Gardening resources and tips, etc.

[herbidacious Profile]

I've been saving the loo rolls for months! Getting through more in lockdown, of course, than normal. I found some plastic root trainers but decided to use up the loo rolls. The plastic ones might come into play too.

Felt a bit sad realizing just how poor my compost is (dusty, full of hard bits and twigs) as I filled them. Anyway they are in the propogator to give them a boost of a start, hopefully. Fingers crossed. I planted mainly Kelvedon Wonder peas, plus some broad beans - The Sutton and some Crimson flower ones - which said sow March-May, but decided to take a chance.

I could do with a wall chart to tell me what I can sow when. I think it's not too late for carrots? More radishes? (For a quick crop, these are taking ages. I must be doing something wrong...?) Some types of herbs?

I wonder if I have any runner bean seed...
edit ooh I just found some more biodegradable root trainer tubes! (And a bag of varoius packess of seed that are still viable. Too late for most of it though.)

[miss mouse Profile]

edit ooh I just found some more biodegradable root trainer tubes! (And a bag of varoius packess of seed that are still viable. Too late for most of it though.)

I'd sow them if you want to herbi, including the 'past sow by' dated ones, I find that most grow anyway.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

Yes, sow them all, sooner rather than later. Alright, it's probably too late for peppers, chillies and tomatoes now, but other stuff should catch up. I think I sowed some replacement cucumbers last year at this time (the first lot damped off) and got a late crop, albeit under glass.

I'm going to do a couple more troughs of carrots at the weekend, they'll be fine. Broad beans will be perfectly OK to grow, but might need protection from blackfly. Radishes are the easiest things in the world, but I can't grow them for love nor money.

[Pampy Profile]

I could do with a wall chart to tell me what I can sow when. I think it's not too late for carrots? More radishes? (For a quick crop, these are taking ages. I must be doing something wrong...?) Some types of herbs?

Is this any use? https://www.lovethegarden.com/uk-en/art ... vegetables

[Linnet Profile]

I'm looking for suggestions, please!

Last year I had a problem with the bl**dy foxes digging a hole in my 'lawn'. I filled it in numerous times, but still they came back, and I ended up putting a brick in it to deter them.

I removed the brick over winter, refilled it, and all was fine until this last few weeks, when they seem to have decided to try the short route to Australia, and I now have FOUR holes, including where the original one was. A friend suggested I try chilli flakes (I have a large pack, courtesy of Wing Yip), but either they like chilli, or don't care, and have continued to excavate. I have also put prickly rose prunings over them; again, no deterrent, they just push them to the side and continue to dig.

The holes are one thing, the mower would just go over them, but it is the resulting heap of soil which causes the problem, and I am tired of having to keep shovelling it back.

I would be grateful for any ideas to keep them off (and preferably get rid of the foxes for good!)

[scullion Profile]

there's a theory that if a man pees around the perimeter of the garden it deters foxes. it may just be a theory but it'll cost you nothing to try - if you own a man.

[herbidacious Profile]

Thanks for you encouragement and the chart is great! I have planted up broad beans with savory, but limited supplies of that so I suppose it will be a vaguely scientific experiment to see how savory-free ones fare.

My compost arrived at 6.30pm and I feel much happier now...??!! Already carried it round the back. I shall be potting on, and sowing things tomorrow, weather permitting. Or even maybe not permitting. Oh for a greenhouse...
My pots came too, and I found some planting bags in the lean-to.

We had foxes digging under the decking in our previous house. I am afraid the only fix was chicken wire which is not really going to work for a lawn. I wonder why they are doing it. Not the same reaoson why a squirrel is digging in all my pots, at the moment, I suspect. Looking for worms? Do they eat worms?

[Renee Profile]

What a shame about the foxes Linnet. They really are a nuisance. What about sprinkling black pepper around the area, or maybe spraying with disinfectant.

[Pampy Profile]

Not the same reaoson why a squirrel is digging in all my pots, at the moment, I suspect. Looking for worms? Do they eat worms?

My sister get squirrels digging in her pots - looking for bulbs to eat, we think. I don't have much in pots so they dig the bulbs out of the ground and often replant them elsewhere in the garden - I never know what my spring display is going to look like! The blighters know exactly when the hazel and cob nuts are ready for harvesting - the 3 bushes get stripped before I can get to them!

[miss mouse Profile]

Radishes are the easiest things in the world, but I can't grow them for love nor money.

Same here.

[herbidacious Profile]

The wet toiilet rolls smell a bit odd...

I have lots of leafy bits for my radishes but not sure I have radishes per se. Maybe I should poke under the surface of the compost.

They went in 12th April and germinated on the 21st.

[scullion Profile]

i have had decent radishes in the past but i think the dry weather (and possibly too much rich soil from the worm bin) caused a lot of leaf and woody, small radishes. we have eaten the tops and (early on, before getting woody) a couple of the radishes. i may put in another row, in a different bed and make sure they're watered well.
i picked some kale leaves yesterday - they are taking over part of the 'barren wasteland' but look really ornamental with their big pink tinged leaves next to the globe artichoke leaves and fennel - and love in a mist - which seems to have gone from a blue mix to a sea of white ones with the odd blue ones dotted in - beautiful (and a load of white flowers of radish and/or beetroot).

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Don't get me started on foxes - bl**dy pests....!!!!

They do dig for worms Linnet - I've seen them, also, if you've used Blood Fish & Bone in your soil for any reason they dig for that - they can smell it a mile away!
I've tried many things to deter them plus holly clippings where they bed down for the night - nothing stops a determined fox except Jeyes fluid - they really don't like the smell - you can't put it directly on plants/grass tho' it will burn them, but I soak cloths in undiluted Jeyes & put them around where they frequent - also if you know where they're getting into the garden i.e. over a wall/fence spray that area too - foxes are habitual in how they access & leave a garden & use the same route - it works!

A few years back I had The Lushly pee in a bucket & sprinkled that around for a while - didn't work...…!

[Linnet Profile]

there's a theory that if a man pees around the perimeter of the garden it deters foxes. it may just be a theory but it'll cost you nothing to try - if you own a man.

Yes, I know about that theory and my late OH tried it years ago, as did our neighbours (in their own garden, I hasten to add!), but unfortunately it made no difference to the foxes coming in, though they weren't digging holes then, just running through the borders and flattening everything. Think that was mainly the cubs, there were five one year.

I've not used any blood/fish/bone on the garden, but it may be worms they are after. I'll have a go with the Jeyes because I know their track across the top of the garden behind the greenhouse, and it won't burn the grass if I put it in the holes that are already there now - thanks for the idea, Lush.

The squirrels usually pinch the nuts from another neighbour's hazel and forget where they have buried them, so I find hazel seedlings all over the garden when I weed, including in the pots of bulbs, and I think they've eaten most of my crocuses. I'd still rather have them than the foxes - no smelly piles left around to tread in!!

[herbidacious Profile]

Has a quick look at my raddishes and they are not happening (much. Just a small spring onion's worth of radish). They are in a window box sized container. Should be adequate. Watered regularly. New compost.

[herbidacious Profile]

I just finally got an item of one of my Marshalls's orders through - three half-opened, decomposing coriander plug plants

On the plus side, I got some lots of seeds from Chilterns Seed company - ordered on Friday, I think. All nicely wrapped in brown paper

[herbidacious Profile]

And some tomatoes. They about 3cm high. Very angry.

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[herbidacious Profile]

has anyone every used one of those metal soil testseres like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01 ... UTF8&psc=1

I bought one a while back and finally got round to using it. Everything seems to have the same reading, including recently bought ericacious compost. Not sure if I have been sold dud compost or a dud tester, and not sure if I want to throw more money at it.

[PatsyMFagan Profile]

Can't help you there Herbi. In the early days I bought a soil testing kit that consisted of a test tube to which you added a sample of your soil ...

I was going to post on here to ask advice from you (or anyone else who might know) about sowing chilli from seeds.

I think I sowed mine too late - I have a heated propagator, but the seeds are a couple of years old .. (Calico and Mulato Islano) - mainly for their looks rather then their fruit, but that would be a bonus Only a couple of seeds of both kind germinated and they are still quite tiny, but the first leaves have grown. Will it be worth potting them on ? Or should I give up and try again next year, sowing much earlier in the year.

Thanks

[herbidacious Profile]

I sowed my chilli seeds on the 1st May and they are about 7 inches tall now and seem to be growing very sloly having germinated and shot up fast initially. I am not hopeful I will get fruit, but you never kno. I also sowed from aalst year's F1 hybrid fruit. I shall be starting earlier next year with fresh seed.

If it's just a couple, you might as well have a go. Do they have their true leaves yet? You have nothing to lose but a bit of time and a bit of compost.

I noticed Monty Don on GW says he alwasy grwos his inside. Mine are outside Not sure he's as far south as you or I though...?