Gardening Resources & Tips

[herbidacious]

So may still be alive. They are in plastic pots and it's not gone below 6C in the lean to and they are 5 feet off the ground on a shelf below a glass roof.

Smallish pots but small plants.

It never gets lower than 4C in there. One wall is the outer wall of the kitchen and it's sheltered. Pepper plants have survived in there without additional protection.

Oh gosh, though, I totally forgot to bring my lime tree in...

[Uschi]

Thank you, ladies!! I will trim it then and see how it fares in the greenhouse. Overwatering is not a danger there, rather the opposite.

[KeenCook]

Hello gardeners! I have a young (5 yrs) James Grieve apple tree that desperately needs pruning to a reasonable shape as it has very long, spindly branches, and the first two-thirds of the length of the branches had no leaves ...

When is the best time, and how severe can I be? Despite the weird shape I did actually get about 15 apples last year, more than I'd ever had before.

Thank you

[scullion]

https://gardenfocused.co.uk/fruitarticl ... /prune.php

the above will give you all the advise you need - including a question on pruning water sprouts on a james grieve lower down the page. (which can occur from too hard pruning or pruning at the wrong time)
the time to prune is from now - if all of the leaves have gone - up until the end of february - before they start to sprout again. so any time in the dormant period.

[herbidacious]

I just planted some rhubarb. The raised bed I put them in had nice soil, but... lots of roots I fear ivy. I pulled out the bigger ones and will have to hope for the best as I don't have the time or energy to empty the bed. I should have watered them in, Shouldn't I...

I put a cage on top as it will be perceived to be a new toilet.

Reminds me, the front garden... foxes... since manure was put down. Need to get out there with a trowel.

[herbidacious]

I was sent broad bean seedlings on Friday. They are about 2 inches high. Should I plant them out in my raised bed or pot then up and put them in my greenhouse (unheated)?
Fleece is an option in either location if it gets very cold.

[Suffs]

Do we know the variety?

[herbidacious]

We do

Aquadulce Claudia

I grew this variety from seed back in '21 but left them in roots trainers over winter.

The supplier says garden ready so should be ok to plant out, but is that the optimal thing to do? I suppose not too many slugs around at the moment. It's not going to be much warmer in the greenhouse than outside.
Planting straight out would be somewhat quicker, except I probably ought to add manure to the raised bed (but not essential I suppose)?

(I am clearly talking myself into planting straight out.)

Whilst I was away the plants seem to have nicely uprighted themselves in a very orderly fashion. (They had fallen out of their cells en route, and I only had time to hastily poked them back in before leaving for France.)

[Badger's Mate]

I’d be inclined to protect them if you do plant out. I can’t sow broad beans directly here as mickey’s mates scoff the lot, module sowings planted out in the autumn can struggle to survive the winter. I generally sow into rootrainers early in the new year, so you’ve stole a march on that. If you put them out and keep them safe you should get an early crop.

[herbidacious]

Hmm. Will think about it. I do have enough compost to pot them up. But it will take longer. I still have bulbs to do too. I hope we have a sunny day.

[Suffs]

I direct sow Aquadulce Claudia into the veg patch at the end of October … they are very hardy and cope with whatever the Norfolk winter throws at them … they can get quite tall in a mild winter so I stake them with tomato canes so they don’t get battered by the string winds that sweep across here from the Urals.
… if we have snow or a prolonged hard freeze forecast I put a plastic tunnel cloche over them but otherwise I leave them to their own devices.
I would plant yours out …. maybe with a bit of fleece over them (raised up so as not to bend them. Don’t make them too snug tho … slugs go into a sort of torpor below 0°C but they’ll stay active above that. Gritty sand around them may help. That being said I’ve never noticed a lot of slug damage on mine.

[herbidacious]

Ok. thanks. I will probably do that. As I mentioned, quicker and fewer resources required than potting up, too.

When overwintered in the greenhouse they have gone a bit black at the tips with frost but been fine. I might just keep an eye on temperatures and cover with fleece as needed.

[scullion]

i, too would put them straight out. mine are a few inches tall after being direct sown last month. they are also aquadulce claudia - good and hardy.
i always get a better crop sowing in oct/nov than when sowing in spring.

[herbidacious]

I have never direct sown them.
I wasn't going to grow them at all this year, again, as they take up too much room relative to yield, but I saw an offer... Growing them this year also means that peas will have to go in late, as I put onions in the usual broad bean bed.

They are very nice though... And I like the flowers.

[Suffs]

So do the bees

[Suffs]

On the now defunct GWmessageboard a group of us did a New Year’s Day Flower Count … a list of all the plants (‘weeds’ included) that were flowering in our gardens at New Year (or thereabouts). It’s quite interesting to see how the years differ, as do the different parts of the country of course.

I thought, for the sake of continuity for me (and for my DD who counts hers too) that I’ll do my count and post my list on here … do join in if you fancy it. Everything counts, even daisies in the lawn and flowering deadnettles in the hedge …

[herbidacious]

Yes I was thinking about that the other day (for some reason I thought it was a Christmas Day thing). Would be fun to do. I don't have many things flowering, but some of what I have is surprising (to me).

[herbidacious]

I am suddenly seized with doubt. This way up? i.e. the bit that looks like a stem goes into the ground, pointy bit pointing to the surface?
(Allium - I know. Very late to be planting, but nothing ventured and tall that...)

IMG_4797.JPG (11.47 KiB) Viewed 1085 times

Looks a bit like a mushroom...

I just fooled myself into doing some gardening. The few broad beans that went in yesterday had flopped and needed support. Then I ended up planting all but one bag of tulips and these alliums. Also put some of last year's bulbs, still in pots, in the ground. I probably have some hanging up somewhere too...

[Suffs]

NEW YEARS DAY FLOWER COUNT
In bloom in my garden today are:
Viola morpheo
Dandelions
Hellebore orientalis( pink double -seedlings from ‘Mrs Betty Ranicar’)
Rosemary officinalis
One snowdrop,
Rosa Bonica
Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’
Campanula poscharskyana
Lawn daisies
Hellebore orientalis ‘Tutu’
seedlings of above
Viburnum Bod. ‘Charles Lamont’
Sarcococca confusa

I think this is the first year there’s been no Hairy Bittercress in flower on New Years Day

[Stokey Sue]

Only 3 in my pots
Rosemary Severn Seas
Viola (bought as winter bedding)
Hardy cyclamen

The rosemary has been going for several weeks, she’s early usually starts quietly around Xmas then in full bloom by Valentine’s Day, the winter violas have been struggling with lack of light but good value from Lidl, the cyclamen were bought in Columbia Road in October 2023, not exciting last year but got left in the pot and this year have been spectacular from August bank holiday until now,