The gardening thread

[campanula]

3-in-1 would probably be my choice.

 

[two sheds]

Things have moved on

I find that the two halves have a holder that does indeed screw apart - once it screws apart the two halves .... errr ... pull apart easily

surprised nobody spotted that

 

[iona]

I was gonna suggest hitting it with a hammer

While we're sort of on the subject, has anyone tried using a diy electrolysis bath for getting the rust off old hand tools? I saw a thing on the internet about how it's meant to be better than vinegar/citric/etc but kinda worried I'll end up doing a dessiato!

 

[two sheds]

I'm sanding them down then painting straight over them with metal paint you can paint straight onto rust.

Avoid mains voltages if you're trying dessiato-style electrolysis.

 

[campanula]

Yep, what I do too, two sheds - wet and dry then a coat of Jenolite. I have a wire brush attachment which fits in my drill chuck so usually go down that road.

 

[iona]

I don't want to paint this stuff, just get the worst of the rust off then oil & sharpen.

Might do a vinegar soak & scrub for the most urgent bits and see if the gardening customer I'm going to start making charcoal with fancies a bash at the electrolysis thing too. He has a massive outbuilding full of rusty old tools (I just got a billhook from him in exchange for some veg!) and knows about solar panels and probably electrickery in general. I also have plans to knock up a DIY forge in his woods to try a bit of blacksmithing

 

[two sheds]

I don't want to paint this stuff, just get the worst of the rust off then oil & sharpen.

Yep that's the exception I was wondering about as I was typing. How about sand it down then whetstone the edge?

 

[iona]

Sanding rust off shit takes actual time and effort, I want science to do it for me lol

 

[two sheds]

I did try with vinegar as I recall - was fuck all use

(The sanding doesn't actually take too much time if you use a sanding block for flat surfaces.)

 

[iona]

The proper acidic white cleaning vinegar from the hippy refill shop's worked for me in the past, just need to leave it a while but not so long it fucks all the good metal too.

 

[TopCat]

A big plastic container. A big car battery. A few kilos of salt. Go for it.

 

[iona]

A big plastic container. A big car battery. A few kilos of salt. Go for it.

I was reading some thread full of beardy workshop types that google threw up and apparently battery chargers are better coz if [some electricity thing] goes wrong it can make the car battery explode

 

[two sheds]

I was reading some thread full of beardy workshop types that google threw up and apparently battery chargers are better coz if [some electricity thing] goes wrong it can make the car battery explode

I'd consult dessiato on this, he's the expert

 

[iona]

And you need to chuck some rebar or something in as a sacrifice and never put stainless steel in coz it creates poison gas. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[iona]

I'd consult dessiato on this, he's the expert

My mum's partner is actually a chemistry teacher but he's quite straightlaced and probably not into blowing stuff up in gardens.

 

[TopCat]

Do it outside yeah and a charger sounds good. I have a load of rusty mechanics tools and might give it a go.

 

[iona]

Do it outside yeah and a charger sounds good. I have a load of rusty mechanics tools and might give it a go.

Great, let me know how it goes if you survive yeah?

 

[Ron Merlin]

Sometimes this stabby fucker reminds me why I haven't hoiked it out. Lovely

 

[iona]

For anyone complaining about wormy apples - so far this week I've found codling moth caterpillars crawling up the kitchen walls and in my waterproofs, my shoes and now my wallet I'm not that fussed about picking them out of apples but still a bit too squeamish to eat one on its own.

And now two little bastards IN MY BED. Might've chucked them in with the mushrooms I was frying all extra protein innit

 

[Carvaged]

I made a whole bunch of sub-irrigated planters for the garden this year for food production. Didn't really work as well as I'd hoped. They probably ensured the roots never got too dry, but the wicks seemingly just weren't able to provide enough water to the soil from the reservoirs for them to thrive. Every time I watered from above, I'd reliably provoke a new round of growth and/or fruit production. So I'm a little disappointed as it took a long time to make them all from scratch and bits and bobs.

 

[two sheds]

I made a whole bunch of sub-irrigated planters for the garden this year for food production. Didn't really work as well as I'd hoped. They probably ensured the roots never got too dry, but the wicks seemingly just weren't able to provide enough water to the soil from the reservoirs for them to thrive. Every time I watered from above, I'd reliably provoke a new round of growth and/or fruit production. So I'm a little disappointed as it took a long time to make them all from scratch and bits and bobs.

I've not done well with irrigation systems. My brightest hope is the one in the greenhouse - I've taken the overflow from the water butt through to the plants inside. Doesn't really work though I think it's blocked by leaves but I will go and blow through it.

 

[TopCat]

I made a whole bunch of sub-irrigated planters for the garden this year for food production. Didn't really work as well as I'd hoped. They probably ensured the roots never got too dry, but the wicks seemingly just weren't able to provide enough water to the soil from the reservoirs for them to thrive. Every time I watered from above, I'd reliably provoke a new round of growth and/or fruit production. So I'm a little disappointed as it took a long time to make them all from scratch and bits and bobs.

I tried wick watering with a big weed grow back a while. It was shite.

 

[two sheds]

I tried wick watering with a big weed grow back a while. It was shite.

well mine's the obvious route - water butt overflow, standard hose with holes cut in to let the water out at suitable places. Just a shame it's turned out shite too .

 

[Carvaged]

I've not done well with irrigation systems. My brightest hope is the one in the greenhouse - I've taken the overflow from the water butt through to the plants inside. Doesn't really work though I think it's blocked by leaves but I will go and blow through it.

Sounds like a good idea. Maybe you could put a little gauze/butter muslin type material on or around the in-feed to keep it clear?

I was going to feed mine from the gutters down into my reservoirs and from one to the next via their overflow pipes but never got around to it. Would definitely have needed some DIY filters to keep the pipes clear tho I think.

 

[Carvaged]

I tried wick watering with a big weed grow back a while. It was shite.

What did you use for wicks? I explored all the options but settled on the stuff that hozelock make to self-water tomatoes in the end (on the assumption they'd be high-enough capacity).

 

[two sheds]

Sounds like a good idea. Maybe you could put a little gauze/butter muslin type material on or around the in-feed to keep it clear?

I was going to feed mine from the gutters down into my reservoirs and from one to the next via their overflow pipes but never got around to it. Would definitely have needed some DIY filters to keep the pipes clear tho I think.

fine idea I shall examine that. I'd love to have proper watering system for greenhouse so I didn't kill things

 

[Carvaged]

I might try converting one of the planters I built to soil-wicking for next year. Although it seems like the easiest option, I'd read a lot of complaints about root rot from some, even with the commercial planters with a decent anti-root membrane to keep them out of stagnant water, so was a bit hesitant.

 

[bimble]

i feel stupidly guilty about missing the last hundred pages or whatever, due to general despiretedness.
BUT so excited to learn that i can sow seeds in autumn and thinking about it for 5 seconds, of course you can, totally logical as thats when they would naturally be falling to the ground . Scarfifying and overseeding my attempt at wildflower meadow now, as hope spings eternal.

 

[two sheds]

Just had a play with my new weed burner. Am hopeful but expecting to see dozens of little burnt areas with brambles growing healthily out of the centre If it didn't work I might wait for some really dry weather and the whole garden will go whoosh.

It is great for starting bonfires though, I had some treated wood I needed to get rid of and a holy dustbin to get rid of them in.

 

[orient slacker]

I’ve had an enforced 5 weeks off gardening due to a really rotten debilitating bout of sciatica [brought on by stupidly doing an hours worth of repetitive bend, twist and lifts whilst clearing out muck from a lined pond which had a puncture], but it’s started to ease off from severe to moderate discomfort the last few days so it’s time to think about getting back out there and catch up on the autumn jobs - including planting about 200 allium and tulip bulbs the missus bought back in September and thoughtfully left for me to deal with before the big winter chill descends.

First jobs, though, will be to pick up all the small branches and trillions of leaves that have come down in my absence, deweed to flower beds AGAIN, plus maybe giving the straggly grass one last cut if it’s not too wet. But need to take it slow and hope I don’t give myself a sciatic setback…