The gardening thread
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StoneRoad
heckling from the back!
Had quite a good time pottering in the garden yesterday - and plan similar for today.
There's a very long list of what needs doing - currently in between my ears ...
Some might get postponed if it gets as nice as the forecasts suggest.
Yesterday, I sat for a coffee and a quick pause for thought - only to get visited by a ginormous bumble bee. Landed on my arm for a bit, which tickled.
There's a very long list of what needs doing - currently in between my ears ...
Some might get postponed if it gets as nice as the forecasts suggest.
Yesterday, I sat for a coffee and a quick pause for thought - only to get visited by a ginormous bumble bee. Landed on my arm for a bit, which tickled.
StoneRoad
heckling from the back!
OK, question for my fellow thread denizens ...
What is the best way of composting old bits of pampas grass - both leaves and stalks ?
Should I treat them as another "leaf mould" source, but separately to my oak and mainly beech supply.
The pampas grass seems to be very slow to compost, unless very well mixed in.
Previously, I have burned some for the ash, which goes back onto the plants, but I don't want to do that at this time.
[I'll check back later this afternoon ... busy making Vit D ]
What is the best way of composting old bits of pampas grass - both leaves and stalks ?
Should I treat them as another "leaf mould" source, but separately to my oak and mainly beech supply.
The pampas grass seems to be very slow to compost, unless very well mixed in.
Previously, I have burned some for the ash, which goes back onto the plants, but I don't want to do that at this time.
[I'll check back later this afternoon ... busy making Vit D ]
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Chop it up into little bits (lawnmower / brush cutter if you have one that'll cope with it), mix it in well with other stuff, preferably into a heap that's already nice and hot.
newme
Giant in Pastyland now
Red clover is starting, 3rd one filled, 4th one up waiting for beds to arrive. Radishes look like small rashishes, my excel chart lied, I was too fucked or both. But where onions should be, I see radishes, 3/4 seems to have sprouted and have 30 more to add. Plus whatever the hedge grows after seeding wilflowrs fof 120ft on old turf reversed with compost. Want some colour about. Got white blue and red but more.
RubyToogood
RubyTwobikes
Personally I feel a bit stressed as there's tons to do and I'm well behind, having had a bad back and now a horrible lurgy. It's all a bit of a jungle out there and I feel I'm failing.
Not that it really matters. But I wish I was a better gardener in terms of things like soil improvement and keeping on top of weeds. My mother's raspberries which were growing great for her are not happy here.
At least it's green out there again though. It's not a garden that looks good in winter. But in summer I just abandon the living room and sit out there instead.
newme
Giant in Pastyland now
I ruined literally everything I tried to grow last year. Have planted everything out as seed despite a propagator and lots of window sills. Stuff I've already planted I'd too late for pairing soil improvers cos I picked it at random. Can sort that next time. Winter is not ideal, wonder if there is a colourful plants in the UK winter list somewhere.
two sheds
Least noticed poster 2007
There's this: Plants that Look Good All Year | BBC Gardeners World Magazine
Not sure I have much to suggest aside from them, my garden doesn't really have any flowers over winter aside from that I can think of apart from winter-flowering jasmine. I've got a few evergreen honeysuckles and I've been encouraging the geraniums which are taking over the flower beds nicely so luckily it all looks very green all through winter and luckily green is one of my favourite colours
Everything I put out in the garden seems to have been hit by slugs or for those in the raised bed by a large mammal ... like a dog (looks at Frankie
). The rest of the seedlings I'll be planting out in pots, see if they do better.And the rain's started again so all is as it should be
newme
Giant in Pastyland now
Ah brilliant thats now saved, I have all my raised beds covered as I didn't trust the dog either lol. Plus it just makes things simpler for me personally. Tho I have to say it doesn't look as nice as other peoples ones without them but I don't want a shit in my vegetables lol. Have a big tray to plant out from FIL, tomatoes, chilis, various other bits and pieces. He has so many going he can barely keep up with them and we get given a pound of beans every couple of days through that time along with random bits.There's this: Plants that Look Good All Year | BBC Gardeners World Magazine
Not sure I have much to suggest aside from them, my garden doesn't really have any flowers over winter aside from that I can think of apart from winter-flowering jasmine. I've got a few evergreen honeysuckles and I've been encouraging the geraniums which are taking over the flower beds nicely so luckily it all looks very green all through winter and luckily green is one of my favourite colours
Everything I put out in the garden seems to have been hit by slugs or for those in the raised bed by a large mammal ... like a dog (looks at Frankie
And the rain's started again so all is as it should be
I'm surrounded by green, which is great and has been for over a decade now, figured with the wildflowers thing and colourful ones being available why not lol cost maybe a tenner and should then come back next year too. Plus I have plenty leftover to fill whatever doesn't come up. Todays task should be filling the next raised bed but its a lot of hassle, plus I need some extra compost to mix in as I have clayish soil and compost at various stages. Radishes have popped up which apparently means too compacted so that needs dealing with too.
two sheds
Least noticed poster 2007
I thought these were interesting from meadowmania:
a neighbour really likes them but I let them seed one year and they were all over the fucking place for several afterwards ("one year's seeding means seven years' weeding"). I may move a couple down the bottom of the garden but even there I'm really liking the forget-me-nots and germander speedwells and campions and celendines that I've been encouraging down there.
and
Every year I go round pulling them up
a neighbour really likes them but I let them seed one year and they were all over the fucking place for several afterwards ("one year's seeding means seven years' weeding"). I may move a couple down the bottom of the garden but even there I'm really liking the forget-me-nots and germander speedwells and campions and celendines that I've been encouraging down there. and
which I've always loved seeing in hedgerows and by the road.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
This grape-vine stem snapped (nearly whole way through) on the way home from the plant shop. Is there any hope for it? Guessing there's not a possibility that it will heal if I tape it back together. Is it worth sticking the broken off bit in some soil to see if it'll root?
TopCat
Putin fanboy
Elastoplast and a lolly stick now. It should be fine then.
StoneRoad
heckling from the back!
In similar cases [not vines, though] I've had a fair rate of success by wrapping the area with wet toilet tissue held tightly in place with masking tape and strengthened by a lolly stick splint.
Sometimes what was the loose bit puts out roots ...
RubyToogood
RubyTwobikes
Be aware that once grape vines get their feet under the table they can be massive triffids. The neat rows you see in vineyards are the result of stern pruning. There are probably still historic photos on Google maps of when my garden was 90% grapevine.
I
my grapevine though. It's a good global warming choice, partly because it likes the conditions but also because it's shady and delightful to sit under. What variety did you get?
pogofish
Testicle Hairstyle
Only just coming out on leaf on mine
I do get loads of grapes every year but they pretty well stay at that size - I learned last year you have to cut off loads of bunches so the rest of them grow properly
I was wondering about that. Is this a good time to cut them? They have only appeared in the last few days and a good number are low down on the vines, where they may not get enough light to ripen properly. I was thinking the rest would probably benefit if I removed those?
This is the second year for the vines. Last year, they grew almost right across the top of the greenhouse but the upperparts of the vines didn't recover after winter, so I cut them back to the upright portions, which have begun growing strongly again - So it looks like I can train the stronger/thicker new growth across the roof again for next year? All the info I could find about growing them suggested being pretty ruthless about cutting back in the first few years, in order to promote the new/stronger growth.
two sheds
Least noticed poster 2007
yes i read that you have to cut back to pretty well the central stem which is what I do - mind you it's been in there for a good 10 years.
Don't know when to thin them out. I've done it when I've got loads but this may not be a good idea seeing as how they still stay really small - last year was somewhat better though.
Don't know when to thin them out. I've done it when I've got loads but this may not be a good idea seeing as how they still stay really small - last year was somewhat better though.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
"Suffolk red".Be aware that once grape vines get their feet under the table they can be massive triffids. The neat rows you see in vineyards are the result of stern pruning. There are probably still historic photos on Google maps of when my garden was 90% grapevine.
I
I'll be growing them in a container and am going to try growing them against a SE facing wall that gets a lot of sunlight in the morning. They are very welcome to engage in triffid-like behaviour and I hope to be able to sit beneath them in due course.
newme
Giant in Pastyland now
Chili's, tomato, beans, strawberry,.other things I'm not sure about. All from FIL whose a master lol.
Also FILs, lupins apparently.
Not sure?
Celery and not sure yet, maybe chives nearest.
Overview, need to fill 4th bed, red clover seems to be filling the gap quickly tho.
Radishes that should be onions? Sorted the soil around them and should be good now.
TopCat
Putin fanboy
I admire FIL labelling.
newme
Giant in Pastyland now
Unfortunately he labelled half of them, not in amount but in variety. Tried Google lens and got some but one said it was salvia divinorum. I somehow doubt it lol.
I labelled everything last year, all washed off. This year I had a chart, somehow it's wrong? It's a grid pattern how can you get that wrong.
newme
Giant in Pastyland now
I'm being given plants, which is nice and that but I bought seeds to plant. I also dont for example, like courgette at all. Tho just binning something my FIL grew seems daft, especially 4 of them. Also his big tray of stuff I didn't pick, is 50% stuff I don't want either and filled one entire bed already.
Now just been given 4 corn on the cobs and told plant them 45cm apart. OK but to do thay I need to use the entire new bed I haven't even finished since its takes a while to quarry topsoil and compost when it's 6ft long and 3ft high. Then they will fill the entire bloody thing? Idk where I'm even supposed to be putting these. Got told he said they don't need to be covered, OK great but thats what I have.... not sure I fancy border planted vegetables with a dog in the house. Thats why I chucked 10k wildflower seeds on them, I won't be eating them.
Now just been given 4 corn on the cobs and told plant them 45cm apart. OK but to do thay I need to use the entire new bed I haven't even finished since its takes a while to quarry topsoil and compost when it's 6ft long and 3ft high. Then they will fill the entire bloody thing? Idk where I'm even supposed to be putting these. Got told he said they don't need to be covered, OK great but thats what I have.... not sure I fancy border planted vegetables with a dog in the house. Thats why I chucked 10k wildflower seeds on them, I won't be eating them.
Leafster
.
I didn't get around to sowing any tomatoes this year.
But... I potted on a houseplant a couple of months ago with my home-made compost and it's full of tomato seedlings!
I have no idea what variety they could be. They could be from last year's tomatoes I grew or from shop-bought tomatoes. I don't even know if they should be treated as cordons or bushes or if they'll cherry-sized or full-sized.
I'll pot them on over the weekend and then I'll have to wait to see how they grow.
But... I potted on a houseplant a couple of months ago with my home-made compost and it's full of tomato seedlings!
I have no idea what variety they could be. They could be from last year's tomatoes I grew or from shop-bought tomatoes. I don't even know if they should be treated as cordons or bushes or if they'll cherry-sized or full-sized.
I'll pot them on over the weekend and then I'll have to wait to see how they grow.
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