Gardening

[Tin basher]

Don't you just hate having to pay for compost???

Tried my local wyevale garden center 3 x 70 ltr sacks £10 (210ltrs).

Mrs TB when shopping tescos of all places found 50 ltrs for £2 nice size bags so no heavy lifting for us more mature gardeners. @ only £2 a pop its not bad. so for the same £10 250 ltrs.

 

[gemarriott]

Wilkinson's or Wilco's have loads of good gardening bargains especially their own brand feeds and fertilizers.

I like sweet million toms and always grow a couple of plants. this year's new variety to me is tigerella an early striped tomato. I'll grow 3 of those alongside shirley, Marmad and Big Zac beef tomato.

Cucumbers are sprinting along I am growing old favourite Carmen and new to me this year Christen.


Peppers doing well, I grow 2 or 3 varieties of chillies from plugs in my conservatory in 5 inch pots stood in saucers/ I only ever water the saucer and keep them fairly full, the plant takes what it wants through the holes in the bottom of the pot and I feed the pot twice a week with half strength tomato food.

 

[vim_fuego]

Gerdening/enviromental statement:

I had to cut my grass two days ago...It was 17C and I was cutting my grass when it's still officially winter FFS...

The nightmare of having a garden the size of Berkshire begins for yet another year...(It's a quarter so I didn't choose it nor can I gravel it before anyone chirps up).

 

[gemarriott]

There was a magic product that stopped grass growing but it was banned, now what was it called?


Something Orange I thinkDT_Xtremez_14:

 

[Tin basher]

Trying tomatoes again this year "moneymaker" going to use grow bags (Not the aircrew type) outdoors not brilliant results last year but hoping for better this time.

Peppers are off and running grown from seed. I gather the seeds from the peppers the Mrs buys off season cheers ASDA. Worked well last year and free seeds to boot.

Same story with chillies saved some seeds from last years crop.

Spuds growing in tubs once again plenty of good stuff in the bottom to start them off worked well last year.

Vim if this summer is as hot as predicted the grass will be a burnt brown mass not requiring the attentions of your mower.

 

[Jim_P_Pulfrew]

I am not now nor ever will be a gardener. If Mrs P would let me I would concrete the lot, but it keeps her happy and with RWC starting in Oct I am fast building smarty points.

Anyway, cats. I had a major problem with some of the fluffy vermin squirting Mrs P's conifer things, and also yowling all night. I offered full unadulterated violence in the form of snares and all manner of nasty, but Mrs P was not keen. I relayed this to an old mucker in the bar and he just said "Lion Sh!t". After he persuaded me not to knock his lights out. He explained. Far too boring, get the beers in!

With the warning of dire retribution fresh on my lips to matey boy if this was a wind up, I did indeed go to the nearby zoo and they readily sold me some lion sh!t. And feck me it worked!!!!! Something about cat psychology and scent (some geek will know and explain), but no more brown conifers and no more sleepless nights!

 

[gemarriott]

Gotta be wrth a try even if only for the nivelty value of having lion based manure next saeson when it's rotted.

On growing tomatoes out doors try growing them in large pots with big drainage holes in the bottom, mix a handful of Vitax Q4 into growbag compost per pot for the plants. Then cut holes in the growbag just large enough to stand the base of the pot in. so you end up with three pots full of growbag mixture + a handful of Q4 firmly standing in in large growbag, then stand a small plant pot or even better an empty pot noodle pot between the pot and split the bag so it fits snug and sinks into the compost. Then water through the potnoodle pots. this will cuse the water roots to grow out of the big pot into the growbag looking for water. Occasionally give each pot a bit of water to prevent it drying out/ when the first flowers form then feedtwice a week directly into the pot forthe feedng roots with tomorite or similar.

If as ou say yo are growing them outdoors try puting 3 4ft canes evenely spaced round the pot and sliding a tubemade from clear poly over the canes. atnight slide the tub down to the floor and during the day slidr it up the canes for ventilation. Take it off altogether mid June. Worked for me before I had the greenhouses.


Moneymke is an excellent variety for outside and so are gardeners delight cherry Toms.

 

[vim_fuego]

Vim if this summer is as hot as predicted the grass will be a burnt brown mass not requiring the attentions of your mower.

What prediction? Will this be another classic year for growing chilli peppers and sunning my adonis like body?

 

[Tin basher]

What prediction? Will this be another classic year for growing chilli peppers and sunning my adonis like body?

We have had the warmest January since 19canteen ditto Febuary even the jolly old BBC reckon it's going to be summer of record temperatures. The birds are nesting early, the rooks are building nests in the tops of trees not half way down. So it looks like another scorcher and ideal for growing your chillies and sunning your adonis like body. DT_Xtremez_14:

 

[grumpyoldb]

Be careful. There's snow coming on Sunday.
Watch the forecasts.

 

[BufferBird]

Gem, Plumber et al thanks for the info on carrot root flyDT_Xtremez_28: . As it seems the little beggers don't fly to well raised beds now constructed. They are only about 2 feet high but best I can do with what I've got and the enviromesh is on order. Thank you gents

Apparently according to the local ole swampies on my new allotment - they tend to know allsorts of strange stuff - you should sow dill or love-in-a-mist seeds with your carrots. Carrot fly hate them.

Loads more of all that sort of stuff if you want it!

 

[needsabiggerfuse]

For tomatoes plants of triffid like qualities (I heard of one that was grown horizontally for 40 feet) and more fruit than you can seriously give away, try Sungold (Thompson & Morgan). They are an orange, cherry type and have enough flavour to knock your socks off. F1 hybrids so be prepared to pay up to £3 for 25 seeds.

 

[gemarriott]

For tomatoes plants of triffid like qualities (I heard of one that was grown horizontally for 40 feet) and more fruit than you can seriously give away, try Sungold (Thompson & Morgan). They are an orange, cherry type and have enough flavour to knock your socks off. F1 hybrids so be prepared to pay up to £3 for 25 seeds.

They are magic I can vouch for that but need a bit of extra care for really big plants. I grew mine to just 6 trusses and thinned the trusses to get decent sized tomatoes. for flavour my favourite has to Vandoz another f1 and excellent for the show bench. Not that I show but the guy who taught me about garedening did and very successful too. I find if I follow his methods I get nice looking fruit and veg as well as nice tasting.

All my seeds are through now and will be into their first pots at the weekend.

 

[Tin basher]

All my seeds are through now and will be into their first pots at the weekend.

Some of my seeds have not germinated in fact bugger all is happening in some trays. radish doing well as are peppers and chilies, onions (from seed) okay under glass but sod all outside (sowed seed in two places as an experiment). Toms yet to appear out of the compost. But carrots doing great in raised beds with a glass top just hope the predicted cold snap for the next few days doesn't ruin them ditto my spuds. Chives from seed nowt yet. First year of serious veg growing so lots of upcokcs to overcome I suppose. DT_Xtremez_35:

 

[gemarriott]

Some of my seeds have not germinated in fact bugger all is happening in some trays. radish doing well as are peppers and chilies, onions (from seed) okay under glass but sod all outside (sowed seed in two places as an experiment). Toms yet to appear out of the compost. But carrots doing great in raised beds with a glass top just hope the predicted cold snap for the next few days doesn't ruin them ditto my spuds. Chives from seed nowt yet. First year of serious veg growing so lots of upcokcs to overcome I suppose. DT_Xtremez_35:

#

your spuds needsome cover if they arepoking their heads through, just earth over thm or cover them in fleece. Carrotsshould be ok but ome fleece wouldhelp. Time yet for the other seeds to germinate, I have a heated propasgator and that helps/ My greenhous bench has under bench heating to.

Stick at it.DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[Tin basher]

#

your spuds needsome cover if they are poking their heads through. Carrots should be ok but some fleece would help. Time yet for the other seeds to germinate,Stick at it.DT_Xtremez_30:

Gem will definately stick at it remember rehab is for quitters. Spuds should be okay not poking through yet. Carrot raised bed has a glass lid so should keep the heat in okay and stop the cold wind and stuff ruining them fingers crossed.DT_Xtremez_28:

 

[jock barefit]

Help needed

Help needed

Hi,

currently changing my garden from a building site/scrapyard into hopefully nice green grass, problem is its really really stoney, taking me hours to sieve out the stones by hand and some grass I planted last year is looking well pretty crappy really, any suggestions on anything I can hire/buy to help seperate stones and what kind of fertiliser for grass?

 

[Tin basher]

Hi, currently changing my garden from a building site/scrapyard into hopefully nice green grass, problem is its really really stoney, taking me hours to sieve out the stones by hand and some grass I planted last year is looking well pretty crappy really, any suggestions on anything I can hire/buy to help seperate stones and what kind of fertiliser for grass?

Don't know where you are geographically but if the ground is naturally stoney then it will be very difficult if not impossible to remove them all on the plus side it should drain well. If the stones are the remnants of building work them unless someone knows better the only way is sweat and effort. You could make a griddle from some chicken wire nailed to a frame and shake the stones out but again its hard work.
Is the site in shade for long periods? Grass does not like growing in lots and lots of shade also if it does not drain well then the waterlogging will promote more moss than grass. From the feeding side any of the standard "green up" type products will boost nitrogen content and produce a greener effect in short order. However this will feed everything including weeds. For a better effect try "feed and weed" this will kill off both weeds and moss and at the same time feed the grass it does leave everything looking a bit patchy for a while so just re-seed the poorest areas. ASDA smart price grass seed is very good and a damn sight cheaper than the garden center stuff. Hope this helps

 

[jock barefit]

Thanks for the advice TB.

The ground here is naturally very stoney. Been hand sieving it in a small section of the garden, looks good but takes ages. Part of the garden had gravel in it which has sunk into the ground which is not helping the problem. Noticed Machine Mart have an electric rotary sieve but its £300, not sure whether I can justify the purchase or not. They also have a smaller hand powered one for £30, which might help. Either method is still going to take ages. The grass is in sunlight most of the time, the only bit of it that looks good is near a drain which leaks a bit, so its getting watered and some of the nutrients from the bathroom! will try water, weed and feed etc.

 

[Tin basher]

Thanks for the advice TB.

The ground here is naturally very stoney. Been hand sieving it in a small section of the garden, looks good but takes ages. Part of the garden had gravel in it which has sunk into the ground which is not helping the problem. Noticed Machine Mart have an electric rotary sieve but its £300, not sure whether I can justify the purchase or not. They also have a smaller hand powered one for £30, which might help. Either method is still going to take ages. The grass is in sunlight most of the time, the only bit of it that looks good is near a drain which leaks a bit, so its getting watered and some of the nutrients from the bathroom! will try water, weed and feed etc.

Any of your local hire shops got one you can rent for a weekend could be a cheaper option. If you are going to start from scratch whilst seed is far cheaper the results take longer to acheive. Rolls of turf would work if the worst of the stones were removed first then raked level and give a usable lawn in a much shorter time but is more expensive.