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Gardening resources and tips, etc.

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Badger's Mate » Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:13 pm

I tend to soak them in hot water with a drop of washing up liquid then scrub them. In order to do it properly they need to be dismantled. I clean the bits with an old toothbrush and the tube with a giant version of a test tube brush of the sort we used to use on big measuring cylinders at w***. Then give everything a rinse. As long as they've been in contact with hot water once cleaned they'll be fine.

Sometimes the feeders get a bit soggy in use and the seeds start to germinate. They can be tricky to remove, a bit of poking with a bamboo cane usually encourages egress.

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Pepper Pig » Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:20 pm

Thanks BM. I think we have some old wire demijohn cleaners somewhere, if I can find them.

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Badger's Mate » Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:25 pm

Yes, that's exactly the sort of thing. If they're narrow enough and the feeders aren't too dirty (in future) they can be cleaned without taking them apart, but it's worth dismantling them from time to time. :thumbsup

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Lusciouslush » Wed Apr 29, 2020 5:19 pm

I use a Jeyes solution or weak bleach to scrub out & a thorough hosing out afterwards, allowing them to dry completely, with no ill effects/residual smell - it certainly doesn't bother the birds & we have a lot of regular varieties visit (including finches) - what does bother them is if the seeds/nuts become manky with bad weather or just old towards the bottom - they give the feeders a wide berth then allright.

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby miss mouse » Wed Apr 29, 2020 5:52 pm

I'd soak them in Milton after a hot soapy wash, if it is safe for babies then it probably is for birds. Pipe cleaners make excellent bottle brushes for narrow spaces.

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Badger's Mate » Wed Apr 29, 2020 6:27 pm

Once they're cleaned properly, it probably doesn't matter which method is used to disinfect them as long as they are thoroughly rinsed and air dried.

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Stokey Sue » Wed Apr 29, 2020 6:55 pm

There might be a problem with disinfecting absorbent substances like wood, and of course keep Jeyes fluid, anything that has that same smell, and the brown Dettol away from cats, very toxic to them

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Lusciouslush » Wed Apr 29, 2020 7:27 pm

Helps keep foxes away too...……... :crossed

But :cry: no effect whatsoever on squirrels...…………...

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby herbidacious » Wed Apr 29, 2020 11:48 pm

I put my bird feeders in the dishwasher. it does change their colour, but they are alright. Ironically I have not put the plastic bits in. I just soak them then use washing up liquid and a brush.

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby scullion » Thu Apr 30, 2020 1:39 pm

i have just noticed that one of my gooseberry bushes, possibly due to the warm blast of weather, has fruit on that are about a cm in diameter,

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby herbidacious » Fri May 01, 2020 10:40 am

Goondess! I don't think mine have any fruit. Will have a look when I have got dressed :) The jostaberry has a lot of 5mm fruit. Three out of five dwarf cherry trees the same. The red and white currants have lots of tiny fruit. The birds are going to have a beano in my garden this year...

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Lusciouslush » Fri May 01, 2020 12:37 pm

I've never eaten a jostaberry - just looked it up - sounds gorgeous - what do you make with it ? or just eat as is.
Is it difficult to grow?

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby herbidacious » Fri May 01, 2020 3:48 pm

Ha! The birds usually get them all.

I might get some this year though as it's grown huge. On the other hand, no chance of netting it given it's size and shape (should prune it in the autumn.)

I think the answer is, no, not difficult to grow. I bought two plants and got rid of one as taking up too much room. The remaining one has self seeded, I noticed the other week. There is a robust offpsring growing in it's shadow.

I sent some cuttings to Scully a while back. Are they doing ok Scully? I have more (shorter ones) on the go which I was considering chucking out. So it's also easy to take cuttings from...

My gooseberries are about 3mm. I didn't notice the bushes flowering.

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby scullion » Sat May 02, 2020 1:49 am

yes, two have recovered from the journey and are just producing leaves and i'm waiting for the buds on the other ones to break - i am hopeful. thanks again. i'll post a picture of them.

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby herbidacious » Sat May 02, 2020 6:06 am

If they don't work, will try to nurture some cuttings in soil for you for whenever it's possible to transport such things again.

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Lusciouslush » Sat May 02, 2020 11:50 am

herbidacious wrote:Ha! The birds usually get them all.


Lucky birds - they sound good!

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Uschi » Sat May 02, 2020 11:59 am

Just as an aside to Jostaberries, the name derives derives from the German words Johannisbeere (black currants) and Stachelbeere (gooseberry).

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Stokey Sue » Sat May 02, 2020 12:03 pm

The florist next door has reopened with a delivery of plants, mainly herbs and small flowering plants suitable for window boxes and balconies. She also had little bags of potting compost

I got a beautiful sage, thyme, and a bunch of sweet William

Will probably wait a few days to pot on , will do a bit of switching around

Interesting Uschi - I knew Johannisbeer because it comes up on eating but I’ve never met a German or Austrian gooseberry

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby herbidacious » Sat May 02, 2020 12:12 pm

Uschi wrote:Just as an aside to Jostaberries, the name derives derives from the German words Johannisbeere (black currants) and Stachelbeere (gooseberry).


When I bought the plants one was called a jostaberry and the other a casseille. So a German one and a French one! Some people use the terms interchangeably, but sine I bought two plants with different names from the same place, I am guessing slightly different? Or maybe not. Either way, I am not sure which was which, or thus which I still have.

Apparently the jostaberry is a cross of three different plants.


How lovely Sue.

I ordred some herbs from the Norfolk Herb plave. They came the next day. But eyewatering delivery which on overnight reflrection, I should not have paid. Still I now have a fine collection of unusual thymes (thanks to Rachel de Thame's influence on GW.) plus a couple of mints and another pretty variagated sage. I should pot them all on or put them out.

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Re: gardening resources and tips, etc.

Postby Stokey Sue » Sat May 02, 2020 12:30 pm

As it’s a multiple cross perhaps as with the blackberry & raspberry crosses there are lots of slightly different versions - such as Tayberry, Loganberry, Boysenberry?

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