Gardening resources and tips, etc.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

We had some interesting tomato plants when we mulched out bank with home made compost that was presumably slightly under-cooked

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Luca - that´s how I grow all my tomatoes!

When I was last in Cincinnati, I bought several varieties of tomato; removed the seeds and spread them on a piece of kitchen towel. They dried out in a couple of days and I just put them in the suitcase to bring home.
I´ve currently got 20 plants going - 8 of them are about 2-3ft high and covered in flowers.

[KeenCook2 Profile]

I am growing a lot more from seed this year than usual, and worrying about having enough room in the house before it's all big enough to go out. And then there is the slug issue

Me too. The kitchen table now doubles as a ‘greenhouse’ ! I shall be adding to it with various veg but cannot get hold of tomato seeds. I have read elsewhere that I can dry out fresh tomato seeds and, apparently even just bury some squished cherry tomatoes under compost.....

Any pointers anybody?

Curiously, having just read this post I then saw this article on the BBC website! It's part of the "Learn and revise" section on the BBC website https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zb3rcqt#

[herbidacious Profile]

Luca, if you would like some tomato seeds I can send you some. Just PM me. I have several varieties.

[Pampy Profile]

Just seen this about growing things from veg that you already have https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zb3rcqt#

[herbidacious Profile]

Luca, if you would like some tomato seeds I can send you some. Just PM me. I have several varieties.

As a gift, of course.

[scullion Profile]

i wrote this this morning but was unable to post it as my ip address was blocked again.

yes, tomatoes are really easy to save seed from and will be really easy to grow from. i quite regularly have seed germinate in pots, in the kitchen, they have squirted into while cutting - i even had one grow in the overflow grill in the sink once.
they will germinate better if you dry them before sowing. it concentrates the hormones (so i've been told). when you prick them out hold them by a true leaf rather than a seed leaf or stem (the leaf is expendable, the seed leaf less so and the plant gone if the stem is broken).
i always save seed from tomatoes that have had a lovely flavour. unless they are an f1 hybrid they should all come true. ( i have a large collection of tomato seed!)
theoretically, with f1 hybrids, you will get a quarter of plants like one grandparent, a quarter like the other and half like the f1 hybrid parents.
it's a shame - i have a whole load of different baby plants left over.

[herbidacious Profile]

Has anyone ever used virtual gardening planting/plant organizing programs? I really need to start planting out plants, and I always seem to get it wrong - misjudging heights etc. and, it would seem, judging from my tulips out the front, colour combinations.

I can collate all the info and try to work it out on paper (although also judging from the tulips, they don't always grow as they should) but this would be time consuming. It involves the sort of visualization I am really not very good at.

[PatsyMFagan Profile]

Does anyone have an opinion about how to treat Vine Weevil grubs ? I have found them in one of my pots that I emptied out and (think) managed to extract the grubs for the birds. However I think they are also in a much bigger pot. I already have the Provado drench, but never used the biological control - nematodes.

Thanks

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I used Provado years ago before nematodes were so easy to get, as all my plants are in pots I really needed to clean them out. Worked very well, but I’d prefer to use nematodes if I could

[PatsyMFagan Profile]

thanks Sue

[Suffs Profile]

I use nematodes.

I understand that plants were whose roots have been treated with Provado will then have the
neonicotinoid in its pollen which will then poison any bees which visit the flower.

[PatsyMFagan Profile]

Ah, thanks Suffs .

Another query: Last November I planted up several pots with layered bulbs ready for this time of year.. So, the crocus, narcissi and other small bulbs have all flowered and the tulips are now in bud and should soon be breaking out. That is except those in one pot: The tulips are showing buds, but they are rotting off and the leaves have already turned yellow. Pots all planted at the same time, using the same soil ... anyone got any ideas what might be the cause ?

[Lusciouslush Profile]

It sounds like tulip blight Patsy, which is usually caused by planting too early before the soil has chilled ( the fungus likes warm soil & will grow) but you planted in Nov. so really a good time - but then the weather has been so up & down - if you think it could be blight you need to get rid of the compost - it can live in the soil & re-infect. I don't plant my tulips now until mid/end of Dec. for that reason & they're always a good show.

[Suffs Profile]

I agree with Lusciouslush. Sounds like tulip blight. Unusual in containers but not unknown.

[herbidacious Profile]

btw Scullion I bought a little grow light. I am converted and hooked (i.e. want more.)

It's hard to tell whether things are growing faster than they would anyway, but it's definitely straightened out some rather weedy seedlings that were leaning and/or all over the place. Basil is growing at a furious rate since I put the just germinate seeds under the light, but maybe ithey would have anyway...

I have just sown some more Rose Campion, which needs light to germinate. First lot took about a month to appear so it will be interesting to see if the ones I sowed today are any faster.

I'd like to get a stacking system of them if I could/can afford. This one is sitting on the lid of my propogator, so the height of the whole thing limits what I can benefit from it.

There is a singificant difference between tomato plants that are on my kitchen window sill (bigger) which gets sun for a lot of the day vs. ones in teh lean to (light from above and three sides but for fewer hours.)

Some garlic chive and corainder plants just arrived. I'd kind of forgotten I'd ordered them. I had just sown some garlic chives this afternoon. The more the merrier...
Just popped down the garden and radish and rocket seeds have germinated

[PatsyMFagan Profile]

Thanks Lush and Suffs

I did wonder if it might be blight, however was confused as both pots were planted at the same time (remember having a potting binge as I had bought the compost and was ready to go ... )

Just looked up Blight ...(tulip fire ?) and it doesn't seem the same problem as this pot of bulbs has ... however, it's certain that something is wrong, so I had best destroy them (and try to prevent it spreading to the adjacent pot !

[herbidacious Profile]

That's a pity, Pat.

My coriander turned out to be parsley but should have been Greek Basil. A bit disappointed. Ah well. Must sow some coriander asap.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Anyone know what this flower is in my sister's pot, please?

I haven't got a clue, of course

[Suffs Profile]

That looks to me like a Schizanthus ... Poor Man’s Orchid. They’re usually treated as annuals in the UK ... not sure if they can be perennial ... shall investigate ....that one is flowering so early it certainly looks to have survived the mild winter.

Edited to add: half hardy annual or biennial.