Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Well id say, see when it flowers - but with all the weird weather that may not work.
Would asking the neighbour what the name of the tree is work?
Plant identification app - but I think you need flowers to be accurate. The fruit might work.
Any apple days coming to villages near you in October? They often have a person who identifies but you need to sneak an apple or two.
Or a propper garden centre...nursery.

Of course you can always post a photo here. We could have a guess :-)

And why have I got a thumbs down tab in my post?

Dustyevsky

Reading along and I'll try to post a photo later, but rather limited by what I think is another kidney stone ATM. Sadly, our apple cider vinegar is so old, it's only used for the chickens , but we do have a ton of paracetamol and a good stock of lemons and limes. Mrs Dusty was going to the town 12 miles south to get compost and fresh ACV, but with Armageddon forecast, and the propensity for trees to fall down here in summer storms, we've decided  to give that a miss!

We had a full scale bat survey here last night. Two chaps with video cameras and sensor things stayed until 23.00, leaving the sensors in place for the rest of the night. They thought they'd identified 3 species, but at that point had no proof there's a bat roost in the barn. I think it's just where they go to eat the larger moths they catch. Regardless, as it's not a major roosting location ( a neighbour's loft 100m away is) mitigation, with a bat box or two nearby, will be the most likely outcome.

ArbitraryRandom

twopenny said:

Well id say, see when it flowers - but with all the weird weather that may not work.
Would asking the neighbour what the name of the tree is work?
Plant identification app - but I think you need flowers to be accurate. The fruit might work.
Any apple days coming to villages near you in October? They often have a person who identifies but you need to sneak an apple or two.
Or a propper garden centre...nursery.

Of course you can always post a photo here. We could have a guess :-)

And why have I got a thumbs down tab in my post?

Thanks both. Not the end of the world, but I was hoping to plant some trees this winter. I've got a space earmarked in the front for a Laura, and if this can pollinate instead then I'd move the random rose there iyswim?

Unfortunately he rents from a housing association and only recently moved in. I've been here a couple of years and this is actually the first time I've noticed it fruiting (the overgrown hedge completely blocked what is a fairly short tree). A while back, after some strong winds, I mentioned a random apple in the middle of my garden - and I'm fairly sure that's where it came from. The one in my garden was 70% red, but going out now they look more half and half?

As for ID from a picture, that would be amazing - and I don't doubt the collective knowledge and experience on this forum but... these are the best pics I can take. 



Hope you feel better soon dusty! Obviously need to cut down on all that fast food

twopenny

Aww Dusty, that's not great  someone must have some good cider vinegar out there in the sticks.

Abs, the shape and colour of the apples says to me Bramley. Decent ones too. Defo an apple and not crab apple. Maybe the winds will bring some your way to try  and not the hooked stick you are seen with 

Wind has got up a bit while I've been posting. 

Small standard lavenders in Tesco. They are good dooers but the size not really here nor there and £14!

YoungBlueEyes

Gawd Dusty, I hope you get that sorted soon 😣 

£14?! For a lavender?! What breed of a plant is it that they can charge all that for them? 

(Saying that, please everyone rush out and buy a few cos I don’t want my share price going south ha haa!) 

RAS

Hi Arbitrary, the reason crabs are so good as pollinators is because they flower over a long period. And I don't think next door's tree is a crab. Looks more like an elderly domestus in need of a good sort out. If it's also been massively overshaded it's unlikely to have produced much flower, and might also be less likely to be pollinated in a wet spring.

You were taking about planting Discovery and Grenadier? Both these are C flowering, neither are triploid, so would pollinate or be pollinated by any B,C or D flowering apple tree which isn't triploid. You shouldn't need any other pollinator with those two and next door's tree has a good chance of setting more fruit.

ArbitraryRandom

RAS said:

Hi Arbitrary, the reason crabs are so good as pollinators is because they flower over a long period. And I don't think next door's tree is a crab. Looks more like an elderly domestus in need of a good sort out. If it's also been massively overshaded it's unlikely to have produced much flower, and might also be less likely to be pollinated in a wet spring.

You were taking about planting Discovery and Grenadier? Both these are C flowering, neither are triploid, so would pollinate or be pollinated by any B,C or D flowering apple tree which isn't triploid. You shouldn't need any other pollinator with those two and next door's tree has a good chance of setting more fruit.

Thanks

A few people have suggested that I was wanting too many trees (and, in fairness...) so I'm still planning an apple tree in the back, but was/am going to put a laura in the front (there's enough space but then that's about it for big things out front). 

I'm now thinking I might go for one tree in the back this winter (haven't decided between discovery, grenadier or limelight), and see how it does.  

YoungBlueEyes

Lovely clear bright morning here. Still nothing in the sunset or sunrise department, but there's a good dry NW breeze - it does properly feel like Autumn They reckon there's a very warm spell coming mid-week, and if that's true it'll throw me right off! 

I don't see a thumbs down 2p, whereabouts is yours? 

Dustyevsky

Morning. I still feel poo, but the good news is I don't think I have wot I thought I had! Anyway, it's relieving me of the tough jobs and I'm on light duties for a day or two, so mustn't complain.

Yesterday's 'danger to life and limb' was another damp squib here, though a Sainsbury's carrier bag appeared from nowhere and lodged in the hedge. Even the plum tree which I reluctantly pruned a month ago stayed intact, despite Mrs Dusty's dire predictions. I've stayed quiet about it  in deference to Farway's sensitivities on the subject, but we have an excellent crop coming, despite it being the only mature plum tree here now. There's two more in pots, ready to go in during autumn. We also have a dozen or so red pears, but they've months to go yet.

I noted that Blue Eyes liked the persicaria I posted the other day, but I wasn't sure if she understood just how large it gets or how 'coarse' the foliage is, so here's a closer shot:

I put this one in 'difficult' places, not the main garden. However, there are many  modestly-sized persicarias to choose from too, such as 'Pink Elephant' (I've no photo of that) or this one for ground cover:

This is Persicaria affinis 'Darjeeling Red,' and although it reverts to a network of stems and dead leaves in winter, it's reasonably quick into growth and forms a carpet around 30cm high. P. 'Donald Lowndes' is similar, and a bit smaller.

twopenny

Weird Bluey, there was a blue box with a minus and thumbs down on the right of my post. But i find these emojies very trying.
You click on laugh and up comes disappointed. Difficult enough on the net when you can come across wrong  because you can't hear or see the other person.

So yesterday, it was windy but nothing exceptional. I like being out in the wind if it's warm.

So, todays news, seems I have raspberry beetle so it's not the weather thats ruined them. My instinct to cut out the fruiting stems. The autumn ones behind should be ok.
I also have codling moth in the apples. Must have flown up from down the road - and I'd been so careful not to import infected apples from my roadside gatherings.

On the up side I now have 4 ripening tomatoes! Yes 4 
And the rain has made every other self seeded tomato plant grow at a rate of knots. So the garden is a bit messy but I'm going to leave it and see wwhat happens. With toms still at £1,80 it's worth a try.

Spent yesterday clearing out and cleaning the garage. Sorting seeds and bulbs and labeling them. 
I think I'm more than ok for next year. 
Had podcasts on for Gardeners Question Time back to back. I'd forgotten how good that program was.
So same for today. Hope to make as much progress.
 
Weather blue skies and black clouds, some wind. Glad it's not as perfect as they said or I wouldn't get anything done.
May go for a drive and get some seed pods for perennial sweet pea that are growing by the roadside.
I'm a sucker for garden flowers in the house and these ffill the mid summer gap.