The potting shed

[pickledtink]

This thread is for avid gardeners to exchange info on gardening.

Problems, pests, diseases, growing Fruit, Veg and Flowers. Ask advice from other MMS gardeners and generally have a natter about all things green fingered.

Posts relating to gardening bargains and freebies belong in the other thread 'Garden Bargains'

For starters:

How did this Summers ( ongoing) crazy weather affect your garden particularly the veg growers?
I had some amazing success with aubergines / peppers/ chillis/cucumbers all grown outdoors.

Other things were a struggle and clearly needed water.
Some failed miserably. Few tomatoes and lots of blossom end rot and greenback.
3 lots of peas refused to germinate. Squashes never got going until the rains came and are now huge but covered in mildew.

[Jake'sGran]

Like you I have grown a lot of tomatoes, indoors and outdoors. The cherry ones are very popular with OH and son but I prefer the large ones. I have been surprised how easy peppers are - pity no one likes them much. I grew rocket for my daughter, gave her the big tub with all those lovely leaves and she didn't eat it. What a waste! Had one lot of string beans but the reast seem to have been eaten by something. Otherwise the garden is looking very green indeed. We hated the excessive heat but loath the now continuous rain. I'll try the aubergines as I quite like Mousaka.

[pickledtink]

Like you I have grown a lot of tomatoes, indoors and outdoors. The cherry ones are very popular with OH and son but I prefer the large ones. I have been surprised how easy peppers are - pity no one likes them much. I grew rocket for my daughter, gave her the big tub with all those lovely leaves and she didn't eat it. What a waste! Had one lot of string beans but the reast seem to have been eaten by something. Otherwise the garden is looking very green indeed. We hated the excessive heat but loath the now continuous rain. I'll try the aubergines as I quite like Mousaka.

Lucky you. My tomatoes are usually pretty good even though i only grow outside but this year they were lousy. The extreme heat and hose pipe ban stressed them and now what I do have isn't ripening because there's no Sun.:rolleyes:

didn't eat her greens!? Tut tut.

[MaureenHB]

I didn't try outdoor tomatoes but the ones in the greenhouse have been really good.. as mentioned on Gardener's World on Friday, no sign of a glut as we had such long bouts of sunshine. I managed to fix up a drip system so they had regular water supplies. As for outside, the dahlias that I got as an afterthought from Netto ( can't remember the price but they were really cheap) have been fantastic! Will be looking out for them again this year. Not too sure whether to lift them for the winter, what do you do? I got a lot of their D.T.Brown seeds too, and worried a bit at the time because at 19p they seemed too good to be true, but everything has come up very well.

[Jake'sGran]

I didn't try outdoor tomatoes but the ones in the greenhouse have been really good.. as mentioned on Gardener's World on Friday, no sign of a glut as we had such long bouts of sunshine. I managed to fix up a drip system so they had regular water supplies. As for outside, the dahlias that I got as an afterthought from Netto ( can't remember the price but they were really cheap) have been fantastic! Will be looking out for them again this year. Not too sure whether to lift them for the winter, what do you do? I got a lot of their D.T.Brown seeds too, and worried a bit at the time because at 19p they seemed too good to be true, but everything has come up very well.

The tomatoes I grew are not meant to be outdoors ones but I just sowed too many seeds and couldn't bring myself to throw them away so some had to be left outside. We didn't have a hose pipe ban here (NW).

Re the dahlias; last year I grew "BishopsChildren". These are singles and,
once again, I grew too many. Because of this I left some in the ground and one is about 5ft tall at the moment. Today we were discussing getting rid of it because because of the amount of space it is taking up and there is just too much leaf. I will try Netto for plants and seeds. They sell tinned peaches for about 14p which I buy regularly and they are very soft, almost as good as well known makes except for the odd bit of kernel.

[pickledtink]

I didn't try outdoor tomatoes but the ones in the greenhouse have been really good.. as mentioned on Gardener's World on Friday, no sign of a glut as we had such long bouts of sunshine. I managed to fix up a drip system so they had regular water supplies. As for outside, the dahlias that I got as an afterthought from Netto ( can't remember the price but they were really cheap) have been fantastic! Will be looking out for them again this year. Not too sure whether to lift them for the winter, what do you do? I got a lot of their D.T.Brown seeds too, and worried a bit at the time because at 19p they seemed too good to be true, but everything has come up very well.

What was your drip system? was it one of those which comes complete or did you rig something up Blue Peter style?
I've bought one of those small polytunnels but can't figure out how you're supposed to water them.:o

[angelavdavis]

We have been lucky this year.

We built some raised veg borders as the trees surrounding the walls in the garden make it impossible to dig at the bottom of the garden. These were eventually finished in June (although one was in place for March) and filled with imported topsoil which wasn't as good a quality as it could have been so we weren't holding out much hope. However, we have managed to harvest - tomatoes from two plants bought last minute at the garden centre, red and white onions from seed, aubergines from a plant bought also last minute at a garden centre, spinach, lollo rosso, mizuna, rocket, radishes, baby cos lettuce and mixed chinese leaves - grown from seed. We have also had chilis and peppers grown outside - bit small but otherwise fine. Herbs have done really well.

The shallots which I had grown in a container got absolutely drowned when we had heavy rainfall early August and rotted off which was a shame as they were doing so well!

Very few of the above suffered for the dry weather - we watered 1-2 times a week with the watering can where required.

The runner beans have been really slow this year - we haven't yet harvested any!

We have beetroot and carrots waiting to be harvested - bit slower than I would have expected to grow, but looks like they will be ready within a couple of weeks.

We have just added some rotted manure and garden compost into one of the beds and have now planted spring onions, savoy and peas ready for late winter/early spring.

Elsewhere in the garden, nothing seems to have suffered for the reduced rainfall and heat and most of the garden was planted this year, although the hanging baskets have been a complete disaster and no amount of watering seems to have had much effect!

[pickledtink]

We have been lucky this year.

We built some raised veg borders as the trees surrounding the walls in the garden make it impossible to dig at the bottom of the garden. These were eventually finished in June (although one was in place for March) and filled with imported topsoil which wasn't as good a quality as it could have been so we weren't holding out much hope. However, we have managed to harvest - tomatoes from two plants bought last minute at the garden centre, red and white onions from seed, aubergines from a plant bought also last minute at a garden centre, spinach, lollo rosso, mizuna, rocket, radishes, baby cos lettuce and mixed chinese leaves - grown from seed. We have also had chilis and peppers grown outside - bit small but otherwise fine. Herbs have done really well.

The shallots which I had grown in a container got absolutely drowned when we had heavy rainfall early August and rotted off which was a shame as they were doing so well!

Very few of the above suffered for the dry weather - we watered 1-2 times a week with the watering can where required.

The runner beans have been really slow this year - we haven't yet harvested any!

We have beetroot and carrots waiting to be harvested - bit slower than I would have expected to grow, but looks like they will be ready within a couple of weeks.

We have just added some rotted manure and garden compost into one of the beds and have now planted spring onions, savoy and peas ready for late winter/early spring.

Elsewhere in the garden, nothing seems to have suffered for the reduced rainfall and heat and most of the garden was planted this year, although the hanging baskets have been a complete disaster and no amount of watering seems to have had much effect!

Sounds like you've done pretty well for a late start! have you got a compost heap/bin?
My own compost really makes a difference I must say. A spadefull of the old black magic always gets things moving as a top dressing and is great to get new sowings started in pots.
I love fish, blood and bone as a feed for any veg bed and it's excellent forked into the soil loosely before planting.

Shame about your shallots! What size containers were they in?

[Benidormqueen]

OH, Sorry angelavdavis (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/member.html?u=14131) to hear your hanging baskets have been a disaster,
mine have been fantastic this year, apart from Saturday when the wind sent them quite giddy, had to take them down overnight to give them a rest. they look lovley again today, I feed them every three days with tomato feed.
My grass was terrible a few weeks ago, never seen it looking so tatty and almost dead with all the sun and heat, We are on a water meter so I could not water it often, but I gave it a good rake all over and feed it with Asda's own brand of lawn food, and it now looks great, and really thick and lush and no weeds.
Rest of garden doing fine all my plants, most I did myself from seeds are still looking good, and I'm very proud of them still got, marigolds,buzy lizzies,
asters,bergonias,cornflower. taggetts, and 3ft long Surfina's.and lovley rudbeckias which will last untill the frost kills them, they are beautiful. :) all lovley rustic shades.

[hazeyj]

Ive just bought some tomato and spring onion and rocket seeds. can anyone give me a tip on the best time to sow etc? Thank you!!

[pickledtink]

Spring onion and Rocket sow now
Tomatoes'll have to wait till next year unfortunately. If you sow them indoors in early March you can transplant them outside late April.
Depends where you are in the country as to when the first frost falls. Where are you?
Things you can still sow now are: cut and come again mixed salad leaves. Perpetual Spinach, Radishes ( which you can eat the leaves from as well and they are gorgeous), Kale, garlic ( can just use a supermarket one) onions.
Also lots of things for harvesting next spring and you can get seedling plants from online nurseries for cabbage , Broccolli etc.
All of these can be grown in containers and herbs in baskets like basil, coriander which can be sown now. Thyme, parsley, chives will still take if you get some young plants now and plant up.
I've got masses of seeds and am happy to send you some which you can get going with. Just PM me your postal.
Another gardening forum I'm on we all rallied round as one member had her entire veg patch broken into by sheep. She lost al her hard earned veg so we're all sending anything which can be sown now to fill up that empty space.

[pickledtink]

OH, Sorry angelavdavis (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/member.html?u=14131) to hear your hanging baskets have been a disaster,
mine have been fantastic this year, apart from Saturday when the wind sent them quite giddy, had to take them down overnight to give them a rest. they look lovley again today, I feed them every three days with tomato feed.
My grass was terrible a few weeks ago, never seen it looking so tatty and almost dead with all the sun and heat, We are on a water meter so I could not water it often, but I gave it a good rake all over and feed it with Asda's own brand of lawn food, and it now looks great, and really thick and lush and no weeds.
Rest of garden doing fine all my plants, most I did myself from seeds are still looking good, and I'm very proud of them still got, marigolds,buzy lizzies,
asters,bergonias,cornflower. taggetts, and 3ft long Surfina's.and lovley rudbeckias which will last untill the frost kills them, they are beautiful. :) all lovley rustic shades.

Sounds glorious. I tend to be a bit lazy when it comes to ornamentals. Just go for all the ones which flower all season as long as you look after them. I'm a Petunia, Geranium, Lobelia girl. Love Nasturtiums as they look great, trail all over the place and you can eat them too! Even better they entice all the nasty black fly away from my veg and you can just snap off the offending leaf without damaging the plant.
They've all done very well this year and the recent rain has made them all very lush. All spilling out and looking dead fetching. I was harbouring thoughts of drifting about amongst my blooms today in a floaty frock etc
Unfortunately my compost heap exploded all over me so I have had to launder all I was wearing and even after a good scrub I'm still a bit niffy....:rolleyes:

[hazeyj]

You mention black fly above...my clematis are covered in these tiny little black things. Can I get rid of them?

[hazeyj]

Spring onion and Rocket sow now
Tomatoes'll have to wait till next year unfortunately. If you sow them indoors in early March you can transplant them outside late April.
Depends where you are in the country as to when the first frost falls. Where are you?
Things you can still sow now are: cut and come again mixed salad leaves. Perpetual Spinach, Radishes ( which you can eat the leaves from as well and they are gorgeous), Kale, garlic ( can just use a supermarket one) onions.
Also lots of things for harvesting next spring and you can get seedling plants from online nurseries for cabbage , Broccolli etc.
All of these can be grown in containers and herbs in baskets like basil, coriander which can be sown now. Thyme, parsley, chives will still take if you get some young plants now and plant up.
I've got masses of seeds and am happy to send you some which you can get going with. Just PM me your postal.
Another gardening forum I'm on we all rallied round as one member had her entire veg patch broken into by sheep. She lost al her hard earned veg so we're all sending anything which can be sown now to fill up that empty space.

Oh wow thanks for your advice. I will pm you with my details. Thanks:beer: I'm in manchester by the way. On top of the building and my garden gets the wind, soplants have to be rock hard to out on my terrace

[Benidormqueen]

{quote} pickledtink :)
Thanks,
Also got Geraniums & Lobelia and a few Lavender shurbs,
Just been mowing my beautiful lawns while weathers fine, been having a good look around my boarders my passion flowers got fruit on for thefirst time,got ever so giddy when i saw them,:D also got a few frogs hoppingaround.( what shoud I put in for some winter colour )any tips please!!!

[pickledtink]

Hazey. Check your PM.

I've checked your frost dates for Manchester.
First frosts will be mid October and last mid may. So you've got time for some quick crops.
I'll have a look and send you some seeds tomorrow.

[pickledtink]

I picked my first ever ripe yellow lemon today! Thrilled to bits. I keep gazing at it in adoration. Sadly got no Gin to put it in though.:cry:

Seems like a good excuse to buy a bottle however...._party_

[pickledtink]

You mention black fly above...my clematis are covered in these tiny little black things. Can I get rid of them?

Spray the !!!!!!s. I don't usually bother with the organic route on non edibles but in this case it's so inexpensive to use the home made organic answer. It works and it's very cheap too.
Mix 9 parts water to 1 part handwash liquid soap ( not washing up liquid. That damages the plant). Put in a spray bottle and spray generously all over them. Get them all. Do it in the morning if possible. It's not rocket science but it really works. The soap bit sort of clogs them up and kills them. Costs zilch compared to buying those spray things for about £3.00 each!

[MaureenHB]

What was your drip system? was it one of those which comes complete or did you rig something up Blue Peter style?
I've bought one of those small polytunnels but can't figure out how you're supposed to water them.:o

The drip system consists of a set of thin black tubing and some drippers, bought as a kit from a garden centre for about £11, i thought it was expensive at the time but it is set up from a water butt in the greenhouse and has given easy watering all through the summer fr tomatoes, peppers, chillies, salad, ooh lotsa stuff! I am going to try some kale I think for winter greens.. any recommendations as to best one?

[MaureenHB]

Another gardening forum I'm on we all rallied round as one member had her entire veg patch broken into by sheep. She lost al her hard earned veg so we're all sending anything which can be sown now to fill up that empty space.[/QUOTE]

What a lovely thing to do.

[pickledtink]

Another gardening forum I'm on we all rallied round as one member had her entire veg patch broken into by sheep. She lost al her hard earned veg so we're all sending anything which can be sown now to fill up that empty space.

What a lovely thing to do.[/QUOTE]

To be honest I think most people are only too happy to give seed away. I know I always have far too much and would much rather see someone sowing it than just letting it go to waste.
Especially when it's my own seed from good healthy plants.
I've got plenty of my own Winter Squash /Pumpkin seeds for next years sowing if anyone would like some? PM me if you want me to send you a few. Very healthy prolific producers. You get a mix of Butternut, Crown Prince, Harlequin and Gem. Seed catalogues charge about £3.00 for only 6 - 10 seeds! All delicious and the flowers are heavenly eating too. Such a prized expensive dish in French and Italian restaurants and we just can't eat them all we have so many. You can even eat the stalks so when you thin the leaves out you get vegetables before the fruit even appear!

[hazeyj]

Spray the !!!!!!s. I don't usually bother with the organic route on non edibles but in this case it's so inexpensive to use the home made organic answer. It works and it's very cheap too.
Mix 9 parts water to 1 part handwash liquid soap ( not washing up liquid. That damages the plant). Put in a spray bottle and spray generously all over them. Get them all. Do it in the morning if possible. It's not rocket science but it really works. The soap bit sort of clogs them up and kills them. Costs zilch compared to buying those spray things for about £3.00 each!

Thanks!! Just getting my first flowers on my morning glories...is this ususal?

Will check my PM's:beer:

[Lord_Gardener]

You mention black fly above...my clematis are covered in these tiny little black things. Can I get rid of them?
Short term, if you don't what to go the insecticide spray route a good spray/flow of just water will remove many of them. For those which are more firmly attached use a good quality 'washing up liquid' such as Fairy - a blend of surfactants - at one teaspoon (5ml) per a couple of Litres of water. Spraying with the washing up liquid solution improves the wetting on the plants and as the surfactant has a greater affinity for the surface than the blackfly the latter will lose its grip and drop off! NB Solutions at this strength will not damage your plant and are very successful. The only soap I would recommend to use would be an insecticidal type - usually potassium based and designed for killing soft bodied insects such as aphids (black fly) - for areas where you can't spray - use fingers!. NB Some plants can't take this soap so check the label. These type of products work by washing away the insects protective coating allowing the soap to break down the insects cell structure and kill them!

Long term, plant some Marigolds! These will attract Hoverflys which love them - their favourite food! The Hoverfly will then lay her eggs on the adjacent black fly colonies and the hatching larvae will decimate your blackfly! Once this process is set up you'll see a huge difference! NB Don't forget your Ladybirds too!

[pickledtink]

The drip system consists of a set of thin black tubing and some drippers, bought as a kit from a garden centre for about £11, i thought it was expensive at the time but it is set up from a water butt in the greenhouse and has given easy watering all through the summer fr tomatoes, peppers, chillies, salad, ooh lotsa stuff! I am going to try some kale I think for winter greens.. any recommendations as to best one?

I'd go for Cavola Nero. Tuscan black cabbage. It's delicious and very hardy. It's very fashionable in all the swanky London restaurants. I used to sell it in my shop and it was really popular. Packed with goodness too. reminds me actually I must get some seeds and get it in.

[foxybabe]

Hi folks, you all seem to know your gardening so hopefully you will be able to help. I would like to have a go at growing some veg but havent got anywhere in the garden to grow anything. Is it possible to grow veg in containers? If so, how big do they need to be and what compost would i need? Also what needs putting in and when? As you see I am a complete novice at this but would love to have a go. There are some allottments near us too but I think this would be a bit too much to take on. What do you guys think?

thanks in advance mandy

[Lord_Gardener]

{quote} pickledtink :)
Thanks,
Also got Geraniums & Lobelia and a few Lavender shurbs,
Just been mowing my beautiful lawns while weathers fine, been having a good look around my boarders my passion flowers got fruit on for thefirst time,got ever so giddy when i saw them,:D also got a few frogs hoppingaround.( what shoud I put in for some winter colour )any tips please!!!

For a quick splash of colour pop in some Winter Flowering Pansies and some Wallflowers - these will go on and on and on and .... Make sure to put in plenty of bulbs including Crocuses and Snowdrops!

[Pink-winged]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick reminder that Martin has asked us not to exchange things via MSE. Please see here (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1009342#post1009342) for more details.

On the Old Style board some members asked about seed exchange, the team said it was not permitted on the forum so some users set up a group not connected to MSE and as far as I know it has been successful. Here's the thread with more details: Could we have a Seed Exchange?? (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=209570)

Pink

[hazeyj]

Short term, if you don't what to go the insecticide spray route a good spray/flow of just water will remove many of them. For those which are more firmly attached use a good quality 'washing up liquid' such as Fairy - a blend of surfactants - at one teaspoon (5ml) per a couple of Litres of water. Spraying with the washing up liquid solution improves the wetting on the plants and as the surfactant has a greater affinity for the surface than the blackfly the latter will lose its grip and drop off! NB Solutions at this strength will not damage your plant and are very successful. The only soap I would recommend to use would be an insecticidal type - usually potassium based and designed for killing soft bodied insects such as aphids (black fly) - for areas where you can't spray - use fingers!. NB Some plants can't take this soap so check the label. These type of products work by washing away the insects protective coating allowing the soap to break down the insects cell structure and kill them!

Long term, plant some Marigolds! These will attract Hoverflys which love them - their favourite food! The Hoverfly will then lay her eggs on the adjacent black fly colonies and the hatching larvae will decimate your blackfly! Once this process is set up you'll see a huge difference! NB Don't forget your Ladybirds too!

Thank you very very much. Your all stars! Will try marigolds too.

[hazeyj]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick reminder that Martin has asked us not to exchange things via MSE. Please see here (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1009342#post1009342) for more details.

On the Old Style board some members asked about seed exchange, the team said it was not permitted on the forum so some users set up a group not connected to MSE and as far as I know it has been successful. Here's the thread with more details: Could we have a Seed Exchange?? (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=209570)

Pink

duly noted. ;)

[lalapalooza]

Jakes Gran - if you have peppers but noone likes them, and lots of tomatoes, what I do is cut the tomatoes in half drizzle with oil and pop in the oven on a baking tray for about an hour on gas 4/ elec 150. Then pop into blender when cooled with a couple of raw deseeded peppers and blend - fantastic pasta sauce! Freeze and when you need it, defrost, add chilli sauces or mushrooms or basil - whatever takes your fancy! They won't even know there eating peppers!

I got loads of tomatoes, peas came to nothing as the B52'ers (woodpidgeons) ate all the seed I think.... Peppers did well too.

[angelavdavis]

Sounds like you've done pretty well for a late start! have you got a compost heap/bin?
My own compost really makes a difference I must say. A spadefull of the old black magic always gets things moving as a top dressing and is great to get new sowings started in pots.
I love fish, blood and bone as a feed for any veg bed and it's excellent forked into the soil loosely before planting.

Shame about your shallots! What size containers were they in?

Yes we have four compost bins and a wormery - use the worm compost for seedlings and the rest for top-dressing the garden or potting up. It was the first thing I did, get the compost bins set up and the worms moved house with me(!) I also have a joanna recycling waste bin for cooked food disposal but don't tend to get too much compost out of that - its just handy as it stops the bins smelling from rotten food.

The problem with the shallots was that there was too little drainage in the trough I used which was a shame! Never mind, we live and learn eh!

[angelavdavis]

OH, Sorry angelavdavis (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/member.html?u=14131) to hear your hanging baskets have been a disaster,
mine have been fantastic this year, apart from Saturday when the wind sent them quite giddy, had to take them down overnight to give them a rest. they look lovley again today, I feed them every three days with tomato feed.
My grass was terrible a few weeks ago, never seen it looking so tatty and almost dead with all the sun and heat, We are on a water meter so I could not water it often, but I gave it a good rake all over and feed it with Asda's own brand of lawn food, and it now looks great, and really thick and lush and no weeds.
Rest of garden doing fine all my plants, most I did myself from seeds are still looking good, and I'm very proud of them still got, marigolds,buzy lizzies,
asters,bergonias,cornflower. taggetts, and 3ft long Surfina's.and lovley rudbeckias which will last untill the frost kills them, they are beautiful. :) all lovley rustic shades.

It all sounds great.

I planted up an annuals section in the garden - used a lovely variety of cosmos called seashells (see http://www.burpee.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=2399&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=9&iSubCat=25&iProductID=2399&iSubSubCat=25 - really pretty plus feathery foliage). I planted a scented arbour at the back of the border. I had some old sleepers in the garden which I laid into the soil, surrounded by gravel and then at the back of the annuals border I planted a scented arbour with sweet peas, clematis and roses - this did a lot better than I expected to be honest. I also planted 15 roses that I had been collecting over some time whenever they were on special offer (6 for £10 - that sort of thing). Most of these did really well too.

This was my first year of being able to plant up many of my plants - I moved quite a lot from my old garden and I am guessing they have been dying to stretch their roots into the soil so they have really taken off (my tree fern has produced 20 fronds this year - best ever!).

It has been so great to actually plant stuff now - I have spent the last 18 months landscaping - building patios, retaining walls, mostly on my own. If anyone is interested in my design - I have pictures up until April this year - see http://groups.msn.com/AngelasPhotographicEmporium/gardenproject2005.msnw.

Great to have a chat about gardening!!!

[angelavdavis]

Hi Foxybabe,

You can grow veg in containers. BBC Gardeners World did a feature Container Vegetable Garden this year (http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/tv_and_radio/gardeners_world/berryfields_containerveg.shtml). If you are quick, you can watch them harvesting the produce online before 8th September(http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/programmes/?id=gardeners_world). They grew veg in all sorts of containers - including dustbins and old olive oil cans, stacks of old tyres, even wellington boots!

Just make sure you don't make the same mistake as me and ensure you have adequate drainage holes(!)

[pickledtink]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick reminder that Martin has asked us not to exchange things via MSE. Please see here (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1009342#post1009342) for more details.

On the Old Style board some members asked about seed exchange, the team said it was not permitted on the forum so some users set up a group not connected to MSE and as far as I know it has been successful. Here's the thread with more details: Could we have a Seed Exchange?? (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=209570)

Pink

OK. Rules are rules. However most gardening forums have seed / plant swap so perhaps we could simply channel it through one of them.
Pity though. Personally I can't see why consenting adults can't share their seed needs and excesses on a message board without causing offence.

But what do I know? The corrupting influence of French breakfast Radish seeds on a vulnerable mind may indeed be the route to the dark side.
I never knew gardening could be so exciting! :rotfl:

[pickledtink]

It all sounds great.

I planted up an annuals section in the garden - used a lovely variety of cosmos called seashells (see http://www.burpee.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=2399&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=9&iSubCat=25&iProductID=2399&iSubSubCat=25 - really pretty plus feathery foliage). I planted a scented arbour at the back of the border. I had some old sleepers in the garden which I laid into the soil, surrounded by gravel and then at the back of the annuals border I planted a scented arbour with sweet peas, clematis and roses - this did a lot better than I expected to be honest. I also planted 15 roses that I had been collecting over some time whenever they were on special offer (6 for £10 - that sort of thing). Most of these did really well too.

This was my first year of being able to plant up many of my plants - I moved quite a lot from my old garden and I am guessing they have been dying to stretch their roots into the soil so they have really taken off (my tree fern has produced 20 fronds this year - best ever!).

It has been so great to actually plant stuff now - I have spent the last 18 months landscaping - building patios, retaining walls, mostly on my own. If anyone is interested in my design - I have pictures up until April this year - see http://groups.msn.com/AngelasPhotographicEmporium/gardenproject2005.msnw.

Great to have a chat about gardening!!!

Great project! I'd love to see some more when it's leafed out a bit. Pity our noses can't take an online stroll through that scented arbour. Sounds gorgeous.

[Benidormqueen]

It all sounds great.

I planted up an annuals section in the garden - used a lovely variety of cosmos called seashells (see http://www.burpee.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=2399&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=9&iSubCat=25&iProductID=2399&iSubSubCat=25 - really pretty plus feathery foliage). I planted a scented arbour at the back of the border. I had some old sleepers in the garden which I laid into the soil, surrounded by gravel and then at the back of the annuals border I planted a scented arbour with sweet peas, clematis and roses - this did a lot better than I expected to be honest. I also planted 15 roses that I had been collecting over some time whenever they were on special offer (6 for £10 - that sort of thing). Most of these did really well too.

This was my first year of being able to plant up many of my plants - I moved quite a lot from my old garden and I am guessing they have been dying to stretch their roots into the soil so they have really taken off (my tree fern has produced 20 fronds this year - best ever!).

It has been so great to actually plant stuff now - I have spent the last 18 months landscaping - building patios, retaining walls, mostly on my own. If anyone is interested in my design - I have pictures up until April this year - see http://groups.msn.com/AngelasPhotographicEmporium/gardenproject2005.msnw.

Great to have a chat about gardening!!!

Looking good,Don't forget to post more piccy's, done a great job there,
I looked at the Cosmos sea shells i'm going to get some for next spring. keep up the good work.:D

[angelavdavis]

Thanks everyone for the kind words. Its been hard but worth it! I will try to get some pics done this weekend of the arbour. We are laying slabs around the compost heaps and veg borders, so I will take some pics of that too for you all! Enjoy the fab weather this weekend everyone!!! x

[Benidormqueen]

Come on everybody, we all need gardening tips,
pass them on, or any advice what we should be doing in our gardens, to prepare for the Autumn,winter, etc,
Enjoy this fine weekend. :)

[Ciara111]

Hi all... I stumbled across this post in my thirst for gardening knowledge. I have quite a bare area of my garden that I would like to plant some flowers and shrubs but I have absolutely no idea what to get. I would like to have year round interest. The available space is approximately 1.5m X 1m. As you will see in the photo I have 2 plants growing in it at the moment... The runner/climbing plant has orange flowers at the moment but it is spreading out quite fast over the lawn.The white flowers are another plant.Can you pls give this newbie guidance?:confused:
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/1510/pictureyk6.jpg

[Lord_Gardener]

Hi Ciara111 - did you take your photo at night? It's very dark! Could you post another image. Think about types of plants you like and colours. Also, what aspect/ environment does your garden (bare patch) have - north/south/east/west facing and soil type/condition? Check out what your neighbours are growing - and are growing well - a good way to make friends! Post as much info as possible and I'm sure we'll be able to help!!

[bazz]

Hya. Can anyone help me with my apple tree, please?. We have had it for a number of years. This year it has had an unbelievable amount of apples on it. Only thing is they all tend to go black. Perfect shaped, huge apples. They have a blight type thing on them. (I`m not a brilliant gardener, so excuse my descriptions!!)
Start off with little black marks, and the marks get bigger. They go quite mouldy looking. The tree grows close to a conifer hedge. Wondering, is this a pest thing, or a plant disease? Do you think it can be sorted with something? I`m one of these ones. I hate chopping trees and plants down, if they can be rescued. Thanks:huh:

[Ciara111]

garden1 (http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/334/picture033pc8.jpg)
garden2 (http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/4771/picture034hw3.jpg)
garden3 (http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/5498/picture035lx4.jpg)
semi-det neighbour (http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/7372/picture036nz6.jpg)
semi-det2 (http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/1201/picture037qg7.jpg)
LG-
Direction:garden-south facing, bare patch-west facing
Soil Type:heavy, clay like, very hard, alkaline (i think as we have hard water)
Pests:snails, slugs, ants (summer)
Neighbour's gardens:smi det neigh see pic... Its a bit overgrown but its still lovely. Not many flowers, but some flowering plants. Other neigh's just have lawns. Have seen some busy lizzies... but that's about it.
What I would like: Something dramatic.. maybe a mass planting of 3 or 4 species that changes with the seasons??. Some greenery/shrubs. I like blues, purples and pinks. Unfortunately Im not to up on plant names/species, just the basics.I dont mind having to do some maintenance as I find it quite relaxing.
Type of plants I like:hydrangea, buxus, olive plant, dahlia, geraniums,lavender,rose,chrysantemum,peony,vebena, eucalyptus.

I think thats about as much as I know. Look forward to your advice

[Lord_Gardener]

Hya. Can anyone help me with my apple tree, please?. We have had it for a number of years. This year it has had an unbelievable amount of apples on it. Only thing is they all tend to go black. Perfect shaped, huge apples. They have a blight type thing on them. (I`m not a brilliant gardener, so excuse my descriptions!!)
Start off with little black marks, and the marks get bigger. They go quite mouldy looking. The tree grows close to a conifer hedge. Wondering, is this a pest thing, or a plant disease? Do you think it can be sorted with something? I`m one of these ones. I hate chopping trees and plants down, if they can be rescued. Thanks:huh:

It's difficult to tell from your description - sounds like a fungal infection, maybe brown spot? It's been a difficult and stressful year for trees with the drought conditions weakening them and causing increased numbers of infections. I suspect a good pruning will be in order this winter! Worth having a look at the RHS site to see if you can nail down the particular problem you are having with your apples:

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/index.asp

[bazz]

:hello: Thanks. I will check out that link you gave to me. We did prune it right back last year. I can take pics, if I`m allowed to post them.

[bazz]

:j Thanks Lord_gardener!! That`s my problem on the RHS site you suggested. That is exactly it. Bitter pit. Very pleased, it won`t have to be chopped down. Its not a disease.Look forward to lovely apples next year. Very interesting site. Will have a better look tomorrow.
Thanks X:T

[happy_miser]

Hi everyone from a complete novice, sorry to go right back to basics but what is the correct procedure for growing from seed?

I have a newly-established garden that was done for me with large shrubs and tree ferns etc., but I haven't grown anything from seed before.I was given some Herb Pot sets of Chive and Basil that come with soil and seeds packets, have managed to get them going on the window sill and the seedlings are about 2" high. The instructions that came with the pots were extremely basic to say the least, they didn't say how deep to sow them or anything - just "thin out and water". As they are so delicate I'm concerned about under/over-watering them, how I should water them, from the top or bottom and when/whether I should move them to a bigger pot with different soil. Basically I need to know what to do next please, as I don't want to lose them now at this crucial stage.:confused:

Any advice would be gratefully accepted.

[pickledtink]

Hi everyone from a complete novice, sorry to go right back to basics but what is the correct procedure for growing from seed?

I have a newly-established garden that was done for me with large shrubs and tree ferns etc., but I haven't grown anything from seed before.I was given some Herb Pot sets of Chive and Basil that come with soil and seeds packets, have managed to get them going on the window sill and the seedlings are about 2" high. The instructions that came with the pots were extremely basic to say the least, they didn't say how deep to sow them or anything - just "thin out and water". As they are so delicate I'm concerned about under/over-watering them, how I should water them, from the top or bottom and when/whether I should move them to a bigger pot with different soil. Basically I need to know what to do next please, as I don't want to lose them now at this crucial stage.:confused:

Any advice would be gratefully accepted.

It depends how densly you've sown them and how big the present pots are.
What diameter pot are they in and roughly how many seedlings do you have per pot? When the time comes to thin and repot or plant out make sure the soil is well watered and really damp. Much easier to prise them gently apart without damaging roots or snapping off stems.
Water to keep the soil moist but not sodden and Basil really likes sunlight. Chives do fine in semi shade.
Chives can be planted out in the garden as soon as they are a bit bigger and will die off with the frost but come up again year after year in the spring. Basil will eventually flower and produce seedheads. If they are outside you can let some go and the seeds will fall and may come up every year. To keep the plant producing useable leaves pinch out the flower heads as they form.

[bazz]

Hya. Sorry. on about my apple tree again. Its about 10yrs old. Can it be moved? Its at the side of the garden, not getting so much light. Have room for it in the middle of the garden. Would it be too settled where it is? Thanks:rotfl:

[happy_miser]

Thanks pickledtink. The pots are 13 cm diameter and I have 30 Basil 2" seedlings and 35 Chive, which seems to have put on a spurt and are now about 3" high albeit a bit spindly. Do I water from the top or bottom?

[angelavdavis]

Thought some of you might be interested in the latest pictures of my garden makeover. Page 2 shows the latest pics taken today. As you can see, lots has grown and some of the veg are doing really well.

The paving in front of the veg borders was completed today. Will have to wait to save up for the rest of the slabs to finish.

http://groups.msn.com/AngelasPhotographicEmporium/gardenproject2005.msnw?Page=2

Hope you all enjoyed your weekends.

[pickledtink]

Hya. Sorry. on about my apple tree again. Its about 10yrs old. Can it be moved? Its at the side of the garden, not getting so much light. Have room for it in the middle of the garden. Would it be too settled where it is? Thanks:rotfl:

You couldn't move it now. After 10 years the roots will be really deep and HUGE. Maybe train some branches towards a lighter area?

[pickledtink]

Thought some of you might be interested in the latest pictures of my garden makeover. Page 2 shows the latest pics taken today. As you can see, lots has grown and some of the veg are doing really well.

The paving in front of the veg borders was completed today. Will have to wait to save up for the rest of the slabs to finish.

http://groups.msn.com/AngelasPhotographicEmporium/gardenproject2005.msnw?Page=2

Hope you all enjoyed your weekends.

Couldn't view your pics Angela. Is there something wrong with the site?

[happy_miser]

Managed to see the photos OK just double-clicked on the icons and they opened up no problem.

Wow, that's some project you have going angeladavis, it looks amazing, thanks for sharing it with us.

The Asters in photo 04 (I think that's what they are?) look lovely are they easy to grow and can you grow them in big pots?

[angelavdavis]

Managed to see the photos OK just double-clicked on the icons and they opened up no problem.

Wow, that's some project you have going angeladavis, it looks amazing, thanks for sharing it with us.

The Asters in photo 04 (I think that's what they are?) look lovely are they easy to grow and can you grow them in big pots?

Thanks Happy_Miser!

They are called Cosmos. Really easy to grow - just sprinkle the seed on the earth where you want them to grow and rake over lightly. They are pretty - I sprinkled some Cosmos Seashells (double fluted petals) and then a pack of mixed Cosmos. They stand about 4-5 feet tall but are really pretty and can be cut to put in a vase.

I think the MSN website is a bit temperamental the last couple of days it has been slow getting into Hotmail and looks like the MSN Groups site is a bit sluggish too.

[bazz]

Thanks pickledtink!

[kiwichick]

I've got plenty of my own Winter Squash /Pumpkin seeds for next years sowing if anyone would like some? PM me if you want me to send you a few. Very healthy prolific producers. You get a mix of Butternut, Crown Prince, Harlequin and Gem. Seed catalogues charge about £3.00 for only 6 - 10 seeds! All delicious and the flowers are heavenly eating too. Such a prized expensive dish in French and Italian restaurants and we just can't eat them all we have so many. You can even eat the stalks so when you thin the leaves out you get vegetables before the fruit even appear!

GULP! Dare I admit that as a newbie to the veg garden I have just spent a fortune on seeds! The Butternut Squash were over £3 for 8 seeds!!!! I just hope they come to fruition!!!!

BTW, if any of you have advice on setting out your first veg plot please feel free to contribute to my thread asking for advice. I am a complete newbie but VERY keen and I want to get the bones of it sorted properly.

[pickledtink]

GULP! Dare I admit that as a newbie to the veg garden I have just spent a fortune on seeds! The Butternut Squash were over £3 for 8 seeds!!!! I just hope they come to fruition!!!!

BTW, if any of you have advice on setting out your first veg plot please feel free to contribute to my thread asking for advice. I am a complete newbie but VERY keen and I want to get the bones of it sorted properly.

Why not post it in here and we'll have a look?

[kiwichick]

Thanks for the replies on the other thread guys, as requested, please see a copy of my post below.

http://img.moneysavingexpert.com/icons/icon5.gif Novice Gardener - Veg Plot Help Please??
Hi All,

I have recently moved to a house with a 150ft, south facing, bare bones garden. Now, I have 3 young children so ornamentals I can do without for now but I would LOVE to grow my own veg for next year.

I have ordered loads of seeds so know what I want to grow I just dont know where to grow it.

The garden is narrow, about 22ft but long 150ft. It is south facing and has no large trees etc for shading. We sit on the top of a slight hill so the garden slopes down away from the house. Not a massive drop but enough to effect the water table I would think.

I am thinking raised beds are the way to go as when I dig past the topsoil I expose thick orangey clay. I dont know how to position them though. I think I need 4 beds for crop rotation but dont know whether its best to have them at the bottom of the garden of the top, best to run north/south or east/west??

I do have 2 compost bins. One being filled slowly, the other ready for when the 1st is full. They are located at the bottom of the garden as the sun seems to stay on this patch the longest and I thought it would help keep the temp in the bin high.

Any of you more experienced gardeners have any advice for me? It will be VERY much appreciated.

Thanks,
Allison.

[twink]

baz about the apple tree watch the hedge isnt going away with all the water and leaving your tree dry also the soil could be a bit acidic with the needles falling, best look for a site telling you about growing apples, maybe google it, are you feeding your tree, it needs sulphate of potash in the spring then i give mine a couple of feeds of blood, fish and bone fertiliser or any generel one loke growmore would do

[angelavdavis]

It sounds like a great site - south facing, plus a great size. Your four bed system sounds good as a starter. I have grown a real variety of veg in a heavy clay. Asparagus won't appreciate the clay so will need a raised bed if you intend to grow it. You might be faced with strangely shaped root veg and potatoes, but otherwise you shouldn't get too much trouble with most things.

Clay soils are usually fairly good quality to grow plants because they are made up of thousands of years worth of fossilised plant material and would have formed water bed for millions of years.

Add compost as much as possible - top dress before planting so the worms take the compost down into the subsoil and this will gradually change the structure of the soil over time but its not a fast process.

Ensure the beds are a maximum of five foot wide, with paths either side so you can access the beds without stepping on the bed. North - South are best. When you position them depends on whether you can face running down the garden in the rain to harvest the veg!

The beds would definitely benefit from double digging, but its a killer on heavy clay, although if done properly, you will only need to do it once and will benefit from it no end. You will need to do this in Autumn and cover the clay with polythene to stop the ground getting too water logged over winter and the winter rains compacting the soil again. In addition, the polythene will help the soil warm up for sowing in spring.

Get hold of as much rotted manure (or seaweed) as you can get your hands on, and find a man with big biceps to do the digging. Don't try to break the clay clumps up too much - let the nitrogen (manure/seaweed), frosts and worms do their best over winter. You can add lime to the clay to help break up the particles, although with children, personally I would steer clear. Lime will also affect the ph of the soil if used regularly. If you find you have drainage problems, you can incorporate gravel in when you double dig the beds. Instructions can be found on the RHS site - http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0105/double_digging.asp.

You can dig and rake yourself a tilth for sowing, but I prefer to put compost on top of the surface to create a seed bed at planting time (you might need to cover this to stop the cats using it as their litter tray!). If you want really good results, particularly for the first season, I suggest starting seeds off in modules and then planting them out when they have formed some roots.

Raised beds are an option if you really want a no-dig situation. I have them because I have huge tree roots crisscrossing the garden preventing digging. I have found though that as careful as I have tried to be, importing top soil can mean you end up with worse than you started with! You can always raise the beds slightly using the manure to add the additional height although this will rot down over time. RHS provides info on this too. http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1202/raised_beds.asp

The trick then is to not walk on the beds (at all if possible).

The bottom of the garden for the compost bins sounds the best idea as it is likely to be a bit of a frost pocket if the garden slops downwards.

Hope my advice helps. Good luck!

[pickledtink]

all I'd add to what Angela is saying is think carefully about what you want to grow. Firstly grow what you like to eat and don't go mad with the amounts or you'll end up with too much of just a few things taking all your space. It sounds obvious but so many people find themselves with a 100 swedes or something all ready at once and no variety. Choose veg which is fairly easy to grow and not too much of the ones which take forever. You could grow old waiting for your first parsnip.
Sow seeds but also think about buying some ready grown seedlings from online nurseries and boot sales.
Here's a link to a really useful guide to veg and when to sow or plant them out. Also sun or shade and how long they take to grow:
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/veg_planner.asp

You don't have much of this years growing season left but you could get everything ready for next year and sow a few quickies now,
Radishes, spinach, cut and come again salad leaves and some herbs. Also Kale and you could get some leeks in still. Sow cabbage for spring and garlic in October.

[kiwichick]

Thanks for the replies, VERY helpful. My intention is only to grow things that we eat. I have ordered seed for the following which at the time I thought a good idea but am now thinking maybe not!!!

cut and come again lettuce
cherry toms
butternut squash
broccoli
spring onions
radishes
carrots
capsicums
dwarf french beans
sweetcorn
peas
broad beans
strawberries
I think the best bet for me is to build the sidings of the beds and move the topsoil I have removed to make for the foundations of the garden shed into the beds. From what I have read it is best to leave it over winter to have the weather break down the clods rather than do it now. My compost is coming along nicely, thanks to the 2kg of tiger worms, so I ought to have a nice supply ready for planting out seedlings next year.

My intention over the next few days is to try and write up some sort of timeline for myself.ie.when to sow seed, plant out etc.

I live in bucks, but have only been here a couple of months so dont know the local climate too well. Is there any way to find out what effect the local climate will have on the general timeline of planting??

[pickledtink]

Thanks for the replies, VERY helpful. My intention is only to grow things that we eat. I have ordered seed for the following which at the time I thought a good idea but am now thinking maybe not!!!

cut and come again lettuce
cherry toms
butternut squash
broccoli
spring onions
radishes
carrots
capsicums
dwarf french beans
sweetcorn
peas
broad beans
strawberries
I think the best bet for me is to build the sidings of the beds and move the topsoil I have removed to make for the foundations of the garden shed into the beds. From what I have read it is best to leave it over winter to have the weather break down the clods rather than do it now. My compost is coming along nicely, thanks to the 2kg of tiger worms, so I ought to have a nice supply ready for planting out seedlings next year.

My intention over the next few days is to try and write up some sort of timeline for myself.ie.when to sow seed, plant out etc.

I live in bucks, but have only been here a couple of months so dont know the local climate too well. Is there any way to find out what effect the local climate will have on the general timeline of planting??



Where in Bucks? I can work out your frost dates if you like. Radish and cut and come lettuce you can sow now and get some results before the frost, Check back through the thread to Hazeys posts for some more ideas to do now. All your other seeds will be good to sow indoors around Feb/March then you can put them out about April depending on your frost dates.

[kiwichick]

We are in Leighton Buzzard. Weird how it varies within such small distances!

[pickledtink]

We are in Leighton Buzzard. Weird how it varies within such small distances!

Frost dates Mid October and early May. So you've got 4 weeks + plus for frost sensitive plants. Go for it!

[bazz]

Thanks Twink. It is very close to the conifer hedge. Touching it in fact. Poor little thing has never been fed. Regularly feed the conifers, and other plants. Poor little apple tree, has never had anything! I feel very guilty now. Wonder how it has grown as well as it has!
Thank again.:o

[Benidormqueen]

For a quick splash of colour pop in some Winter Flowering Pansies and some Wallflowers - these will go on and on and on and .... Make sure to put in plenty of bulbs including Crocuses and Snowdrops!

Thanks!
Got some crocuses bulbs, snow drops, also got wallflowers and viola's, its going to look good this winter for the first time..:D

[pickledtink]

It's also well worth getting some variagated shrubs with bright berries for Winter colour too. You get the added bonus of the flowers in Spring and Summer as well. Hebes and Skimmias are good.

[foxybabe]

Hi, I have got lots of begonias in pots. I put them in as bedding plants but someone told me they will come back next year. Is this true?

Cheers everyone

[angelavdavis]

Frost dates Mid October and early May. So you've got 4 weeks + plus for frost sensitive plants. Go for it!

Sorry have been off line these last few days on the road travelling.

As Pickledtink says, Kiwichick, I recommend concentrating of stuff you know you will eat, but also that can be a bit pricey. My particular favourite, or example, is mange tout or sugar snaps - they are easy as you like to grow, fast to crop, continues through the season (can stagger sowing, so I sow plants once the first lot have appeared in between the existing shoots) and yet so expensive in the shops.

I also suggest you treat yourself (or make if you are handy) to a couple of plastic cloches, that will extend your planting/harvesting season and you can just pop it over plants if the forecast suggests ground frost early-mid October. Also, if you get one with a frame, you can remove the plastic and instead drape with netting in summer to protect your salads from butterflies, etc.

[angelavdavis]

Hi, I have got lots of begonias in pots. I put them in as bedding plants but someone told me they will come back next year. Is this true?

Cheers everyone

Yes, if they are tuberous begonias (see http://www.letsgogardening.co.uk/Information/articles/Begonias.htm) and you are lucky. If you leave them over winter outside, they are subject to rotting or may be killed off by frost. You can bring them indoors or put them in a sheltered spot and take a chance.

However, personally I would lift the plants as soon as the first frost kills off the foliage and let them dry out somewhere inside (like a greenhouse or shed shelf), allowing the foliage to die off to prevent damaging the tubers.

Once dry, remove as much soil as possible, put in an old seed tray and dust with anti-fungal powder to prevent any rotting occurring over winter (if you're not organic). If you are organic, you can pack them in straw or very dry compost and hope for the best. Put them somewhere the mice won't get to them. Check them regularly over winter and remove any ones that start looking mouldy.

You can then pot them up in fresh soil in spring, or using the existing pot, start feeding and watering them, take cuttings from them when they appear and then have lovely plants from the existing tuber-plants plus the new plants you took from the cuttings!

[foxybabe]

ooh that sounds complecated!! When you say loft the plants after first frost, do you mean take them out of the pots? Would they be ok left in a garage over winter?

many thanks mandy

[pealy]

Hi. I have Ivy all over my garden, some growing up trees, some up walls, some along the ground etc. I try to rip it out when I see it but it's incredibly resiliant and this is a battle I don't think I'm going to win. I've nothing against Ivy but my feeling is that it will smother everyjting in its path if I let it.

Is there anything which will keep it at bay but doesn't harm the other plants?

[voodoozoe]

Hello!!! I am new on this thread but have been reading a while. ;)

I am just about to go out for a big gardening session (Monday is part of my weekend)...my aims are:
1) Sow my broad beans (certain types can be sown now)

2) Have a big tidy up

3) Lay bark chippings around my raised beds to tidy it all up and hopefully deter the cats from using as a deluxe toilet.

4) Give the compost heap a good mix.

5) And sow any other seeds I can get away with at this time of year!!!:D

[angelavdavis]

ooh that sounds complecated!! When you say loft the plants after first frost, do you mean take them out of the pots? Would they be ok left in a garage over winter?

many thanks mandy

Yes they would be fine in the garage, but keep the mice away!

Just water and feed them when you want them to spring back into life again!

[Lord_Gardener]

Hi. I have Ivy all over my garden, some growing up trees, some up walls, some along the ground etc. I try to rip it out when I see it but it's incredibly resiliant and this is a battle I don't think I'm going to win. I've nothing against Ivy but my feeling is that it will smother everyjting in its path if I let it.

Is there anything which will keep it at bay but doesn't harm the other plants?

Best technique to to dig/cut it out then remove seedlings as and when they appear. If you want to retain some Ivy put it in a pot to reduce spreading! NB Ivy is a difficult plant to treat with herbicides such as Glyphosphate due to its wax (glossy) covered leaves - crush them to help with penetration of herbicide.

[pickledtink]

Hi. I have Ivy all over my garden, some growing up trees, some up walls, some along the ground etc. I try to rip it out when I see it but it's incredibly resiliant and this is a battle I don't think I'm going to win. I've nothing against Ivy but my feeling is that it will smother everyjting in its path if I let it.

Is there anything which will keep it at bay but doesn't harm the other plants?
I've got quite a lot at the top of my garden. I don't really find it much of a problem. I just cut the runners back if they go too far which seems to do the trick.

[pickledtink]

Hello!!! I am new on this thread but have been reading a while. ;)

I am just about to go out for a big gardening session (Monday is part of my weekend)...my aims are:
1) Sow my broad beans (certain types can be sown now)

2) Have a big tidy up

3) Lay bark chippings around my raised beds to tidy it all up and hopefully deter the cats from using as a deluxe toilet.

4) Give the compost heap a good mix.

5) And sow any other seeds I can get away with at this time of year!!!:D

Hi there voodoo. What other veg do you reckon could be sown now then? Not that I've got any space left at the moment but I could do some in seed trays ready for when I clear some space later on.

[voodoozoe]

Hi there voodoo. What other veg do you reckon could be sown now then? Not that I've got any space left at the moment but I could do some in seed trays ready for when I clear some space later on.

I am no expert!!!! All my info comes from books, the internet and the GYO forum;) ...the impression that I get is that you can pretty much get away with anything if you keep it sheltered in a polytunnel or greenhouse. Unfortunately I have neither.

Definites are potatoes for Christmas (need shelter too against frost, have planted them in containers and intend to wrap in bubblewrap)and certain types of broad bean (Aquadulce, Super Aquadulce,Aquadulce Claudia, Futura RZ, Masterpiece and Supersimonia). If you look at this link, http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/Growing_Food/Things_to_do_on_the_plot_in_September/ , it is quite informative on the subject.

[pealy]

crush them to help with penetration of herbicide.

Good tip. thanks

.. don't really find it much of a problem. I just cut the runners back if they go too far which seems to do the trick.

Lucky you! My time in the garden is limited and my war on the Ivy has a great many fronts, it's difficult to keep a proper check on its progress.

[pickledtink]

Yes they would be fine in the garage, but keep the mice away!

Just water and feed them when you want them to spring back into life again!

Have to say I'm useless with Begonias.
Whenever I'm given one in a pot or something I feel instant horrified pre-guilt. I just know it;s not going to survive. :eek:

[lesleystrawson]

Some help if anyone has ideas please!

Hubby and I have a large area out in our garden where we want to build a wood store. There were over a dozen 1-2 metre high/wide bushes that we had to cut down to clear the space, but digging out the roots by hand will take literally weeks. They are not as broad as tree trunks, but the 'stumps' going into the ground are several inches across and quite deep.

I've looked at hiring a stump ginder for the weekend, but to be honest I'm not sure it's the right piece of equipment. Does anyone have any ideas as to what we need? The area is out the front of the property so access is not a problem.

Many thanks in advance
Lesley

[oldandhappy]

We have just had to clear an area in the Garden for yet another workshop....depends on the type of trees/shrubs whether you need to remove all the roots or not as some will just grow back but others will just die back...hopefully. We had some concrete laid over our clearance site so we did not want them growing through the concrete..they can for sure.. although it was hard work we done a lot of digging out of roots by watering around the area and letting it soak and soften the area before digging out and some wrenching back and forth with fork and spade(we have some real solid clay here). Have heard of people pouring various mixes onto roots to rot/destroy but obvioulsy that takes longer but little muscle power.
Just found this gardening thread and really enjoyed reading up on everybodies queries and responses. Just love anything to do with gardening and the wildlife side of life. Mrs H

[mikeywills]

Moved house in March and as yet have not put down any veg in new abode. Missed terribly the lovely rich manured veg plot I had before, but hopefully next year will come good.
I have inherited a large quantity of roses some 40 odd, which are not my strong point, they did not do great in the sun any tips to bring out the best in them next year, someone local suggested banana skin at their roots.
Grass however, has been great all summer, I left the blades high and only cut every two three weeks and its stayed lush all summer without any watering.
I refuse to water anything in the garden outside of my precious veg, as we are on a meter.
Over winter I will be sourcing some old oak barrels for water butts to make the best of our wet wales winters.

[pickledtink]

Moved house in March and as yet have not put down any veg in new abode. Missed terribly the lovely rich manured veg plot I had before, but hopefully next year will come good.
I have inherited a large quantity of roses some 40 odd, which are not my strong point, they did not do great in the sun any tips to bring out the best in them next year, someone local suggested banana skin at their roots.
Grass however, has been great all summer, I left the blades high and only cut every two three weeks and its stayed lush all summer without any watering.
I refuse to water anything in the garden outside of my precious veg, as we are on a meter.
Over winter I will be sourcing some old oak barrels for water butts to make the best of our wet wales winters.

I can vouch for the Banana skins for your Roses. They respond to a good hard prune back too. October would be best for that.
I reckon if you get your compost heap going and source some manure now you should have plenty to dig in come spring.
Lots of luck with your new garden!

[mikeywills]

Thanks Pickled tink,

have lots of compost already approx 4 metres cubed, so will be digging in over winter before we get to cloggy and before the frosts. Do you know what it is in the banana skins that is good for roses?

[Lord_Gardener]

It's the potassium (about 8% in bananas) one of the three major plant nutrients (others are nitrogen and phosphorous) required for good healthy plants. Autum is the time to apply high potassium feeds to increase plants stamina for the winter months!

[irnbru]

I'm paving over part of a garden for ease of maintenance. The excess soil has been used to make raised vegatable beds but I'm now left with quite a bit of heavy clay soil.

Can I add this to the compost heap in the hope of breaking it down to make it more managable i.e. less clumpy ?

[janem2]

Do they work? WE would like to use it for cuttings from our apple tree and some bramble ---I am assuming you can't use it for grass cuttings...

Thanks

Jane

[mikeywills]

I'm paving over part of a garden for ease of maintenance. The excess soil has been used to make raised vegatable beds but I'm now left with quite a bit of heavy clay soil.

Can I add this to the compost heap in the hope of breaking it down to make it more managable i.e. less clumpy ?

Clay as odd as it may seem is the best soil type for a veg garden, as out of the three(clay,silt,sand), it is the best for holding onto nutrients which are valuable for the veg. It is a good idea to add as much organic matter such as that from a compost heap, into the soil to improve its structure, as this is the downside to clay. Clay is made up of very fine particles that clog together well, by adding organic matter you are helping to separate these, the ideal goal is to get to a point where you can pick up a handful squeeze it in between your fingers and crumble it back into fine pieces again.

So in answer to your question yes you can add the clay into your compost, although I would not recommend it, better still set it aside. Let the compost do its work and add the compost into the soil when it is broken down well. The clay may restrict the processes within the compost heap from working effectively slowing down the time it takes to gat good compost.;)

[mikeywills]

Do they work? WE would like to use it for cuttings from our apple tree and some bramble ---I am assuming you can't use it for grass cuttings...

Thanks

Jane

Why not have a bonfire and put it on, or use an old bin and cut some holes into it to let air in. You can burn tree cuttings and the bramble, though I would give it some time to dry out first, the greenery can give off a lot of smoke.
The grass clippings are best going into your compost bin, they dont burn easily unless they are very dry.

[WestonDave]

Seems to be a wealth of advice here and I've no idea where else to ask other than getting a professional contractor out (which may have to happen anyway) so I wonder if anyone can help!

We've just moved into a new house, on a corner plot with hedges on the road boundaries. Firstly can anyone tell me what the actual hedges plants are. The leaves are very small - about 10mm long and about 5mm wide, bright green and shiny. At present spread through the bushes are a number of deep purple berries - one part that catches the sun has masses of them, other areas just have odd ones. Initially I thought privet but the leaves are much too small, box was another consideration but I didn't think they grew 6ft tall nor can I find any mention of berries on box.

Secondly the hedges are pretty tall 6ft plus and in places very thick - at one point I pushed a rake handle in underneath and the nearly the whole length disappeared before I hit the boundary wall. At one point a stretch of about 1.5 metres appears to have collapsed into the garden - there is a tree outside on the roadside at that point so maybe its weakened by the tree taking water and light.

We've lived nearby and originally the hedges were immaculate but the male owner died three years ago and although they have been trimmed they haven't had the same loving care. We don't want to lose them (although we may open up the front a little) so any advice on how to proceed - or should we just get a specialist in to tidy them up before maintaining them in future! Ideally we would like them reduced in height a bit and also thinned a bit as we really don't need a 4ft thick hedge!

Thanks in advance for any help.

[mikeywills]

Westondave

Post a picture and maybe we can help?

[WestonDave]

Thanks Mikey - sensible idea - will do but will probably be a week or so - still need to find the digital camera in the unpacking, and we won't go into the trials of my broadband connection on a family site!

[mikeywills]

Will wait with anticipated breath then!!!

[Eff]

This year I grew some Sunburst F1 Squash from Mr Fothergills Mini veg seeds for the first time. Took some while to come through and when they did I was a bit scared to pick them as I wasn't sure what to do with them! However ended up with about 8 fruits off 3 plants, I think I should have picked them younger and that might have encouraged more to come through. They look great like yellow flying saucers and have managed to roast larger ones cut in 8 with seeds removed and use smaller ones in stir-fry.
Can anyone else recommend any squashes to grow and how to use them?

[topgranny]

BTW, if any of you have advice on setting out your first veg plot please feel free to contribute to my thread asking for advice. I am a complete newbie but VERY keen and I want to get the bones of it sorted properly.

At our last house we had very poor soil and a steep slope on the patch we used for veg gardening, so we built some raised beds. We started by putting all the composting stuff in the base instead of the compost bins, along with torn up newspapers and anything else that will rot down, and covering with some top soil. We left all this over the winter and by the time we came to plant up our seedlings it had all rotted down and we grew great crops. We then only had to top them up with more compost from the regular bin to keep it all going.

I think raised beds are a great way to grow veg. We have moved to a much smaller house now but have an allotment which we really enjoy. We have broken it down to four plots and are thinking of putting moveable boxes, so that we can still rotate the beds, on one of the plots to grow small crops, rather than stringing them out in rows.

[Lord_Gardener]

Seems to be a wealth of advice here and I've no idea where else to ask other than getting a professional contractor out (which may have to happen anyway) so I wonder if anyone can help!

We've just moved into a new house, on a corner plot with hedges on the road boundaries. Firstly can anyone tell me what the actual hedges plants are. The leaves are very small - about 10mm long and about 5mm wide, bright green and shiny. At present spread through the bushes are a number of deep purple berries - one part that catches the sun has masses of them, other areas just have odd ones. Initially I thought privet but the leaves are much too small, box was another consideration but I didn't think they grew 6ft tall nor can I find any mention of berries on box.

Secondly the hedges are pretty tall 6ft plus and in places very thick - at one point I pushed a rake handle in underneath and the nearly the whole length disappeared before I hit the boundary wall. At one point a stretch of about 1.5 metres appears to have collapsed into the garden - there is a tree outside on the roadside at that point so maybe its weakened by the tree taking water and light.

We've lived nearby and originally the hedges were immaculate but the male owner died three years ago and although they have been trimmed they haven't had the same loving care. We don't want to lose them (although we may open up the front a little) so any advice on how to proceed - or should we just get a specialist in to tidy them up before maintaining them in future! Ideally we would like them reduced in height a bit and also thinned a bit as we really don't need a 4ft thick hedge!

Thanks in advance for any help.
I'd recommend that you get a specialist in to get your hedge back into good order - it'll save you alot of time and angst! Your specialist should be able to identify what your hedge is made up from - often a mix was used to give a more interesting backdrop to a garden. NB There's lots of dogwood berries (purple) around at the moment!

[angelavdavis]

Seems to be a wealth of advice here and I've no idea where else to ask other than getting a professional contractor out (which may have to happen anyway) so I wonder if anyone can help!

We've just moved into a new house, on a corner plot with hedges on the road boundaries. Firstly can anyone tell me what the actual hedges plants are. The leaves are very small - about 10mm long and about 5mm wide, bright green and shiny. At present spread through the bushes are a number of deep purple berries - one part that catches the sun has masses of them, other areas just have odd ones. Initially I thought privet but the leaves are much too small, box was another consideration but I didn't think they grew 6ft tall nor can I find any mention of berries on box.

Secondly the hedges are pretty tall 6ft plus and in places very thick - at one point I pushed a rake handle in underneath and the nearly the whole length disappeared before I hit the boundary wall. At one point a stretch of about 1.5 metres appears to have collapsed into the garden - there is a tree outside on the roadside at that point so maybe its weakened by the tree taking water and light.

We've lived nearby and originally the hedges were immaculate but the male owner died three years ago and although they have been trimmed they haven't had the same loving care. We don't want to lose them (although we may open up the front a little) so any advice on how to proceed - or should we just get a specialist in to tidy them up before maintaining them in future! Ideally we would like them reduced in height a bit and also thinned a bit as we really don't need a 4ft thick hedge!

Thanks in advance for any help.

At a guess without a pic, I would guess the hedge was privet.

As Lord_gardener says, I would recommend getting someone in to reshape the hedges if you are in doubt.

[angelavdavis]

Just a reminder to the Southerners on the Board to collect up your frost-intolerant herbs now before they all go black and either dry them to last over winter, or chop up and put in ice-trays.

I have just harvested the last of the basil and parsley and put into ice-trays to add to soups and sauces over winter.

[pickledtink]

Well until the pleading for a gardening board pays off maybe it's time to bump up our gardening thread.

My Chard and early Summer Broccolli are fading out to nothing but my winter planted Brassicas are doing fine and I noticed the Autumn planted garlic I shoved in between them has good healthy shoots a foot high.

The trouble is the mild weather has fooled my garden into thinking it's spring. The bulbs are well on their way and all shrubs budding with gay abandon.
I want to go out and scream " Get back! Get back! The nasty big white cold thing is coming and you will all die!!'

[pickledtink]

***bump***

[Nile]

Hmmmmmmm, this place needs a bit of a tidy up and I'll shortly be doing some weeding...........of threads like this one:D ............thanks to the MSE Team listening to the members request for a Gardening board.

Gardening board news! (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=3965103&postcount=67):j

Regards

Nile

[annie123]

Hope all you in the potting shed will be there.

Wasn't sure how my idea would go down, really pleased there are so many of us interested in it and so much support.

I will have to make more use of the suggestions board!!

It should make it much easier rather than looking accross several boards.

Happy gardening

[kiwichick]

Hi All,

I'm hoping you're superior knowledge is going to be able to lead me in the right direction here.

I am a novice veg grower, this will be my first year. I seem to have gotten a little carried away and spent around £25 on many many different seeds without yet having beds to grow them in :o.

I have a 150ft long by 21ft wide south facing rear garden. I was hoping to grow the veg near the end of the garden as hubbie thinks its a waste of space (IDIOT!!!!!!) and doesnt want to have to look at them all the time :mad:. We all know how silly he's going to feel in thte months to come when the £25 spent on seeds turns into hundreds of ££££ worth of lovely fresh veg :p.

I have erected a shed at the bottom of the garden and have 2 x 700 litre compost bins (thanks to the council subsidy) which I am now worried will shade my veg.

Can anyone give me some advice on where to place my beds? Do they need to run north/south or east/west?? I was planning on 4 so I can rotate crops properly. I dont know what a sensible size is?? Maybe 1.5mt x 3mt?? Is that too big???

Also, my soil is a heavy clay that the previous owners rotavated each year so Iam assuming there is a pan. I would like to have raised beds to counter this. What is the best thing to make the sidings out of and how high to they need to be?? I had thought of railerway sleepers and requested some on freecycle but then a friendly fellow freecycler emailed to tell me that they are awful as the creasote poisnons the veg - EEEKKK!!!!

Sorry for this long and rambling post,
Any help you can give is hugely appreciated (I want to wipe that smug smile of hubbies face by making a success out of this)!

xx
Allison.

[angelavdavis]

Hi All,

I have a 150ft long by 21ft wide south facing rear garden. I was hoping to grow the veg near the end of the garden as hubbie thinks its a waste of space (IDIOT!!!!!!) and doesnt want to have to look at them all the time :mad:. We all know how silly he's going to feel in thte months to come when the £25 spent on seeds turns into hundreds of ££££ worth of lovely fresh veg :p.

I have erected a shed at the bottom of the garden and have 2 x 700 litre compost bins (thanks to the council subsidy) which I am now worried will shade my veg.



You sounds like you have plenty of room for everything to me. Consider placing a trellis across the garden, leaving a 1 metre wide entrance in the middle (in line with the path between the raised beds so you can move easily between) so you have an entrance into the veg garden if hubby thinks its like to be an eyesore (which is nonsense but hey!) A cheaper alternative is to dig a long bed across the garden width (about 0.75m), leaving an undug piece in the centre so you can access the veg garden and then put up bean poles in wigwams and use to grow your runner beans along, so it acts as a barrier between veg area and the rest of the garden, but is functional and cheap too!

Can anyone give me some advice on where to place my beds? Do they need to run north/south or east/west?? I was planning on 4 so I can rotate crops properly. I dont know what a sensible size is?? Maybe 1.5mt x 3mt?? Is that too big???

Also, my soil is a heavy clay that the previous owners rotavated each year so Iam assuming there is a pan. I would like to have raised beds to counter this. What is the best thing to make the sidings out of and how high to they need to be?? I had thought of railerway sleepers and requested some on freecycle but then a friendly fellow freecycler emailed to tell me that they are awful as the creasote poisnons the veg - EEEKKK!!!!


As you are starting off, I would build 4 x 1.5m square beds and set them out into a small courtyard style (I have done this - view http://groups.msn.com/AngelasPhotographicEmporium/gardenproject2005.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1663 for more info). The main reason for suggesting this is that it looks good and the beds won't be too large - as a novice you don't want to take too much on and you can always build two more later if you need more growing area (of want to for example, have one bed for herbs only and one bed for strawberries and raspberries). You don't have to make them quite as high as mine - mine are like this because I have real problems with tree roots just below the surface so all the root area is in the raised beds. I recommend getting hold of some old floor boards as they are already pressure treated and you can then just paint them with wood preservative of your chosen colour. If you use water based wood preservative, it will be fine. Cut the floor boards to 1.5m lengths. You basically use four 1.5x1.5" wood posts to make the uprights that are positioned on each corner. Allow the wood posts to be 6 inches longer at one end than you intend to make the beds height and then cut these into a point. When the boards are screwed at the ends to each upright post, you can then hammer the 6 inch lengths into the ground to fix the beds down. This picture shows the construction of the beds (you can see the post positioned inside the bed at the corners, the slats are screwed into this.

http://groups.msn.com/AngelasPhotographicEmporium/gardenproject2005.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1667

If you are thinking of growing potatoes, I recommend you do this in a dustbin as they take up a lot of room and will mean you have a bed tied up just for them (whereas other plants mature faster so the bed can be used twice in a year at least). Drill lots of holes in the bottom 3 inches and fill with gravel/pebbles up to the 3 inch level then top with garden compost (soil goes too hard when it dries. Top up to a four inch level, place your seed potatoes on top and then top with two inches. As the potato leave grow, top up the soil level gently - just covering the leaves. Do this three times until the dustbin is two thirds full and then leave the plants until the foliage begins to die off, you can then tip out the bin and reveal the potatoes. Another member grows hers in car tyres but I haven't been as successful http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=338436

As far as filling the raised beds, the following site is a good guide:

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/todo_now/faqs.php?id=152

The other thing I would recommend, as you have splashed out this year on so many seeds, is to see if anyone on freecycle is willing to swap seeds/plants that you might have over for something else as the seeds are unlikely to keep for next year. Make a note this year of any veg that were particularly successful, and any that weren't so you don't make the same mistakes last year.

Sorry for this long and rambling post,
Any help you can give is hugely appreciated (I want to wipe that smug smile of hubbies face by making a success out of this)!

xx
Allison.

Hope that answers the questions - good luck!

[Nile]

Hello pickledtink

Time for a change of scene.............to the 'Greenfingered' board.:D

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1009335#post1009335)) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email abuse@moneysavingexpert.com (abuse@moneysavingexpert.com).


Regards

Nile