The gardening thread

[teuchter]

the white stuff maybe a fungus or similar. but my main suspicion would be mineral efflorescence. Some of my earthenware pots get this from mineral-rich water leaching out through the side.

Yeah I'm kind of familiar with efflorescence on materials like brick or concrete but don't see much reference to it being a thing on soil surface.
My worry is it's a mould or fungus type thing that is likely to harm things I plant in it.

 

[iona]

Yeah I'm kind of familiar with efflorescence on materials like brick or concrete but don't see much reference to it being a thing on soil surface.

We get it a lot at the farm, I think it's mostly from being so close to the sea and watering with saved rainwater. Sometimes you can taste the salt just eating freshly picked veg without washing it first.

 

[newme]

Tried to do gardening so it immediately started raining. Did take pics since I'm still not sure what I planted in some bits. Looks like the radishes are done tho, found some beetroot, baffled about most of the rest that aren't labelled. Help? Lol

 

[newme]

My first actually edible thing that worked.

 

[StoneRoad]

Just got the back "lawn" trimmed before the rain arrived - despite attempts by the local midgies to have me for an early supper !
Prior to that I have tidied up around the compost heap, clearing up the dumping of stuff not on top of the heap but left in the side access ... did about 2/3s of what I need to do, before my back said I'd done enough for that session. Found quite a bit more non-compostable plastic in the process ...
Topped the tidied up heap with a load of fresh grass clippings.

Forecast is for more rain overnight so I may or may not get the compost heap fully finished tomorrow - nor the other areas of grass cut ...
I do have some "greenhouse tasks" if that is the case.

Oh, and we have a wren nesting in the garage !

 

[Callie]

This should really be in the pissed off thread ...

Bought a rose "Golden Wedding" for the eponymous 50th of some very good friends.

I fear this is a missed opportunity for gifting some "golden showers" Golden Showers

Shakes head sadly

 

[newme]

View attachment 425968
My first actually edible thing that worked.

OK learning about shelf life for home grown stuff. Day later and it's fucked, all bendy. Weather is a huge pain in the ass, it's sunny then pisses down, repeat every 15 minutes. Soon as I get out there it rains on me then gets too hot lol. Still not identified most of the plants so that's next on the list lol.

 

[geminisnake]

newme think photo 3 has courgette/marrow type leaves and tomato plants, photo 1 near the back left might be a lettuce, hope you recognise the strawb plants I recognise some of the other leaves, think there's some rocket in there but can't remember what the rest may be, sorry

 

[RubyToogood]

The garden is still rampaging away from me. The near half is OK but the back half is badly weedy and overgrown.

I managed to finally get my arse in gear this afternoon, 5 minutes before the rain started...

 

[StoneRoad]

Very wet overnight, just heavy rain [the promised thunderstorms didn't get this far North].
so garden has been too soggy to do much in it today.
The forecast changed from sunny intervals to rain and back to showers as the day progressed.

Will have to wait & see how things develop tomorrow ...

 

[quimcunx]

Slugs/snails have massacred 2 of my clematis. No leaves left that I can see. Is there any hope?

Do I need to buy some beer for the rest? Get out in the dark with a torch? I've been following a live and let live approach but now my dander's up.

 

[mrsfran]

They are RAMPANT this year, Yeah, beer, get out there with a torch, everything.

 

[mrsfran]

I've had to cover everything because not only are the slugs and snails eating everything, the bloody pigeons and magpies are having a go too.

 

[newme]

Weirdly I don't think we have seen any really, at all. We do have squirrels, loads of birds and a family of hedgehogs tho so they must be looking out for us somehow.

 

[TopCat]

Just a quick plug for free vegetable plants. South london.

 

[newme]

Red clover coming in quite nicely to replace the hugelkultur I moved. Should have black eyed Susan's coming up but I probably planted them at the wrong time.

 

[rubbershoes]

The hydrangea begins

 

[TopCat]

Ants continue to be a fucking pain. Breeding bugs on my chillis. No broadbeans were planted as they get mullared.

 

[iona]

No ants here (I mean there must be some but they've never been an issue) but I've been helping out in someone else's polycrub and it's absolutely crawling with fucking vine weevils

 

[The39thStep]

Ants continue to be a fucking pain. Breeding bugs on my chillis. No broadbeans were planted as they get mullared.

Someone once suggested to me that nipping the tops off the broad beans helps manage this aphid problem.

 

[geminisnake]

Slugs/snails have massacred 2 of my clematis. No leaves left that I can see. Is there any hope?

Do I need to buy some beer for the rest? Get out in the dark with a torch? I've been following a live and let live approach but now my dander's up.

slugs seem to be happy to drown themselves in the water from a tin of mixed beans in an aluminium foil tray, they also don't seem to like dog fur so if you know anyone who has a dog that gets brushed you could try that

 

[newme]

Well everything went nuts in 3 days somehow. Will be harvesting all thr french breakfast radishes soon, likely tomorrow. The prepping for freezing and some hash browns. Still not sure what some is. Got radish, tomato down the middle, courgette, beetroot ,chili peppers, broad and runner beans, then, not sure lol, should be onions, chives, carrots, peppers and some other bits.
Edit and strawberries

 

[newme]

Well mowed yesterday and the clover is holding up well, plus the new red clover area is filling in. Looking at the old trampoline and wondering what to do with it, was going to shift it but now thinking it maybe a solution for my taller plants. Use the frame and netting, fully enclose the thing and chop out an entrance, can do a keyhole indent circular bedding for access, whack some chicken wire around it to cover the bottom layer. Like the idea of a floating bed using the net still with cardboard on it but sure that would collapse it. Any structural enginners in? lol

Really need to do the front garden, some surprising wildflowers have popped up basically everywhere and are flowering so can't touch them yet but nettles and bramble need clearing again or I will be overtaken, same with all the Sycramore.
Birdie visited but is hiding. Need to clear the front gunnera so can see the pond again and get new growth through. Want a solar pump or something in to keep it fresher but no sunlight is no solar.

 

[heinous seamus]

I'm a bit late with everything this year so I got some cucumber plants from Dobbies. 3 for £5. I planted them the other night. I've just been down and they're gone already

 

[Callie]

I'm a bit late with everything this year so I got some cucumber plants from Dobbies. 3 for £5. I planted them the other night. I've just been down and they're gone already

Slug bastards!!!!

 

[Elpenor]

First day back in garden proper for almost three weeks what with being away. I did a little bit of weeding earlier in the week but nothing else.

Decided to buy more plants for the back garden too so had to plant these first - the plant supermarket didn’t have much I wanted but I got something the bloke I had asked said was a good shout. We will see.

Anyway all the tiers in the plum slate rice paddy are now full. Let’s see how they do. Photos maybe in a few weeks time if they do ok.

Also got some stuff to plant in the front garden, where there’s a shingle border. Will do that tomorrow though. Like in the back it means removing the stones, cutting through the membrane with a Stanley knife and digging out the soil. So I’ve stuck with what has worked out the back, lavender and erysimum Bowles mauve which I fortunately like. Looks like I need a few more plants to go along the length of the border but I’ve run out of time (for what I want to be in garden centres) and money for this month so that’s now a next year job.

I have been reusing the excess soil around the garden levelling up a few dips on the lawns. I mowed both lawns today as well

Tomorrow I have more stuff to do - the planting, strimming, also deadheading and need to trim a tree back a bit.

 

[TopCat]

Rain is annoying me

 

[RubyToogood]

I STILL haven't got my courgettes and runner beans in. I suppose as long as I keep potting them on...

 

[Callie]

Elpenor the bowles mauve is pretty good for taking cuttings. Just chop off a newish looking end bit with no flowers and pop into a pit, try to keep it watered but not too much. I have had success with this. The plants seem to due after a couple of years ime but by then the cuttings would have got to a decent size. A good way to save a few quid. Or £50 if it would involve going near a garden centre

 

[newme]

I STILL haven't got my courgettes and runner beans in. I suppose as long as I keep potting them on...

My courgettes flowered and went crazy, runner, firestorm and broad beans all starting so lots of cut bamboo this year for supports.

Anyone know if parrots can eat a radish plant? lol They are hormonal and destroying stuff, this at least is free if the plants.
edit yes thet can especially the plant which is what I am not eating which is great.