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Wanting to clear land for planting
Hi And thanks for reading.Have an acre of land which is totally overgrown with weeds, grasses etc and want to clear it in the hope of growing my own stuff and becoming more self sufficient.Can you advise on anything which will quickly clear the land, down to the roots, something i can spray on or apply with a watering can,…
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Top Soil & Soil Conditioner
I'm in the process of removing 3 conifer stumps, 1 down to to go, in their place i want to plant some shrubs, flowers etc. Just along from this section of the border i removed 2 stumps last year and the stuff i planted has come pretty well this year. About 6 - 8 inches down i came across what seems to be old slag type…
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Thousands of tiny flies in lawn
After cutting the lawn this afternoon - I noticed thousands of tiny green/white flies in the grassWhat are they, are they causing any harm to the grass and how do I get rid of them ?
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Two stroke oil vs engine oil
I have tried to use a mixture of engine oil and petrol(40/1) in a Qualcast strimmer. It started up for a few seconds then went off. This is not uncommon.I will give it another pull shortly. Having said that, I am thinking that I will need to mix some more solution, using two stroke oil.Your thoughts please.
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Money Moral Dilemma: Should I return the refund I got for 'dead' plants I revived?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... I ordered plants online from a small company during lockdown and they arrived two weeks late looking almost dead, so I asked for a refund and got it. I put the plants in the garden anyway, in the hope I might revive them - and now they're thriving. Should I contact the…
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Slug pellets outside my home.
Hi all just need a little bit of advice. My neighbour has only in the past couple of days decided to put blue what I presume slug pellets on the public pavement outside my house I think it's him as he's put it on his path too. Having done a little research I've noticed they are banned as they're bad for wildlife along with…
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Will deep mulch cause rot?
I hate weeds and more so I hate weeding. I Have pulled up the black plastic sheeting this summer, after 2 years, to reveal a beautiful blank canvas all those dandy-lions are completely gone in what was supposed to be a lawn. Not using it for a new lawn but are planting it up with whatever we can find, lavender, rosemary,…
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Recommendations for Fast Growing Plant
I have a large(ish) apple tree at the far end of my garden. When we moved into the property last year, the garden was bordered with trees which had either died or had become unwieldly, so we removed all of the dead/dangerous ones which left this apple tree. Now, it does look pretty in the spring with the lovely blossoms…
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Eco balls
We have purchased these for the first time. I have done four washes so far. First three washes were clean and washed well. The fourth wash had my cycling gear which was plastered up the back in mud and very sweaty. I was really pleased and surprised at how clean the wash cam out. Be interesting to see how long the balls…
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Ideas for back yard / potted climbers
Before I go looking for a dedicated gardening forum (any recommendations welcome), I thought it would be good to give MSE a try, especially as I'm hoping to limit my budget. Inspired by some photos I saw on a local Facebook page, I've decided to try and re-work my small, east facing back yard. It's completely flagged, so…
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Alternative Weedkiller
Any suggestions for making an acid based weedkiller? I found One-shot drain cleaner worked well but it melted the spray bottle I was using to apply it. Perhaps too strong, any weaker but effective acids that might do the job?
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Beginner seeking help with fuchsia
Real beginner here. I’ve just bought and planted some hardy fuchsia riccartonii. I know they need regular watering. Should I be pinching out? Some of the branches are trailing near the ground, should I cut them back? Should I tie up one of the branches to encourage some height?
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Blackberry harvest
How are everyone's blackberry harvests going? I live in east england and it was exceptionally dry in spring. I kept up watering my mature blackberry (approx 12 years) but there wasn't as much new growth as I usually get. Usually I take all the dead leaves and wood out late winter and it goes from bare bones to an explosion…
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Plant ID...
... but without a photo! Sorry but I didn't have any means to take one at the time. This was in a town display trough among lots of flowering annuals and presumably intended to add height and interest. Looked for all the world like a junior version of Greater Reed Mace, complete with the brown poker-like seed heads. Also…
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Plant identification
HiAny idea what this climber is?Saw it growing only 2 months ago.Many thanks
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Pruning Silver Birch and Bay Leaf Tree
HI I looking to see how much it would cost to have a silver birch and a bay leaf tree trimmed and shaped. I liver in Bedford and looking for quotes
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What is wrong with my roses?
Can anyone please tell me what is wrong with my roses? As the new foliage comes through there is a distinct lack of chlorophyll. The leaves are blotchy and pale yellow , some are patchy red. They are not burned by chemical overspray/ drift nor watered in bright sunlight so I think the problem is systemic and not a…
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Pruning a Hebe
Experience has taught me that you can't beat other people's experience when it comes to pruning. I live in Fife and my Hebe has become a bit overgrown due to not pruning it last year, how far back can I cut it this year so that it will still come again next year? I am worried that if I take it back too far I will not get…
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Geum
I am at last starting to get the alkanet under control. The garden is now being colonised by what the plant identifier app says is geum macrophyllum, but which I suspect is native wood avens. Either way there is a fair bit of it. Invasive and worrying or nothing to bother about?
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Aronia berries
Can't figure out the reason for the fact that my aronia bush produced loads of berries last year and literally every single one vanished just as they got ripe and I couldnt get any for myself to eat. This year - same bush/same garden - and loads of berries again and they're ripe again - and literally not one single one…
