Gardening Resources & Tips

[Busybee]

Maybe not strictly gardening, but can I please show off? I still have a beautiful white poinsettia gifted to me last December!?!? I don’t have any green fingers, I don’t even like gardening, but this plant is still going strong, and, growing more new leaves. It’s definitely a record for me, poinsettias usually die early in January. Well done M&S.

Must be the year for poinsettias, ours is still going strong, again an M&S one but the bog standard red.

BB

[scullion]

a friend was given one the christmas before last - the bracts of which stayed red all through the year until it died - just before last christmas.
they usually die shortly after christmas because they've been left outside of the shop and get chilled. they are a jungle plant and can't cope with the cold.

[Stokey Sue]

My dad used to be able to keep poinsettias going for several Christmases, but unfortunately I didn’t learn exactly how he did it, it seemed to be a bit of a faff involving controlling water and light levels, and they never really looked very good after tgeir first appearance.

[herbidacious]

Pea help requested.

I have not been very successful with peas in the past. I am going to try a bit harder this year. Possibly my last attempt. I think (hope) I am growing slightly taller varieties (I am mainly growing ones from the Heritage Seed Library but the links which had info on them now seem to be dead, so not sure) so I need to support them. What's the best way to do this, on the assumption that twiggy sticks won't be long enough?

I have canes. They will be in a very small raised bed (1mx1.2m I think.) Ideally I don't want to do any extensive DIY as I want to put them in asap with as little faff as possible.
Canes and netting? If so, does it matter how big the squares are in the netting?

[Badger's Mate]

I think the main thing with peas is establishing them before molluscs and pigeons get them. Oh, and mice of course. The netting can be used to cover against pigeons, but if you’re using netting for support it doesn’t really matter whether it’s chicken wire, big square string mesh or anything between. I use canes & string for the tall ones, twiggy sticks & chicken wire fences for the shorter.

Which ones are you growing? I must have some 2024 HSL info here somewhere.

[Suffs]

Just saying I agree with everything BM has said.

[herbidacious]

Thanks both. Another concerted google suggests that most of the varieties they won't grow more than 2-3ft. One variety is much taller. I could put that one elsewhere.

So, I might get some chicken wire...

[herbidacious]

I don't suppose anyone has the Gardener's world susbsriber discount code for Sarah Raven for June, do they? I can't find my magazine and they haven't updated the website (they have one for May and it doesn't work).

Actually I am wondering if I received June's...

edit. found the mag.

[herbidacious]

Seven tomato plants were potted up today - most of them have tiny fruit, but were in small pots so a bit of an emergency. They are in Quadgrow pots but not sited on the tanks yet. I treated them to some mycorrhizal fungi. I hope it helps. I was aiming for a maximum of 20 plants this year, but it seems to have crept up to 23. Twenty one different varieties. Typing that, it sounds excessive I could get rid of 2, but I have already potted both Tigerellas in Quadgrow pots. I don't really have room in a suitably sunny spot outside to set up a 6th Quadgrow so any over 20 will have to go in normal pots. Which is fine if I can get someone to come and water them when away.

I really ought to grow fewer next year. And eat more fresh ones this year, rather than making most of them into passata.

I bought a selection of different (peat free) composts about a month ago. The Miraclegro organic, which I used today for some of the tomatoes, is really nice. Almost like peaty stuff in texture. No guarantee that if I buy it again the next lot will be.

I ran out of energy after doing the toms (and trying to work) so didn't get my courgettes and cucumbers potted up. Will have to wait until Thursday or Friday now, depending on what affect my office day has on me. Aubergines and peppters oculd do to be potted up and put inthe greenhouse, really too, but that involves a bit of a clear out in the greenhouse.
And then there are the couple of hundred plants I've grown from seed to plant out So much for scaling back. I wonder if I could teach (and persuade) T how to plant things out.

I was unable to buy replacement peas and beans in B&Q last night. Is it too late? I will ask T to take me to one of the huge Kent garden centres on Saturday. I suppose at a pinch I could resow. The beans might perk up/grown new leaves, but I definitely need more peas.

[Badger's Mate]

There will definitely be more peas & beans sown here.

[herbidacious]

I had better get onto it Might buy some too though.

[scullion]

i bought some to sow last sunday - according to the backs of the packets you can keep sowing outdoors into july.

[aero280]

I’m not much of a gardener. Mostly limited to grass cutting and tidying. Owing to the arthritis in my right hand, I have difficulty with secateurs now. So I splashed out and bought this. It works well. I’m pleased.

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/catalog ... bare-unit/

Choice was guided by the fact that I already have the batteries for other tools.

[Earthmaiden]

What a useful thing! By the by, do people take bladed tools to be sharpened? Some of mine could do with it. Where do you take them?

[herbidacious]

This is not helpful, but I have had my gardener sharpen some of mine. People used to come round doing it, didn't they...
But if one googles 'tool sharpening near me' a few places come up so I guess try that, EM.

[Earthmaiden]

Good idea . Thanks.

[scullion]

Owing to the arthritis in my right hand, I have difficulty with secateurs now.

a couple of friends of mine are, too. they've both bought themselves mini chainsaws to prune with.

[herbidacious]

I planted out about 12 small plants earlier. I wonder if they will survive the night...
Slugs and snails do seem to like cosmos. They have stripped quite a few of the ones not yet planted out. I also planted out calendula (and a few other things).

I shall do the curcubits tomorrow. I took delivery of a lot of petunias from SR (not usually a fan but these are a lovely colour) which I ought to do now, but... it's been a tiring day.

[scullion]

of the half dozen nicotiana plants that i planted out the other day there was only one left yesterday - how much do you want to bet that one is now an ex plant, too‽
maybe i'll pot the rest on and only put them out the they are either big and woody or when i need the space.

[herbidacious]

They did survive the night. I took measures (not slug pellets) but not sure if they worked or it's a coincidence.
Nemaslug and Envii Feed and Protect are on order.

Today I have potted up two courgettes and a cucumber, all of which were in 7 inch pots and beginning to flower and/or fruit. There is one more cucumber that still urgently needs potting up.
I also potted up some plug plants (flowers) - filling in gaps made by greedy slugs and snails. Naturally more arrived by delivery just after I'd finished and washed my hands. Will sort out tomorrow.
I also did a bit of clearing in the greenhouse and one of the tomato locations. A little more work is needed. I need to remove the contents of a rotten wooden planter and put paving stones down to make room for a third quadgrow. Will see if I can get help with this.

So urgent work for over the next few days: pot up all the rest of the tomatoes and put on Quadgrows, get T to create my anti-topple device for two lots of patio Quadgrows and put the already potted up tomatoes in those.
Buy peas and beans iof possible and plant out.

Over the next week, plant out more grown-from-seed flowering plants before it's too late.
Prick out the last of the seedlings.
Pot up aubergines and peppers and set up on Quadgrows in the greenhouse. (Might be a job for next weekend.)

If I continue at the rate I am going, I will not get everything done by the end of the summer.

I also have a load of nicotiana (bought. The sown ones are still tiny/probably not ever going to be big enough, to plant. I could pot them up in the meantime. I might put a couple in a big pot.

My sweet peas are beginning to flower