The gardening thread

[newme]

Stuff is growing! Pea shoots came out, 3 lots (16) of different heritage tomatoes, 2 other lots of random tomatoes, swiss chard, lettuce, spring onions, mixed lettuce. Sown 5 different Chinese veg, chives, all kinds of things. Filled second raised bed to add stuff. Hugelkultur planned for 7-8ft, new stuff all over. Cleared nettles again, trestle planned for peas and tomatoes. More compost on way. Knew ordering stuff would make me do things, hate of waste rides over procrastinating.

 

[andysays]

Ok, but what’s the alternative? I can’t access my front path, as the hedge is intruding 1ft or so across the line of the path

I almost never use the front entrance anyway

The alternative (beyond not letting it get so overgrown in the first place) is to cut it back gradually, maybe a few inches at first, then waiting a couple of months before doing it again, and repeating the process until you get it cut back to where you want it.

But as Leafster says, leylandii are a pain to cut back once they've started to get too big for the space they're in, as they almost inevitably do.

I've always said the best thing about leylandii is the smell they make when you put them through a chipper...

 

[Elpenor]

The alternative (beyond not letting it get so overgrown in the first place) is to cut it back gradually, maybe a few inches at first, then waiting a couple of months before doing it again, and repeating the process until you get it cut back to where you want it.

But as Leafster says, leylandii are a pain to cut back once they've started to get too big for the space they're in, as they almost inevitably do.

I've always said the best thing about leylandii is the smell they make when you put them through a chipper...

Thanks, that’s worth knowing. I will give that a go.

It’s a bit of a problem really. It was overgrown when I moved in 12 months ago, but my not getting round to it until now has not helped either

 

[Leafster]

Ok, but what’s the alternative? I can’t access my front path, as the hedge is intruding 1ft or so across the line of the path

I almost never use the front entrance anyway

I think all you can try is what andysays suggested.

 

[Elpenor]

Thanks I’ll give it a go.

 

[quimcunx]

No dig isn't just about weed suppression. Adding good compost on top of what's already there will improve that over time too as worms etc do their work, just leave a bit of space or only a light layer of compost right around the edges of plants to avoid rotting them. If it's horrifically compacted I'd just stab it all over with a fork first but not actually turn the soil over.

spread some compost. Not enough really but I'm trying not to spend moar money til end of august.


Next question how to get rid of this fucker:



buddleia stump.

 

[iona]

spread some compost. Not enough really but I'm trying not to spend moar money til end of august.


Next question how to get rid of this fucker:

View attachment 384052

buddleia stump.

Dig the soil out around it enough to cut through the roots holding it in place. I'd start digging maybe 12" out from the base.

 

[clicker]

Swan Lake.

 

[iona]

These Japanese thumbless snips are fucking awesome, been meaning to get some for ages and finally did after getting to try someone else's the other week. Really handy for jobs where you need to use both hands in between cuts but don't want to keep putting tools down.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Just ordered a plum tree (Victoria). Hopefully this one actually provides some blossom (unlike the one I had a while back).

 

[newme]

I have a tiny pepper growing! It's like 1cm but I am still counting it.

 

[clicker]

These Platycodons/balloon flowers were half price, so no point even trying to walk by them. I've never grown them before, meant to be hardy and I love the buds. Resisting the urge to gently squish one though.


I bought this because, well the platycodons were a bargain, so it was technically free.


Loads of ladybirds this year.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

I have a tiny pepper growing! It's like 1cm but I am still counting it.

I have tomato plants growing in various random pots thanks to homemade compost. They seem to be doing okay - at least one is just about to flower. Will be interesting to see how far they get in the Scottish weather.

 

[iona]

I have tomato plants growing in various random pots thanks to homemade compost. They seem to be doing okay - at least one is just about to flower. Will be interesting to see how far they get in the Scottish weather.

If you want any decent tomatoes from them you might want to nip them out before they've grown too many trusses...

 

[Johnny Vodka]

If you want any decent tomatoes from them you might want to nip them out before they've grown too many trusses...

Will read up on it. TBH, surprised they're growing at all outside in Scotland, so so far been observing curiously rather than expecting anything.

 

[iona]

Will read up on it. TBH, surprised they're growing at all outside in Scotland, so so far been observing curiously rather than expecting anything.

They'll have a go at growing at pretty low temps, they just won't do very well. Mind you, the weather we've been getting up here I reckon I could've managed a small crop of something fast like Latah outdoors if I kept the worst of the rain off them...

Nipping out is just to get the plant to focus all its energy into ripening the fruit that've already set, rather than growing more stems and leaves and flowers and then having to try and ripen those too.

 

[iona]

They are in a greenhouse tbf but we've just started picking fresh figs all the way up in Orkney!

 

[Saffy]

My tomatoes have gone wild.
I've made a makeshift trellis after they outgrew my cane support. I've even been able to grow some more plants from some rooted suckers too, which I've passed along to my mum.

 

[Ron Merlin]

Mine (Sungold) are starting to fruit now

Thought I'd brighten up my side bit. The petunias and morning glory have gone a bit mad

 

[Leafster]

I was fairly certain the Salvia Amante (similar to Amistad but crimson instead of purple) hadn't survived the cold and wet over winter as there had been no signs of growth at all. The Salvia Amistad, although late to start growing, did start sprouting from the ground a couple of months ago and is around a metre tall with a few flowers. So, I was resigned to the fact that the Amante was dead.

That was until just now when I spotted the tiniest of shoots emerging from the base. It's alive! It's only taken until almost the end of July for it to emerge.

 

[newme]

I have an above ground pool getting to the end of its useful life, also electric costs a fucking fortune so its sat since then anyway. Any reason I can't make it into a raised bed? I have googled the hell out of it and found potentially one useful source, which said, have you considered turning your above ground pool into a raised bed? lol. Everything seems to be about people with actual swimming pools. It is 8ft x 5ft so I get the centre would be an issue to reach but other then that its a basic Intex thing. Designed to deal with outward pressure from water, so soil should be fine, over 2 foot deep so fine for roots on almost anything I am likely to grow. Also it is free and I could spend the raised bed money on things like compost, seeds, covers and watering systems instead of bits of wood and aluminium.

 

[iona]

You'd probably want to add drainage out the bottom of the pool, unless you're extremely careful with how you water. And yeah the centre is likely to end up either empty or an overgrown weedy mess.

 

[RubyToogood]

I have an above ground pool getting to the end of its useful life, also electric costs a fucking fortune so its sat since then anyway. Any reason I can't make it into a raised bed? I have googled the hell out of it and found potentially one useful source, which said, have you considered turning your above ground pool into a raised bed? lol. Everything seems to be about people with actual swimming pools. It is 8ft x 5ft so I get the centre would be an issue to reach but other then that its a basic Intex thing. Designed to deal with outward pressure from water, so soil should be fine, over 2 foot deep so fine for roots on almost anything I am likely to grow. Also it is free and I could spend the raised bed money on things like compost, seeds, covers and watering systems instead of bits of wood and aluminium.

Having a pond is pretty good for wildlife. What's wrong with it?

 

[newme]

Having a pond is pretty good for wildlife. What's wrong with it?

pool! the pond is staying, I just cleared a load of muck out of the bottom of it and am looking into making it better. Maybe another one with a fountain or aquaponics we leave alone to just keep going since I may have a pump going spare. It had 20 years of bamboo, reeds/gunnera and other crap laying in the bottom (well the bottom 3/4 by the end of it with an inch of water). Just scooped half of that out and found some stone steps for presumably the frogs we used to get to get out as they wanted. Pool is far far bigger tho and seems like a good source for insects and stuff when filled with plants, looks like it will be up against a wall, even if a dead zone appears, so peas, tomatoes, anything on a trellis (sp?) then whatever to fill it, just put in 10k mixed clover seeds and its like 20% clover already. Wanted to do bees but neighbours with kids made that a bit iffy. Get dragonflies for the pond tho! back onto a massive field system, hedgehogs actually in our hedge, had some birds (idk what?) nesting in it last year I had to keep the dog away from, slow worms, etc etc etc, have a hedge I threw kilos of wildflower seeds into, squirrels, pheasant, various birds I cannot identify but SO can.

 

[gentlegreen]

View attachment WIN_20230724_13_28_12_Pro.mp4

 

[bellaozzydog]

After six years of admiring the neighbours giant triffid plants one has jumped ship and joined my front garden



Apply father Ted near/far rules

 

[Saffy]

Just £144 spent on gardening goods and I've just grown a 22p vegetable.
I've never felt more alive!

 

[sparkling]

Just £144 spent on gardening goods and I've just grown a 22p vegetable.
I've never felt more alive!
View attachment 384423

but priceless in terms of taste and self satisfaction.

 

[Leafster]

Just £144 spent on gardening goods and I've just grown a 22p vegetable.
I've never felt more alive!
View attachment 384423

So that's about 650 courgettes to cover your outlay. Give it a couple of weeks and, with the way they grow, you'll have your money back!

 

[newme]

You'd probably want to add drainage out the bottom of the pool, unless you're extremely careful with how you water. And yeah the centre is likely to end up either empty or an overgrown weedy mess.

I had considered the possibilities with of embedding a water system into it, bit of pvc with holes in and a gravity feed system. No idea how viable it is and yeh holes in the bottom are a good idea but not complicated, it has one already i patched last year. Could grow a huge amount of 40ft square, , have 60ft of corrugated plastic roofing sat spare to cover and make it an attached greenhouse, board over the dead centre to get access to deeper bits. Could feed into its own water system with some creative use of piping.