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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2020 16:46:07 GMT
Jeez these thunder storms are doing wonders for my garden its absolutely lush 🥀🌻🌼🌷 The thunder storms have filled up all my water butts which were completely empty after the recent long dry spell. Now they're all overflowing and this morning I actually managed to connect up a spare one that I had lying about in the garage. As you say the garden is lush and is growing so fast you can almost see it, and even the grass is superb. I've not normally bothered so much with the lawn but we moved house this year and I thought I'd try to improve it and followed the advice from the experts. Well worth doing, and the rain has certainly helped.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2020 18:48:48 GMT
It's best to try and move the tree (any tree) during the dormant period in the late autumn (when the soil is still warm) and winter. This should create least stress for the plant and give it a better chance of survival. The best chance is if you can dig it up with as much root ball as you can but this isn't always possible due to the size and weight of the root ball, and also the soil may be fairly dry and fall away as you dig. Some judicious pruning is also necessary to counter balance the size of the root ball or it could well become top heavy, and also reduce the stress to the tree. Try never to move it if it's in leaf. I actually successfully moved a two year old miniature apple tree last year and it is actually fruiting at the moment. If you do manage to transplant the tree then keep it well watered throughout this year to help re-establish the root system. If it dries out or goes thirsty then it could well be curtains. These are several videos on youtube showing how to do it but this one (although American) is fairly helpful. Looking at your ebay link the owner obviously wants them moved asap so it could prove a little risky to ensure they survive. Hope this helps - good luck ! Took your advice and didnt get it - I will revisit something like that in the late autumn though. Picked up an 8ft apple tree - no idea what it is but it was in pretty bad shape - loads of aphids and only one fruit growing on it. Advcice as ever, welcome
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Post by murphthesurf on Jun 17, 2020 19:04:25 GMT
Jeez these thunder storms are doing wonders for my garden its absolutely lush 🥀🌻🌼🌷 The thunder storms have filled up all my water butts which were completely empty after the recent long dry spell. Now they're all overflowing and this morning I actually managed to connect up a spare one that I had lying about in the garage. As you say the garden is lush and is growing so fast you can almost see it, and even the grass is superb. I've not normally bothered so much with the lawn but we moved house this year and I thought I'd try to improve it and followed the advice from the experts. Well worth doing, and the rain has certainly helped. You got any mozzies in 'em, Dees? (It's being so cheerful keeps me going....) They love standing water. Mozzies always love biting me to bits. Little baskets.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2020 19:08:11 GMT
It's best to try and move the tree (any tree) during the dormant period in the late autumn (when the soil is still warm) and winter. This should create least stress for the plant and give it a better chance of survival. The best chance is if you can dig it up with as much root ball as you can but this isn't always possible due to the size and weight of the root ball, and also the soil may be fairly dry and fall away as you dig. Some judicious pruning is also necessary to counter balance the size of the root ball or it could well become top heavy, and also reduce the stress to the tree. Try never to move it if it's in leaf. I actually successfully moved a two year old miniature apple tree last year and it is actually fruiting at the moment. If you do manage to transplant the tree then keep it well watered throughout this year to help re-establish the root system. If it dries out or goes thirsty then it could well be curtains. These are several videos on youtube showing how to do it but this one (although American) is fairly helpful. Looking at your ebay link the owner obviously wants them moved asap so it could prove a little risky to ensure they survive. Hope this helps - good luck ! Took your advice and didnt get it - I will revisit something like that in the late autumn though. Picked up an 8ft apple tree - no idea what it is but it was in pretty bad shape - loads of aphids and only one fruit growing on it. Advcice as ever, welcome I think you did the right thing in not getting those other trees at the moment. You can often get rid of aphids by wiping or spraying the leaves of the plant with a mild solution of soapy water which should be reapplied every 2-3 days for 2 weeks. (Although with all the current thunderstorms around the little beggars might drown !). If the leaves are curling up it's probably due to leaf curl aphids and if necessary, as well as using the soapy water, you will most probably need to use dormant season chemical treatments. The RHS info is very helpful and should hopefully point you in the right direction. linklink
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2020 19:12:12 GMT
The thunder storms have filled up all my water butts which were completely empty after the recent long dry spell. Now they're all overflowing and this morning I actually managed to connect up a spare one that I had lying about in the garage. As you say the garden is lush and is growing so fast you can almost see it, and even the grass is superb. I've not normally bothered so much with the lawn but we moved house this year and I thought I'd try to improve it and followed the advice from the experts. Well worth doing, and the rain has certainly helped. You got any mozzies in 'em, Dees? (It's being so cheerful keeps me going....) They love standing water. Mozzies always love biting me to bits. Little baskets. No Murph, all my water butts have tight fitting lids on them so the little blighters can't get at me. Mozzies love me as well and (so far) I haven't been bitten this year. All this rain is attracting loads of flying ants into the garden though. I've been using the ant powder and also drenching the ant hole with boiling water.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2020 19:19:10 GMT
Right, then, here's a bit of a swerve - no-one's mentioned damsons yet. I'd really love to have a damson tree - been doing a bit of on-line research and fancy either a 'Farleigh Damson' or a 'Merryweather', like those in the links, although I'd appreciate any sort of advice anyone might be able to give. The only dilemma is a planting site as I don't really want to change what's already here as I planned it all to the nth degree, usually at night, sitting outside all night on fine summer nights about five or six times. I love sitting in the garden at night as it's so restful and often just couldn't drag myself away. Tt was also ideal re. planning where extra lighting was to go. Watching the sunrise was lovely, but the most delightful and magical thing of all, and the real prize, was hearing the first little chirp at about 4.30am - when it was still pretty dark but just starting to lighten in the east - and then gradually hearing the rest of the birdsong grow and grow. Whoever first called it the dawn chorus got it spot-on. Anyway, back to the damsons - does anyone know if it would be possible to grow a damson tree in a pot? I know I'd have to make sure it didn't dry out and perhaps top-dress the soil every year. I've got a huge stoneware pot I couldn't resist getting a few years ago but have never known what to grow in it - it's at least 3' high and about the same in diameter at the top then tapers down to maybe 18", so at last it would be put to good use if it would work for the tree. Any sort of sort of advice on this would be much welcomed - thank 'ee kindly. www.thompson-morgan.com/p/damson-farleigh-damson/TKA1891TM?source=google-prodex&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3vD1mbXl6QIVwww.thompson-morgan.com/p/damson-plum-merryweather/CWW3220TM?source=google-prodex&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3vD1mbPlot twist: My friend has a really well established damson tree in the garden - of which shes agreed to give me all the crop this year, in return for me making her a pot of jam. I'll try and grow some so watch this space!
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Post by franklin66 on Jun 17, 2020 19:41:13 GMT
Took your advice and didnt get it - I will revisit something like that in the late autumn though. Picked up an 8ft apple tree - no idea what it is but it was in pretty bad shape - loads of aphids and only one fruit growing on it. Advcice as ever, welcome I think you did the right thing in not getting those other trees at the moment. You can often get rid of aphids by wiping or spraying the leaves of the plant with a mild solution of soapy water which should be reapplied every 2-3 days for 2 weeks. (Although with all the current thunderstorms around the little beggars might drown !). If the leaves are curling up it's probably due to leaf curl aphids and if necessary, as well as using the soapy water, you will most probably need to use dormant season chemical treatments. The RHS info is very helpful and should hopefully point you in the right direction. linklinkYep soapy water in a spray bottle does wonders for my aphids. I also like you say just wipe them off too.
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Post by murphthesurf on Jun 17, 2020 19:47:54 GMT
Right, then, here's a bit of a swerve - no-one's mentioned damsons yet. I'd really love to have a damson tree - been doing a bit of on-line research and fancy either a 'Farleigh Damson' or a 'Merryweather', like those in the links, although I'd appreciate any sort of advice anyone might be able to give. Plot twist: My friend has a really well established damson tree in the garden - of which shes agreed to give me all the crop this year, in return for me making her a pot of jam. I'll try and grow some so watch this space! Some people have all the luck. Gone right off you now, Essem! I don't know how to make jam (well, that is to say we ALL know how in theory....) - or at least I don't make jam, so have no practical experience, so unless you're already a dab hand at it you'll presumably need some guidance if you're going to try to make some for your friend? At a guess, I'd say that googling the WI website will tell you how! Singing 'Jerusalem' is probably an optional extra.
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Post by murphthesurf on Jun 18, 2020 11:18:42 GMT
(** Siren noise**)
I'm giving this thread a nudge for Lawrie.
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Post by raythesailor on Jun 21, 2020 13:09:20 GMT
I grow cherry (Gardener's Delight or Ildi) and normal size cordon tomatoes (Shirley and Moneymaker) in my greenhouse, and grow some trailing (tumbling) cherry tomatoes (Tumbling Tom or Balconi Red/Yellow) outside in hanging baskets. I start them off in March from seed and prick them out into individual pots when the second set of leaves appears on the seedlings. They grow pretty quickly and at the end of April (usually) I plant the cordon tomatoes into a grow bag in the greenhouse (3 plants per bag) and stake them individually, and plant the tumbling ones into a hanging basket. I normally plant the roots at least one inch below the surface of the compost to encourage stronger growth. I don't feed them at all until the flowers first appear. As Franklin says pinch the tops out when the fruit starts to appear and make sure you regularly check them to pinch out the small shoots at the base of the main side shoots as these take energy away from the fruit. Water them regularly and consistently and don't over water them but also don't let the compost dry out. Forget to water them and they'll suffer greatly and probably die, but giving them a large amount of water every few days will usually lead to the fruit splitting. Give them the same amount of water at around the same time every day. When the flowers appear, and then the fruits start to swell, feed them twice weekly. Keep the plants well ventilated and remove some of the leaves to improve airflow and help the fruits to ripen. I also grow some marigolds and Basil in pots and place them by the tomato plants as their aromas help to keep white fly and other pests away from the plants. I normally have more than enough tomatoes and usually end up giving bags of them to neighbours. BBC Gardener's World website and the Thompson and Morgan website also has some useful tips. linklinkHave been following your instructions and am proud to report that my plants are now about 4ft high, each has 4/5 flowers and I have this morning spotted my first Tomato 😀. Only baby pea sized but I am Well chuffed. 🤢🌱
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Post by franklin66 on Jun 21, 2020 15:58:19 GMT
Off subject but got myself a few Roses for the rear/side gardens from Bridgemere Garden Centre lovely things, paid what seems over the top compared to smaller nurseries but 100% get what you pay for. Are they David Austin roses or Bridgemere's own grown plants ? What types did you buy ? I'm after a couple for our rear garden and am undecided over which to buy. Correct me if I'm wrong but is their main nursery next door to RAF Albrighton (Cosford) I used to see it regularly when I did my PSU training. While everyone was sitting having a break I'd be looking over the fence at the collection of plants i did get some funny looks 🥀
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Post by franklin66 on Jun 21, 2020 16:00:13 GMT
I grow cherry (Gardener's Delight or Ildi) and normal size cordon tomatoes (Shirley and Moneymaker) in my greenhouse, and grow some trailing (tumbling) cherry tomatoes (Tumbling Tom or Balconi Red/Yellow) outside in hanging baskets. I start them off in March from seed and prick them out into individual pots when the second set of leaves appears on the seedlings. They grow pretty quickly and at the end of April (usually) I plant the cordon tomatoes into a grow bag in the greenhouse (3 plants per bag) and stake them individually, and plant the tumbling ones into a hanging basket. I normally plant the roots at least one inch below the surface of the compost to encourage stronger growth. I don't feed them at all until the flowers first appear. As Franklin says pinch the tops out when the fruit starts to appear and make sure you regularly check them to pinch out the small shoots at the base of the main side shoots as these take energy away from the fruit. Water them regularly and consistently and don't over water them but also don't let the compost dry out. Forget to water them and they'll suffer greatly and probably die, but giving them a large amount of water every few days will usually lead to the fruit splitting. Give them the same amount of water at around the same time every day. When the flowers appear, and then the fruits start to swell, feed them twice weekly. Keep the plants well ventilated and remove some of the leaves to improve airflow and help the fruits to ripen. I also grow some marigolds and Basil in pots and place them by the tomato plants as their aromas help to keep white fly and other pests away from the plants. I normally have more than enough tomatoes and usually end up giving bags of them to neighbours. BBC Gardener's World website and the Thompson and Morgan website also has some useful tips. linklinkHave been following your instructions and am proud to report that my plants are now about 4ft high, each has 4/5 flowers and I have this morning spotted my first Tomato 😀. Only baby pea sized but I am Well chuffed. 🤢🌱 Are there more buds showing? 4 or 5 dunna seem many on a plant that size you should have a lot more to come.
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Post by raythesailor on Jun 21, 2020 16:18:20 GMT
Have been following your instructions and am proud to report that my plants are now about 4ft high, each has 4/5 flowers and I have this morning spotted my first Tomato 😀. Only baby pea sized but I am Well chuffed. 🤢🌱 Are there more buds showing? 4 or 5 dunna seem many on a plant that size you should have a lot more to come. I think possibly there are. Never done this before, really enjoying it. Do wonder if I should soon start to nip out the tops as they are up to the kitchen window.! They are staked and loosely tied.
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Post by franklin66 on Jun 21, 2020 16:31:52 GMT
Are there more buds showing? 4 or 5 dunna seem many on a plant that size you should have a lot more to come. I think possibly there are. Never done this before, really enjoying it. Do wonder if I should soon start to nip out the tops as they are up to the kitchen window.! They are staked and loosely tied. I grew cherry tomatoes and they form like you would expect in a line of fruit like grapes. You should see side shoots with small buds forming on the ends they will flower and then once they fade the fruit form from the flower. I'm confident you will get more happy eating 👍 As for the tops wait to see where you get the flowers and when you see plenty pinch the top of the main "trunk" out.
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Post by franklin66 on Jun 21, 2020 16:36:20 GMT
Here you go Ray...
Not sure if that first like worked so try this one
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2020 16:52:24 GMT
Are they David Austin roses or Bridgemere's own grown plants ? What types did you buy ? I'm after a couple for our rear garden and am undecided over which to buy. Correct me if I'm wrong but is their main nursery next door to RAF Albrighton (Cosford) I used to see it regularly when I did my PSU training. While everyone was sitting having a break I'd be looking over the fence at the collection of plants i did get some funny looks 🥀 Yep, that's the place.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2020 17:02:12 GMT
I grow cherry (Gardener's Delight or Ildi) and normal size cordon tomatoes (Shirley and Moneymaker) in my greenhouse, and grow some trailing (tumbling) cherry tomatoes (Tumbling Tom or Balconi Red/Yellow) outside in hanging baskets. I start them off in March from seed and prick them out into individual pots when the second set of leaves appears on the seedlings. They grow pretty quickly and at the end of April (usually) I plant the cordon tomatoes into a grow bag in the greenhouse (3 plants per bag) and stake them individually, and plant the tumbling ones into a hanging basket. I normally plant the roots at least one inch below the surface of the compost to encourage stronger growth. I don't feed them at all until the flowers first appear. As Franklin says pinch the tops out when the fruit starts to appear and make sure you regularly check them to pinch out the small shoots at the base of the main side shoots as these take energy away from the fruit. Water them regularly and consistently and don't over water them but also don't let the compost dry out. Forget to water them and they'll suffer greatly and probably die, but giving them a large amount of water every few days will usually lead to the fruit splitting. Give them the same amount of water at around the same time every day. When the flowers appear, and then the fruits start to swell, feed them twice weekly. Keep the plants well ventilated and remove some of the leaves to improve airflow and help the fruits to ripen. I also grow some marigolds and Basil in pots and place them by the tomato plants as their aromas help to keep white fly and other pests away from the plants. I normally have more than enough tomatoes and usually end up giving bags of them to neighbours. BBC Gardener's World website and the Thompson and Morgan website also has some useful tips. linklinkHave been following your instructions and am proud to report that my plants are now about 4ft high, each has 4/5 flowers and I have this morning spotted my first Tomato 😀. Only baby pea sized but I am Well chuffed. 🤢🌱 Glad to hear you've been successful - a lot of the time it's trail and error when you first start, particularly with the watering frequency and amount, but after a short while you will get into a routine and you should see more flowers and then tomatoes appearing. Keep at it - it's very satisfying when you pick the first ripe tomatoes. Eat the first one yourself, the taste is much better and more intense than the shop bought ones.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2020 17:10:51 GMT
Here you go Ray... Not sure if that first like worked so try this one Titchmarsh is good and obviously knows his stuff, but I also like your second video - pretty informative and easy to follow. I always plant my tomato plants about three or four inches deep in the compost to get the roots well established. I use a extra deep grow bag, and to give a bit more height for the roots I use a large plastic plant pot and cut the base out of it and then sink that a couple of inches into the grow bag before planting the tomato plant into it.
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Post by franklin66 on Jun 21, 2020 17:33:10 GMT
Here you go Ray... Not sure if that first like worked so try this one Titchmarsh is good and obviously knows his stuff, but I also like your second video - pretty informative and easy to follow. I always plant my tomato plants about three or four inches deep in the compost to get the roots well established. I use a extra deep grow bag, and to give a bit more height for the roots I use a large plastic plant pot and cut the base out of it and then sink that a couple of inches into the grow bag before planting the tomato plant into it. A mistake I made early on I planted shallow and they were very weak plants I soon learnt to use that method of planting in a pot and planting the pot so to speak. They turned out way better, I dont grow much veg now although I do have some garlic happily growing away amongst my boarders 😁 I've only a relatively small garden about 20ft x 30ft my house extension took half of it I made it child proof and friendly but they have buggered off now so I can do what I like. Saying that my lad will be coming home for a bit( hopefully) after covid screwed his move to Oz so once again I'm making provisions to protect it from his dog!!! Luckily my neighbour is fabricating a small fence to stop the dog digging.
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Post by raythesailor on Jun 21, 2020 17:33:58 GMT
Thanks for all the tips and advice.
Also nice to bring this excellent thread back to life.
No politics , insults or swearing. 😀
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Post by franklin66 on Jun 21, 2020 17:35:41 GMT
Thanks for all the tips and advice. Also nice to bring this excellent thread back to life. No politics , insults or swearing. 😀 Theres time yet Ray it depends on if you show us the fruits of your labour or not 😁
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Post by raythesailor on Jun 21, 2020 17:42:13 GMT
Thanks for all the tips and advice. Also nice to bring this excellent thread back to life. No politics , insults or swearing. 😀 Theres time yet Ray it depends on if you show us the fruits of your labour or not 😁 Will my fruits be to the left or right of the plant or float around the middle. Hope they don’t come out green. 😀
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Post by franklin66 on Jun 21, 2020 17:46:33 GMT
On a separate note my cheap bulbs I got from Bridgemere are so far doing very well. I think it was somewhere about £10-15 I spent for about a 100 or so and they were planted late ish and are something to look forward to.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2020 17:50:40 GMT
On a separate note my cheap bulbs I got from Bridgemere are so far doing very well. I think it was somewhere about £10-15 I spent for about a 100 or so and they were planted late ish and are something to look forward to. Bargain !
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Post by franklin66 on Jun 21, 2020 17:56:13 GMT
On a separate note my cheap bulbs I got from Bridgemere are so far doing very well. I think it was somewhere about £10-15 I spent for about a 100 or so and they were planted late ish and are something to look forward to. Bargain ! Mate we went up and they had loads of bulbs I got 30 Gladioli for £1.50 !! Most of the bulbs were reduced to that price. I went up the other day and they still had plenty but I've no room left.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2020 18:07:24 GMT
Mate we went up and they had loads of bulbs I got 30 Gladioli for £1.50 !! Most of the bulbs were reduced to that price. I went up the other day and they still had plenty but I've no room left. That's too good an offer to miss. Lots of people will look at the packets (or won't even look at them), see they should have been planted earlier and just walk away. They don't seem to realise even if they don't flower this year they will be well established and flower next year. We always look at the sale items, or bargain corner for any plants that might need a bit of TLC. We've done this with quite a few plants which looked just about ready for the compost heap. We planted them, watered and fed them, and almost all survived and flourished. Last year we bought a small acer which was 50p, that's right 50p, reduced from £12.75, and it's now growing quite happily in the garden.
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Post by franklin66 on Jun 21, 2020 18:30:07 GMT
Mate we went up and they had loads of bulbs I got 30 Gladioli for £1.50 !! Most of the bulbs were reduced to that price. I went up the other day and they still had plenty but I've no room left. That's too good an offer to miss. Lots of people will look at the packets (or won't even look at them), see they should have been planted earlier and just walk away. They don't seem to realise even if they don't flower this year they will be well established and flower next year. We always look at the sale items, or bargain corner for any plants that might need a bit of TLC. We've done this with quite a few plants which looked just about ready for the compost heap. We planted them, watered and fed them, and almost all survived and flourished. Last year we bought a small acer which was 50p, that's right 50p, reduced from £12.75, and it's now growing quite happily in the garden. True I'm not a scientific gardener I like something and plant in. I dont know what my soil is like it gets 6 bags of compost/ manure early in the year and that's it. I do feed some plants especially when I grew veg and my pots etc but my beds are what they are with 3 for £10 compost or manure not expensive stuff just what's about in stock. It can be difficult sometimes for some reason i cant grow clematis we've had a few and moved them etc but they just dont like my garden however i have dahlia that comes back year after year left in all winter and flourishes and flowers for months. Each year we reckon we spend no more than £50 on plants (although I've bought my cherry tree and a couple of big pots so this year about £100) £20 on compost £5 on plant food £5 on slug pallets that's it really. I'm lucky I can spend time every day weeding because i dont work now but 1hr a day early in the morning then I sit down with a brew/G&T and enjoy. For that I get an outdoor room an area for entertainment with friends and family etc we live outside when its not raining so it's worth it.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2020 19:48:14 GMT
That's too good an offer to miss. Lots of people will look at the packets (or won't even look at them), see they should have been planted earlier and just walk away. They don't seem to realise even if they don't flower this year they will be well established and flower next year. We always look at the sale items, or bargain corner for any plants that might need a bit of TLC. We've done this with quite a few plants which looked just about ready for the compost heap. We planted them, watered and fed them, and almost all survived and flourished. Last year we bought a small acer which was 50p, that's right 50p, reduced from £12.75, and it's now growing quite happily in the garden. True I'm not a scientific gardener I like something and plant in. I dont know what my soil is like it gets 6 bags of compost/ manure early in the year and that's it. I do feed some plants especially when I grew veg and my pots etc but my beds are what they are with 3 for £10 compost or manure not expensive stuff just what's about in stock. It can be difficult sometimes for some reason i cant grow clematis we've had a few and moved them etc but they just dont like my garden however i have dahlia that comes back year after year left in all winter and flourishes and flowers for months. Each year we reckon we spend no more than £50 on plants (although I've bought my cherry tree and a couple of big pots so this year about £100) £20 on compost £5 on plant food £5 on slug pallets that's it really. I'm lucky I can spend time every day weeding because i dont work now but 1hr a day early in the morning then I sit down with a brew/G&T and enjoy. For that I get an outdoor room an area for entertainment with friends and family etc we live outside when its not raining so it's worth it. I'm a complete amateur as well. A lot of what I know I learned from my dear old dad, and other stuff is from just watching Titchmarsh and Monty Don etc, reading gardening books, but mainly from trial and error. Since I took early retirement a few years ago I've had much more time to "dabble" and experiment a bit. I buy compost for sewing my seeds in the greenhouse, like you 3 for £10 or what is on offer in my local garden centre. For planting in the garden (and to improve the soil) I make my own compost from garden waste and the veggie peelings etc from the kitchen, liberally interspersed with cardboard and newspaper. I also make leaf mould to improve the soil structure. I can grow dahlias but I can't keep them over winter so I've tended not to bother with them now. Clematis grow wherever I put them but this afternoon my wife found one which was suffering from Clematis Wilt so she cut it right back. I'm forever taking cuttings and seeing if they'll grow and I usually end up giving away loads of plants to family and friends. I've currently got a few rose cuttings on the go and they are showing some new shoots so hopefully they'll root successfully - which will be a first for me with roses. We spend lots of time sitting or pottering in the garden and during lockdown (with the lovely weather) we spent almost all of every day out there which helped a lot.
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Post by franklin66 on Jun 21, 2020 19:56:55 GMT
True I'm not a scientific gardener I like something and plant in. I dont know what my soil is like it gets 6 bags of compost/ manure early in the year and that's it. I do feed some plants especially when I grew veg and my pots etc but my beds are what they are with 3 for £10 compost or manure not expensive stuff just what's about in stock. It can be difficult sometimes for some reason i cant grow clematis we've had a few and moved them etc but they just dont like my garden however i have dahlia that comes back year after year left in all winter and flourishes and flowers for months. Each year we reckon we spend no more than £50 on plants (although I've bought my cherry tree and a couple of big pots so this year about £100) £20 on compost £5 on plant food £5 on slug pallets that's it really. I'm lucky I can spend time every day weeding because i dont work now but 1hr a day early in the morning then I sit down with a brew/G&T and enjoy. For that I get an outdoor room an area for entertainment with friends and family etc we live outside when its not raining so it's worth it. I'm a complete amateur as well. A lot of what I know I learned from my dear old dad, and other stuff is from just watching Titchmarsh and Monty Don etc, reading gardening books, but mainly from trial and error. Since I took early retirement a few years ago I've had much more time to "dabble" and experiment a bit. I buy compost for sewing my seeds in the greenhouse, like you 3 for £10 or what is on offer in my local garden centre. For planting in the garden (and to improve the soil) I make my own compost from garden waste and the veggie peelings etc from the kitchen, liberally interspersed with cardboard and newspaper. I also make leaf mould to improve the soil structure. I can grow dahlias but I can't keep them over winter so I've tended not to bother with them now. Clematis grow wherever I put them but this afternoon my wife found one which was suffering from Clematis Wilt so she cut it right back. I'm forever taking cuttings and seeing if they'll grow and I usually end up giving away loads of plants to family and friends. I've currently got a few rose cuttings on the go and they are showing some new shoots so hopefully they'll root successfully - which will be a first for me with roses. We spend lots of time sitting or pottering in the garden and during lockdown (with the lovely weather) we spent almost all of every day out there which helped a lot. Exactly the same mate although none of my family did any gardening it's something I found 10 years ago. I dont have much room for a compost heap or bin etc plus i have one massive drawback, my wife hates insects, worms, slugs infact anything that moves in a garden so I have to keep it spotless 🤦♂️ she shits it with bees and anything that flys lol it's such a difficult thing to do to encourage wildlife into a garden while giving my wife CPR after every near miss 😂 Its a slow process with her but she tries her best not to run off now.
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Post by murphthesurf on Jun 22, 2020 12:41:12 GMT
Titchmarsh is good and obviously knows his stuff, but I also like your second video - pretty informative and easy to follow. I always plant my tomato plants about three or four inches deep in the compost to get the roots well established. I use a extra deep grow bag, and to give a bit more height for the roots I use a large plastic plant pot and cut the base out of it and then sink that a couple of inches into the grow bag before planting the tomato plant into it. A mistake I made early on I planted shallow and they were very weak plants I soon learnt to use that method of planting in a pot and planting the pot so to speak. They turned out way better, I dont grow much veg now although I do have some garlic happily growing away amongst my boarders 😁 I've only a relatively small garden about 20ft x 30ft my house extension took half of it I made it child proof and friendly but they have buggered off now so I can do what I like. Saying that my lad will be coming home for a bit( hopefully) after covid screwed his move to Oz so once again I'm making provisions to protect it from his dog!!! Luckily my neighbour is fabricating a small fence to stop the dog digging.
Attendez une minute, François….. stuff the plants --- --- if the son & heir is naffin' orf to Oz as soon as the global killer pandemic coast is clear, so's to speak, will he be able to take precious doggy with him????????
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