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The gardening thread

The craziness has started ...
I can't believe I just sowed another batch of nasturtiums ... :facepalm:
It will be fun seeing how many of my neighbours recognise these that grew from the seeds I rescued in the park ..
I won't be coddling these - not least to save electricity - and I'll set up a smaller lamp for when it's just small numbers of seedlings.
The nasturtiums will be going back by the window so I can get them hardened-off and outdoors asap ...
I will quite likely root cuttings off of these for my porch extravaganza ...

I plan to plant nasturtiums in every available container - it's silly not to have them self-seeding...
And the lanky tagetes - like bloody cress ...

If I can score some reasonable compost locally I will be generous with neighbours - I sowed a lot of gardener's delight toms ... as it is I'm likely to have to make a second trip to Wilko ...
(no other shops within range )

firstflushthermostat.jpg
 
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I think the differences in all our varying set-ups should be totally reassuring for anyone a little anxious about their little plantlets. My operation is the polar opposite to yours, gentlegreen (since your arrangements would strike fear and horror into my heart). I have no lighting, no heating, no fancy substrates (I sow seed into any old mix lying around, preferably pre-used), no chemical or hormonal assists...and recently, have largely abandoned sowing in modules, simply poking seeds into any vacant soil space whenever the fancy takes me. Sweetheart and a couple of my offspring have embraced hi-tech growing while I am back in the pre-scientific stone age. And as if by magic, our plants are largely surviving, even thriving. Horticulture really does offer something for everyone, on every budget.
 
campanula said:
I think the differences in all our varying set-ups should be totally reassuring for anyone a little anxious about their little plantlets. My operation is the polar opposite to yours, gentlegreen (since your arrangements would strike fear and horror into my heart). I have no lighting, no heating, no fancy substrates (I sow seed into any old mix lying around, preferably pre-used), no chemical or hormonal assists...and recently, have largely abandoned sowing in modules, simply poking seeds into any vacant soil space whenever the fancy takes me. Sweetheart and a couple of my offspring have embraced hi-tech growing while I am back in the pre-scientific stone age. And as if by magic, our plants are largely surviving, even thriving. Horticulture really does offer something for everyone, on every budget.
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I guess I fall somewhere in between. I don't have a proper greenhouse - just one of those plastic mini ones.

I reckon it's too cold to start seeds off at the beginning of the year in the mini-greenhouse and I don't like having them on the window sills inside the house. So, instead I have a small heat pad (about 60cm x 40cm) and grow light in the shed. It's just about big enough for my needs and when it gets warm enough I can start sowing/potting on in the mini-greenhouse.

I have a slight issue this year in that it's been a bit colder recently than normal so I haven't been able to pot on some seedlings which I would have put in the mini-greenhouse.
 
Same, campanula. I've adopted your framing of "stress testing" rather than doing things wrong with great enthusiasm. While I do use modules and pots for some things, I prefer to sow direct wherever possible - had fun in my work forest garden yesterday kicking leaves back to expose the soil and flinging handfuls of seed about. I poke cuttings into any old pot and rely on memory to tell them apart from other random twigs, and just planted out a load of wild strawberry and eurybia divaricata divisions that had spent an entire week living in a freezer bag in my coat pocket.
 
Leafster said:
I guess I fall somewhere in between. I don't have a proper greenhouse - just one of those plastic mini ones.

I reckon it's too cold to start seeds off at the beginning of the year in the mini-greenhouse and I don't like having them on the window sills inside the house. So, instead I have a small heat pad (about 60cm x 40cm) and grow light in the shed. It's just about big enough for my needs and when it gets warm enough I can start sowing/potting on in the mini-greenhouse.

I have a slight issue this year in that it's been a bit colder recently than normal so I haven't been able to pot on some seedlings which I would have put in the mini-greenhouse.
Click to expand...
LED strip is very cheap though - so that 50 watt growlamp cost me about £3 - plus a 12 volt supply from the junk bin, a hot glue gun and a soldering iron.
The thermostat was also only a couple of quid ... Since I have to buy a hole saw to make my hydro troughs I'm going to perforate the shelf so the heater under it can do a better job of heating that space.

I'm nearly always starting things late and there's a definite bias towards sub-tropicals ... and it's very handy to be doing it indoors :)

I didn't have much of a clue when I started out - I used to think actual mirrors were good for reflecting light ..
My first "greenhouse" was a pile of inch square steel desk extensions from work all spiced together and leant up against a north-facing wall - with the afore-mentioned miscellaneous mirrors with the silvering flaking off- and I used to scavenge the polythene whenever a filing cabinet was delivered ...

A benefit of my job was raiding the junk bin so my seedling area is actually surrounded by classroom projection screen.

Even my landing where that is located got down to 11 degrees last night - my bathroom windowsill is only 5 degrees above outside so my alfalfa has been sluggish ...

I'm hoping when I move I'll have my atrium plus a salad greenhouse so I will be raising things slightly nearer outdoors ...

In my last couple of years here I'm exploring food self-sufficiency starting very small and assuming little in the way of a garden. Who knows in future years I will get so good at producing niche salad and fungi, I may have to apply for a different kind of French visa ...
 
Leafster said:
Here's a photo of my set up - not much green activity visible at the moment as I didn't get my arse into gear early enough.
Click to expand...
Those mini greenhouses are amazingly useful - I've used them for greenhouse staging and allsorts - I'm surprised you don't have the PVC cover on to keep the heat in ?
 
Yep, I have been down the science and technology road, even enthusiastic use of some quite poky hormones (auxins and gibberellins), plus a whole series of heating mats and growlights (some of which I still use for the (ahem) 'indoor growing) but, over time, I just got more stressed and have been pushing the boundaries of how far I can simplify the whole growing operation...and it transpires that, for the plants I wish to grow (hardy annuals, perennials, trees), following a more natural calender works very well indeed. For sure, I used to start my tomatoes under lights and heat, way back in late Feb/March, along with numerous plantlets on different germination cycles (in and out of the fridge, warm period, wet period, cold period, double dormancy etc etc) until I was hoipelessly confused and stressed. It was seeing the allotment volunteers, growing like cress, if simply left alone to their own devices, which convinced me to try a slacker approach. Invariably, later sown plants catch up with the earlier forced ones, losing only a wk or 2 at most so for quite a while, I have been trying to simplify. Obviously, there are fatalities...but there were plenty of them back when I thought I was 'in control'. Might be age and just slowing down a bit anyway, but I am very insistent (even evangelical) that there are many ways to do gardening. I also find my personal enjoyment has increased now I feel I am observing, rather than controlling the processes. Like offspring leaving home and going out in the world.
 
gentlegreen said:
Those mini greenhouses are amazingly useful - I've used them for greenhouse staging and allsorts - I'm surprised you don't have the PVC cover on to keep the heat in ?
Click to expand...
The reason that mini-greenhouse frame is in the shed is because it's ancient and the plastic cover perished. It was cheaper to buy a new one than get a replacement cover!

I've just checked the cost of my set up (ignoring the mini-greenhouse frame). It was all 'off the shelf' stuff from Amazon and Suttons. The two timers, the light, the heat pad and the propagators came to just under £150. Not cheap, but definitely cheaper than a full-sized greenhouse and greenhouse heating.
 
Blanky 'ell.

For the fourth time in less than 24hrs we've had hail thrashing down.
Some of my trees have buds starting to break open ...
It was bright & sunny a few minutes previously.
I had been outside, doing some measuring / planning but thankfully didn't stay for long, as the wind makes the four degrees air temp feel more like minus three.
 
I have a very good friend who has a small laboratory in a series of sheds in his back garden. Mostly for growing funghi, but he can do micro-propagation, tissue culture, even genetic tweaking. I do sometimes buy shrooms from him and have a load of innoculated logs at the wood. He loves, loves, loves it, producing heaps of high quality protein (and some very decent psychedelics). Despite our very different approaches, we are both deeply fascinated with the whole business of growing things and respecting the cycles of life in a rapidly changing world. More in common than it would seem.
 
Only two degrees of windchill for my walk in the park. :thumbs:
Wind mostly from the north but gusting from the east ...
Who knows any raindrops may miss me :)
 
Leafster your mention of a heating mat reminded me I had a heating cable, so, as in the past I made a crude attempt to lay it out flat on top of my copper heatsink - and then slapped two layers foil on top to try to be kind to it ....
I have a big bag of horticultural grit-sand outside but unfortunately only one of my 40-pot gravel trays ...
It had to be worth a stab before I started drilling holes in my plastic shelf.

My watercress is busting to get some nutes or make seed so I am going to have to mix up a batch and find a suitable temporary hydro bucket.
I have no room to deploy a trough in my window because of the crazy number of nasturtiums and tagetes seedlings occupying the space ...

Back to hanging baskets ... I reckon if I'm growing hydro salad salad (quite likely with level alarm switches and fishing float indicators) and hanging nasturtiums from the top of the porch (quite likely also hydro). I have no excuse not to irrigate my cascade of 2 x 3 baskets properly this year so I will have to haul out my rarely used black pipe and spaghetti line from under the enormous pile of green waste at the back of the house.

heatercablebeforefoiling.jpg coolingoff.jpgwatercressdesperate.jpg
 
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gentlegreen said:
The craziness has started ...
I can't believe I just sowed another batch of nasturtiums ... :facepalm:
It will be fun seeing how many of my neighbours recognise these that grew from the seeds I rescued in the park ..
I won't be coddling these - not least to save electricity - and I'll set up a smaller lamp for when it's just small numbers of seedlings.
The nasturtiums will be going back by the window so I can get them hardened-off and outdoors asap ...
I will quite likely root cuttings off of these for my porch extravaganza ...

I plan to plant nasturtiums in every available container - it's silly not to have them self-seeding...
And the lanky tagetes - like bloody cress ...

If I can score some reasonable compost locally I will be generous with neighbours - I sowed a lot of gardener's delight toms ... as it is I'm likely to have to make a second trip to Wilko ...
(no other shops within range )

View attachment 317687
Click to expand...
What lights are you using and tell me about your nutrient solutions.
 
TopCat said:
Perlite will increase drainage. You want vermiculite.
Click to expand...

Both perlite and vermiculite are used to increase drainage.

You can buy some sort of water holding product to add to composts in containers, I believe, but I've never used it and have no idea what it's called.
 
You can get gel like crystals you can add to baskets etc.

Just don't forget you've added it, because you'll eventually end up with what looks like some weird maggoty breeding ground. But it isn't. (I then scooped it all out and threw it away) .
 
TopCat said:
What lights are you using and tell me about your nutrient solutions.
Click to expand...
Cheap 12 volt strip from China (I used to pay about £3) - chopped into short lengths and powered from the middle to minimise resistive losses. Last time I measured it I think it was burning about 50 watts...
I had access to a scrap bin at work, but you can get reasonably safe 12 volt supplies quite cheaply ...
400k according to a light meter app on my phone - but that looks about right - a very pleasant light to see by and the plants seem to like it.

I don't know how how badly it compares to posh panels in terms of PAR efficiency ... the first unit I made I glued short lengths to a sheet of copper but it got very hot ...

Any domestic LED lamp is fine for seedlings - I used 20 watt CFLs for years before this ...

I'm a total beginner with hydro and I mislaid my test meters so I'm using my watercress to tell me - nutes from nearest grow shop - Plant Magic hard water - 10ml of A and 10ml of B in about 2 litres ... when I move and get enough space to get properly serious with my salads I will have to find a cheaper alternative. But even Nutriculture sell this stuff now - they used to sell dry hydro nutes.
I will probably need to add something to get stuff to flower well ..
 
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O TopCat, I would be unable to stop myself molesting your lawn edges.. When I am overwhelmed (often), there are a couple of failsafe things I do to make me feel back in charge. Strimming the grass paths is one but by far the most satisfying trick (which always impresses customers) is to cut a defined edging to the lawn with a sharp spade or my stainless steel, viciously sharp half-moon edging tool. Course, I am doing continual battle with couch so a trench is only the first line of defence.
 
campanula said:
O TopCat, I would be unable to stop myself molesting your lawn edges.. When I am overwhelmed (often), there are a couple of failsafe things I do to make me feel back in charge. Strimming the grass paths is one but by far the most satisfying trick (which always impresses customers) is to cut a defined edging to the lawn with a sharp spade or my stainless steel, viciously sharp half-moon edging tool. Course, I am doing continual battle with couch so a trench is only the first line of defence.
Click to expand...
It’s on the agenda.
 
Youtube is forever trying to show me lawn-mowing videos.
I'm faced with trying to establish one here and the last place I looked at in France was totally in ride-on mower territory - I suspect I might be tempted to get a ruminant pet or two ... I suppose lawns increase capacity for guests, but I don't need an acre of it ...
 
gentlegreen said:
Youtube is forever trying to show me lawn-mowing videos.
I'm faced with trying to establish one here and the last place I looked at in France was totally in ride-on mower territory - I suspect I might be tempted to get a ruminant pet or two ... I suppose lawns increase capacity for guests, but I don't need an acre of it ...
Click to expand...
Get goats
 
gentlegreen said:
Youtube is forever trying to show me lawn-mowing videos.
I'm faced with trying to establish one here and the last place I looked at in France was totally in ride-on mower territory - I suspect I might be tempted to get a ruminant pet or two ... I suppose lawns increase capacity for guests, but I don't need an acre of it ...
Click to expand...
Get donkeys.
 
Tomorrow I'm going to sow a lot of veg seeds. I'm a bit late on a few of them, but they'll catch up.

My best mate just bought a house with a huge garden and she's never done any gardening before and she's getting into it and asking me for advice a lot and I love it. Love getting to talk to her and seedlings and compost and sounding like I know what I'm talking about. I realised I've had a plot now for 7 years, which isn't long in gardening terms, but I have come so far in terms of learning.
 
Today was the first day it has been sufficiently wind-less, plus dry & warm enough for me to do the last major piece of tree pruning for this season.

We've had to cut off quite a large branch from the large & leaning pine tree. It's on the western fringe & gets hammered by stormy weather. It was more than half dead as it was partly broken, and slightly rotten. Some good logs in waiting ...
Same area, and a much smaller branch from one of the apples [cookers] that has been trying to knock off roof ridge tiles.
Up the top of the garden, and the small oak has had a few of the lowest branches trimmed back, before they have someone's eye out ! Plus some overhanging & very dead elder branches have also been cut down.

All the larger pieces will be cut as firewood logs, and used up once they are seasoned. Some deadwood is already to use ...
The twigs and other stuff has all been distributed into the wildlife piles, although of a few them have also been used to beef up the temporary wind & vision break between the garden & the wildwood.

Plans for tomorrow, hoping the weather stays fine enough.
Finish tidying up after the tree pruning session
Maybe cut some firewood & shuffle the 'to be seasoned' piles.
Cut the tops off the grass [again] then some edging & top-dressing / dip-leveling.
Do some rabbit-proofing & other tidying up.
Transplant strawberry runners.
 
I had Saturday and Sunday at the allotment, despite being knackered after a week of childcare. Needless to say, even a weekend of clearing the vegetable beds has been easier and less stressy than faffing around after a slightly anxious and hormonal pre-teen, plus all the horticultural action at home has been equally frazzling. Absolutely nothing like mindless forking, hoeing and poking around...plus the broadies and spring onions are up. Which is the more or less the sum of my vegetable sowing (apart from the yet to be seen tomatoes). I have got the potato beds cleared, as well as clearing all round the (numerous) roses. I usually miss this (short) window of opportunity and have to spend later horrible hours scrabbling underneath as staggering amounts of goosegrass, alkanet, wood avens and so on run amok. This year, I had gone at a few of the more monstrous roses, with a poky hedgetrimmer and pull saws, cutting 4m behemoths down to 2-3 feet. I had lost so much blood to some of these fuckers, that I felt quite vengeful.

In truth, the allotment is facing some serious changes in the next year, which I am dreading. After 20 years, a serious antique rose obsession can get a bit out of hand. These are not well behaved hybrid teas - they are freaking great ramblers and enormous wild briars. About 60 or so. Some have started to throw suckers from their rootstock...which will cheerfully grow several 4m, viciously armed canes over a single season. All of them are taller than I am, plus I have no clue how I am going to deal with the arisings or even the whole bush(since once they are throwing suckers, it is game over), now I cannot burn the(tonnes of) prunings. Plus, I have to do all this myself as all of my family, quite rightly, to be fair, hate the inevitable grief such as a nasty thorn in the top of your head or slash across the back of your hand (today's blood sacrifice).

Yep, I love chatting about gardening too mrsfran .
 
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