The gardening thread

[gentlegreen]

The fuckers have been dancing a jig on my onions

dug up my baby kales

 

[two sheds]

dug up my baby kales

heartless

 

[Callie]

My apple tree is dead I thought it was on its way out and I wonder if my actions a couple of years ago have caused it (partially chopped off a side shoot/branch).

I'm not sure what to do. It blossomed and I hope it would rally but when it came into leaf they didn't firm as expected and have now gone dry and crispy.

I need someone to come and chop it down before it falls down but I think I'm going to miss having a tree. Any basic tips on tree selection/purchase/installation? I think another apple would be good but be nice to keep it at a reasonable size.

 

[RubyToogood]

My apple tree is dead I thought it was on its way out and I wonder if my actions a couple of years ago have caused it (partially chopped off a side shoot/branch).

I'm not sure what to do. It blossomed and I hope it would rally but when it came into leaf they didn't firm as expected and have now gone dry and crispy.

I need someone to come and chop it down before it falls down but I think I'm going to miss having a tree. Any basic tips on tree selection/purchase/installation? I think another apple would be good but be nice to keep it at a reasonable size.

For one thing, don't try to plant another apple or pear tree in the same spot for a few years or you will get replant disease.

If you get something on a dwarfing rootstock you can have a relatively small tree. They do need more watering, feeding and staking though (it says here, I may not have done that much )

My apples are on, I think M26 and my pears on Quince C. These don't get too massive - you've seen how big my garden is and it's fine. I also had a cherry on Colt which was too big really but there are smaller rootstocks now. It also depends on whether you're going to train it which I expect you aren't, as you can get away with a bigger rootstock if you are.

They don't live forever. I'm starting to think about succession planning.

 

[RubyToogood]

Oh and I also now have a weeping mulberry and the fig tree I was talking about earlier.

The mulberry shouldn't get too huge and the fig tree (var Little Miss Figgy) is properly dwarfing so they will stay in pots, at least for now. At some point, probably when one of the existing trees karks it, I'll probably make a decision and plant the mulberry out.

The fig tree is starting to perk up, particularly after I started misting her and putting a bit of horticultural fleece over her to keep the sun off.

 

[newme]

Ordered a load more garden stuff, 2 6x3 foot raised beds, huge bag of potting compost, few hundred biodegradable pot trays I can use then separate to transplant without stressing the seeds, huge thing of clover to add to the grass replanting mix and purple poppies to get going along the border as its my SO's favourite colour so it will come up as a surprise.

Still waiting on my rain collection thing from the council, ordered it like a month ago. So much for helping with the water consumption when they won't send the things out til it stops raining.

 

[Callie]

Thanks RubyToogood I didn't know about the replant disease but the tree was close(ish) to the house so I probably would look at putting one elsewhere. Going to have to find someone to cut it down... Don't think I'd be allowed a chainsaw

Mulberry sounds lovely, the ones I've seen have been quite twisty (and one trying to lay down ) and I'm not sure I want to have to fight birds for the fruit. Would like a cherry but similar issues!

 

[iona]

Someone's just whatsapped me a picture of an alstroemeria flowering and the word "thanks" and I recognise the plant and know where it came from and when I potted up some rhizomes but have absolutely no idea who the person messaging me is

 

[two sheds]

"Sorry, remind me again - when/where did I give it to you?"

 

[iona]

"Sorry, remind me again - when/where did I give it to you?"

I know I gave some away early last summer because I can picture exactly how much growth they'd put out at the time. From the message they sent after it's a jiu jitsu person so I think I've worked it out I didn't have their number saved before but now they're in my phone as "Dave Alstroemeria" (not actually Dave but ykwim)

 

[Elpenor]

Still waiting on my rain collection thing from the council, ordered it like a month ago. So much for helping with the water consumption when they won't send the things out til it stops raining.

I need to sort out a way to store water. No downpipe though otherwise I’d get a free one off South West Water. Currently watering the garden from the outside tap which isn’t ideal. Luckily I only need two watering can loads each time.

I’m hoping there’s a water butt which doesn’t need a downpipe. Suspect it might take longer to fill up but have to work with what I’ve got.

 

[iona]

I need to sort out our rainwater collection too but on the other end of the scale, got umpteen downpipes and water butts and some arcane labyrinthine system of IBCs and pipes running everywhere but some bits aren't connected and some bits seem to be but aren't flowing down to the lower tanks, and I'm spending an hour a day just traipsing about with cans and a hose atm.

 

[Elpenor]

Had a chat with ex landscaper mate who also qualified as a surveyor. I have a downpipe running off guttering from flat roof at the front, but I don’t need the water there really, and he said it would look out of place, not have much down flow and impede access to the meter cupboard.

He suggested asking next door if they mind me putting a connector off the downpipe and running over the fence (on right of pic). I suspect even if they don’t have a waterbutt there they will realise what a good idea that is and then get one. Worth an ask but I’m expecting a No.



Failing that his advice was to get my own downpipe fitted (gutters and fascia’s need sorting out at some point anyway) and have gutter rebalanced so it flows. Left hand pic.

Anyway I’ve ordered a free 200L water butt off the water board. 20 week lead time so perhaps I’ll have worked out what to do by then. Or not

 

[two sheds]

Just do it while they're out, they won't notice.

 

[RubyToogood]

I'd like a water butt and have a well placed downpipe but space is at a bit of a premium in this garden really. It's hard to stop it getting cluttered, specially with all the firewood for the chiminea/pizza oven.

I realised some of the little chantenay carrots I sowed in the grow table are just about edible size today, and ate some. They are amazing. Pure essence of carrotiness.

Also have finally started getting round to distributing the three bags of straw mulch that have been adding to the clutter for the last 3 months.

 

[BoatieBird]

Are you planning on putting up a shed Elpenor? You could stick some guttering on that to collect the water.

Foxgloves. Self seeded, totally in the wrong place, the wrong colour for that bed and the wrong height, but I can't bring myself to take them out because they're gorgeous

 

[two sheds]

I've got loads of campion in the flower beds which I similarly can't bring myself to pull up. It looks like rain from tomorrow though so I'm planning on transplanting them to the bottom of the garden to seed.

I've also got loads of cinquefoil in the beds which I've been pulling up where I can because otherwise it just takes over ('incredible ground cover is the way I'd like to look at it but just can't ). It's ironic though because the flowers which I'm going round taking off are almost identical to the potentilla which I took cuttings from a neighbour's shrub to establish.

 

[Callie]

Griff keep an eye on your rose campion. If you're lucky you might get carder bees!

I was just trying to take some garden pics and spotted an unusual looking bee on the rose campion. He was as sat on a bud that was odd. As I watched I noticed he was shaving off the fluff, had made a ball of it as big as he was then he flew off with it. So cool

My pics of him are rubbish though

 

[Callie]

The bees were generally too fast for me in my pre coffee state. Hoverflies more obliging

 

[two sheds]

Just been out taking cuttings early(ish) of a morning: roses that are doing well that campanula recommended a few years ago and my tree mallow - hard to get good cuttings while avoiding stems with flowers on because they've virtually all got flowers on. Should be stunning this year :love:

Will take a look at rose campions they look lovely.

 

[Callie]

Also...apple tree



She crispy

 

[two sheds]

My apple tree is ageing, too. Quite a few branches have died back

 

[newme]

I need to sort out a way to store water. No downpipe though otherwise I’d get a free one off South West Water. Currently watering the garden from the outside tap which isn’t ideal. Luckily I only need two watering can loads each time.

I’m hoping there’s a water butt which doesn’t need a downpipe. Suspect it might take longer to fill up but have to work with what I’ve got.

Yeh mines south west water, currently watering garden with two watering cans at a time for a lot of trips, so it saves nothing except some nosy bugger possibly reporting me. But no outside tap which is more of a pain. Even when we could use a hosepipe the kitchen tap is so fucking weird shaped that 12 different adaptors never fit it properly. Best was it leaked a lot after being overtightened and had a towel wrapped around it incase it squirted water everywhere. Or sometimes having it come out the bathroom window, that's fun to setup.

 

[Griff]

Trying to get motivated to plant two grape vines, but it's just so nice sitting under the brolly listening to the birds.

 

[The39thStep]

My savoys are pretty much done now and will split over the next week I think . Quite a bit of cabbage to eat up .

 

[Callie]

Trying to get motivated to plant two grape vines, but it's just so nice sitting under the brolly listening to the birds.

Get it done! Other wise they will languish in their pots and die. I know this to be true X 1000000

 

[Callie]

The39thStep that's some great cabbage action

 

[cesare]

The39thStep that's some great cabbage action

They look wonderful don't they!

 

[two sheds]

Cabbage, cabbage soup, cabbage au gratin, cabbage and custard ...

 

[two sheds]

Cabbage, cabbage soup, cabbage au gratin, cabbage and custard ...

Mind you saying that I threw in all my remaining spinach seeds a few weeks ago and they've all come up