface. I'm gradually infilling holes and decapping the humps, concentrating on a couple of "nice areas" for now.
I wouldn't feel right without grass in the garden - apart from us sitting out, the dog plays on it and the clipping ends up in the compost heap. With enough, I can get my heap hot enough to deal with nettles and tap-rooted weeds.
This spring's planting spree has used up three quarters of the useable material I had stockpiled (and I've bought in compost for some containers and seed planting)
[QUOTE="StoneRoad, post: 15574082, member: 48530"
I wouldn't feel right without grass in the garden - apart from us sitting out, the dog plays on it and the clipping ends up in the compost heap.
Yep, I only have a tiny little garden at home and mostly beds at the allotment but most importantly, my days of lolling on grass are definitely over. I know the fam were embarrassed during last weeks trip to the local botanics...when I carefully hauled a chair across the length of the spacious lawn, to sit on, as they sprawled, carefree on the grass.Mostly, I avoid the inelegant scramble to my feet as my dodgy knees let me down again. So yeah, grass, pffft.
Have it in the wood...but it is far from being any sort of lawn.
It will be weeks before home-grown tucker makes an appearance in our kitchen (desperately behind with sowing and planting) but fruit keeps its own agenda...so strawberries soon.
I wouldn't feel right without grass in the garden - apart from us sitting out, the dog plays on it and the clipping ends up in the compost heap.
Yep, I only have a tiny little garden at home and mostly beds at the allotment but most importantly, my days of lolling on grass are definitely over. I know the fam were embarrassed during last weeks trip to the local botanics...when I carefully hauled a chair across the length of the spacious lawn, to sit on, as they sprawled, carefree on the grass.Mostly, I avoid the inelegant scramble to my feet as my dodgy knees let me down again. So yeah, grass, pffft.
Have it in the wood...but it is far from being any sort of lawn.
It will be weeks before home-grown tucker makes an appearance in our kitchen (desperately behind with sowing and planting) but fruit keeps its own agenda...so strawberries soon.
Boudicca
Seaside Queen
I don't have a dog, but I did think it might be the foxes.
Ho yep, fox pee is a candidate. I dunno, if I had visiting foxes, I might be charmed enough to ignore piddly patches...but then again, they might enrage me. Anyway, grass is notoriously quick to recover. You don't need to go at it full bore - just pick a strip for a daily stab session with a fork (imagine favourite hate figures cowering beneath your tines of steel). A rakeover with a spring tine - wear gloves cos that is the blistering bit - and if you can sweep a bit of silver sand into the fork holes, this is useful on clay..and overseed. Be really generous with watering for a week or so if overseeding (helps dilute the urine too). The first cut needs to be higher than usual.
Boudicca
Seaside Queen
Thanks, I have been doing a bit of scarifying this afternoon, but had to move onto weeding as it's all a bit out of control.
Innit! I have perfected the selective gaze...and savage strimming so it looks like a (ha ha) 'lawn' if you squint really hard.
StoneRoad
heckling from the back!
Late yesterday I received a donation for the garden - some plants moved from the Midlands, soaked everything overnight.
I will need to create a new bed for them today - a bunch of fragrant roses, some perennials- phlox and primulas mainly.
I know it is not the best time of year to move them, but there was no choice in the timing.
I will need to create a new bed for them today - a bunch of fragrant roses, some perennials- phlox and primulas mainly.
I know it is not the best time of year to move them, but there was no choice in the timing.
maomao
普費斯
I've been slowly killing a kumquat tree that I bought at Aldi three years ago. This February/March it was very unhappy about being snowed on and with a newborn in the house I was a bit distracted from covering it up or at least cleaning the snow off as I should have. Most of the branches went yukky and black and I cut off most of this wood leaving a grand total of two living branches which have resolutely refused to die. There's no sign of any new growth at the top of the tree but it's started to sprout suckers at the bottom of the trunk. Is this just its death throes or can I regrow the tree from these suckers? Should I saw off the original trunk now or later? Can I grow a double tree from two of the suckers or is that a bad idea?
StoneRoad
heckling from the back!
I've spent most of the last 12 hours creating a rose bed, from scratch including the hardest bit - deciding where to put it, and planted out the roses that came yesterday. The remaining items have some soil over their roots, I'll do them in the morning.
I'm going to photograph the bushes, and flowers so I can ID the varieties.
Ah yes, have done exactly the same with my Meyer lemon - although I am shamelessly blaming it's entire demise on the 'Beast from the East. Also, have failed to do much apart from stow it out of sight in the greenhouse. I would have been an enthusiastic chopper but recently, I have become more aware of the importance of top growth in woodies - potential photosynthesis is more essential than transpiration loss...which basically means just cutting the really obviously dead and crispy bits and leaving everything else in peace (apart from watering).
Treacle Toes
Time
Fred!!! I need your help with a little mystery! 
Any idea what this might be?
I have vague recollections of raiding the seed box last year and planting some stuff that no longer had labels but can't be sure. The thing is I would never have put a 5 foot triffid in this spot as it's only a small, enlongated wooden planter...look at the frigging size of it? It survived the winter but stayed about a foot tall with humongous leaves but It is currently growing at an amazing rate and I am fully expecting to see the fucker grow legs and start walking any day now. 
What the hell is it?
Any idea what this might be?
I have vague recollections of raiding the seed box last year and planting some stuff that no longer had labels but can't be sure. The thing is I would never have put a 5 foot triffid in this spot as it's only a small, enlongated wooden planter...look at the frigging size of it?
It survived the winter but stayed about a foot tall with humongous leaves but It is currently growing at an amazing rate and I am fully expecting to see the fucker grow legs and start walking any day now. What the hell is it?
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wayward bob
i ate all your bees
foxglove?
Treacle Toes
Time
Nah...I have some of them and they are never as chunky and triffid like.
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
It looks like a cross between verbascum and horse radish with a bit of chard thrown in for good measure 
wayward bob
i ate all your bees
lupin?
wayward bob
i ate all your bees
gladiolus?
Callie
Pivoting
Fred!!! I need your help with a little mystery!
Any idea what this might be?
I have vague recollections of raiding the seed box last year and planting some stuff that no longer had labels but can't be sure. The thing is I would never have put a 5 foot triffid in this spot as it's only a small, enlongated wooden planter...look at the frigging size of it?
What the hell is it?
Its the Hastings Jack on holiday in sunny south London
wayward bob
i ate all your bees
in case it wasn't obvious i haven't the foggiest just naming what i think to be pointy flowers 
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