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The Potting Shed - July
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Message 1.Â
Posted by David K (U14115317) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Morning all, welcome to July’s Potting Shed.
The art of good gardening (which I never seemed to master) is to avoid a glut of one thing and a dearth at others. Having said that, by sticking to a successional sowing plan of such things as lettuce, radish, spring onions, beetroot and so on, I do pretty well have such stuff available between May & the arrival of the first frosts.
…â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦â¶Ä¦.
Lilo – You can plant-up those lilies now into pots or the open ground; they’ll not be affected by frost. Alternatively, you can store them in bags of damp peat.
Halftidy – Sorry I didn’t get back to you yesterday, I spent a lovely day touring Wales.
Re boiling/steaming home grown potatoes. Myself (being old fashioned) I boil them with a sprig of mint added and have always considered them mouth wateringly perfect. Having said that, I have tasted them steamed by my ‘modern miss’ daughter and have to admit they were pretty good too.
Thanks for the news about your sweet peas….I have to admit, I do feel rather pleased that mission was accomplished.
I’m not surprised Jenny (Eagle) took time out to write to you; both she and her husband Derek are really nice people.
I’m kinda up to my neck with them myself at the mo. I take a bunch for the waitresses where I eat several times a week..they absolutely love them!
Enjoy your gardens. -
Message 2
Posted by Leaping Badger (U3587940) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Morning, David. I haven't really mastered the art of successional sowing yet; partly because of lack of space (I planted some carrots and beetroot early, planned to plant some a bit later, but then the pot I was going to plant them in got used for something else) and lack of organisation/forgetfulness, or sometimes just not feeling up to doing any gardening. However this year I do have some salad starting to come up now as the previous batch is starting to wane, and peas are coming up in the same pot in which I'm currently harvesting the previous batch. So there's a bit of it going on.
Hope all's well with you, and everyone else in the potting shed. Cuppa?
'Ö' -
Message 3
Posted by halftidy (U8567554) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Hope Wales was fun!
Successional - sowing I am so bad at this, lack of space, time, commmitment etc - all excuses, but I am being good on the lettuce front - is it too late to sow more beetroot/parsnips/carrots do you think? I do have one bed that is now available (goodbye psb) and could do some more whilst listening to Wimbledon.
Picking blackcurrants, redcurrants, new pots (thanks for response), lettuces, tumbling tomatoes, and on Sunday will pick every available sweet pea as during my early morning visit today to the local Cottage Hospital the nurses said could they have them for other patients too - I have had to Provado them as those naughty little black beetles have appeared - grrr. Happy gardening one and all, it looks here as if we might get some rain. -
Message 4
Posted by Lilo (U12007400) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
You can plant-up those lilies now into pots or the open ground; they’ll not be affected by frost. Alternatively, you can store them in bags of damp peat.Â
Thank you David. I was going to store them until next year in a dry place. Putting them in the ground now would be more convenient. I thought they'd be frost susceptible. -
Message 5
Posted by Leaping Badger (U3587940) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Halftidy, I'm pretty sure you can just about fit in another sowing of beetroot and carrots now, although you might need to choose varieties that can be pulled up just before the frosts come and stored for the winter. I don't think parsnips sown now will grow in time for winter harvest.
How about some late peas and green beans? Sow some Kelvedon Wonder peas or similar, and some French beans, you should be able to squeeze in a harvest in the second half of September.
I think I'd go for carrots, beetroot and peas and beans, myself.
(Checked sowing times in Hessayon's veg book.)
'Ö' -
Message 6
Posted by David K (U14115317) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Halftidy - Those pollen beetles are around my sweet peas too.
Not sure if you know (or even if I've mentioned it before) but they have only been a nuisance to sweet peas in recent years.
Their natural host plant is oilseed rape. Unfortunately when the crop has been harvested, they look for pastures new and the poor old sweet pea is their preferred choice.
Incidentally, if yours were sprayed prior to the wedding, they should still be free of them. -
Message 7
Posted by David K (U14115317) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
I agree, Leaps. The only thing that HT mentions that successional sowing isn't appropriate is parsnip. They are usually sown just the once and in sufficient quantities to last through the winter...in fact they can be left in the ground throughout the winter & lifted as required.
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Message 8
Posted by dens canis (U1983532) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
This year the successional sowing has been a matter of keeping the wretched pigeons supplied with nice juicy seedlings! Grr. And this is despite festooning everything with netting. I think I need to be more patient when building the protection as sometimes the net has sagged and the birds can just jump on it.
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Message 9
Posted by David K (U14115317) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
I'm very sorry to hear this, Dens. I haven't heard of any reason why, but in recent years wood pigeons especially have reached epidemic proportions in the urban environment.
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Message 10
Posted by dens canis (U1983532) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Round here I think it's because they're so well nourished from my garden. They've also discovered how to rob the bird feeders. They have to do lots of wild flapping to keep their balance and then tend to fall off backwards, which is quite funny, but I could really do with fewer of them.
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Message 11
Posted by halftidy (U8567554) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
pigeon egg omelettes?
I do have some probs with them but nothing my sturdy 20 bore can't handle (I exaggerate but pigeon breasts do feature pretty regularly on the supper menu) I think they are worse where there are trees and perching places from where they can launch their attacks. My brassicas are in my home made netted cage or I simply would not have any.
I did spray as promised but the beetles have appeared in the last 24 hrs so I have resprayed this morning. I had no idea of the link with rapeseed - makes sense. My agapanthus are showing signs of flowering for the first time - so exciting - they are very pot bound but I think that is what they like??
Moles are reappearing - or one has anyway. -
Message 12
Posted by David K (U14115317) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Moles are reappearing - or one has anyway.Â
Did you see the press coverage of a couple of weeks ago??...Nah, you were busy.
Apparently the mole population is spiralling out of control..in fact, 1 of them to every 2 of us. 40 million is the guesstimate. -
Message 13
Posted by chicken_hot_pot (U8480346) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Can anyone ID this flower for me please?
I took the photos on Tuesday and the flower was in full bloom. Went out into the garden at lunch time with the intention of trying my macro skills a bit more. Sadly the flower had completely wilted.
I presumed that it was just the heat of the sun, but it hasn't picked up since. There were about 3 or 4 others in another place, but the same thing has happened to them.
What flower does that, or is it just the heat?
Have asked on one of the photo threads and was pointed in your direction.
Cheers,
c_h_p. -
Message 14
Posted by SussexCornflower InTheFinalCountdown (U13833966) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Hello !
Just getting this into My Discussions".
See you later ........... -
Message 15
Posted by halftidy (U8567554) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
bindweed??????
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Message 16
Posted by Leaping Badger (U3587940) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Hello, chp. That looks a bit like bindweed to me. Pretty flowers, but not something you want anywhere near your garden as it will totally take over. Is it a trailing plant, with the thin stems wrapped around other plant stems? If so, I'd suggest getting it out asap. But wait for ID from other people, as I'm not that hot on garden flowers and it might be something exotic I don't know.
Hey, David, 463 messages in June. Not bad, eh?
'Ö' -
Message 17
Posted by chicken_hot_pot (U8480346) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Hi Leaping Badger,
That's what was thought over on the photo thread and thanks to halftidy too.
The garden is a shared one with our neighbours. I've tried planting out herbs and a few flowers. Sadly when the one who strims the weeds (can't call it grass), he also did so to all my herbs. The mint has started to re-grow this year, so had better get and there and save it. Their children (delightful pair - cough cough and I love kids) pulled the flower heads off my hydrangea and killed it.
Anything that resembles a flower is an added bonus to the green wilderness. If the kids pull them up I won't worry too much other than I find it unacceptable that they are allowed to.
Thanks, I also wait until someone comes along and tells me if it's normal for them to sort of wilt and will they come back to life. Or have a managed to capture a once in a million photo. -
Message 18
Posted by Leaping Badger (U3587940) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
About the wilting, if the leaves are still strong and healthy, I'd imagine it's simply the end of the flower - it's probably been pollinated so the flower shrivels and dies and the seed pod will start to form. I don't know how long bindweed flowers last, but some flowers last only a day before they shrivel. It's just the natural pattern.
If the leaves have also shrivelled, then it'll be something different - lack of water or a pesticide, possibly.
'Ö -
Message 19
Posted by halftidy (U8567554) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
you truly don't want bindweed - it will smother and choke anything else you grow - to stop those pesky kids can I suggest protecting nice shrubs by growing pyrocantha as a first line of defence? Pretty berries, evergreen, but horrid spikes - good against burglars too!
I dont have neighbours destroying stuff but I do have an OH who has killed off all my parsley by covering the seedlings with clay tiles (just tidying up your edges for you) - speechless does not come close. Can I resow parsley folks??? -
Message 20
Posted by Leaping Badger (U3587940) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Another possibility would be to make cylinders of chicken wire and place them on the ground around plants to want to thrive. You could tell your neighbours that it is protection against pests, because 'something' has been taking the flowers off your precious plants, and hope they realise what you're talking about and take the hint.
'Ö' -
Message 21
Posted by David K (U14115317) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
OMG!! How stoopid am /I/ ??
Halftidy - Please disregard anything I have said in relation to Provado & pollen beetles.
Provado is a systemic insecticide and will therefore only be effective against sap sucking insects. Pollen beetles are not in this catorgary and will therefore it will /not/ kill them.
Although not 100% effective, try putting your cut sweet peas in an enclosed area (an outhouse it my case)and spray with a household fly & wasp killer.
Once in the fresh air again, their scent soon returns.
I'm so sorry! -
Message 22
Posted by halftidy (U8567554) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
is there nothing I can spray them with??? I need to pick on Sunday to take to the hospital on Monday morning -so what you suggest is ......... pick them all, put in barn in containers - spray with fly killer - take as planned the next day???? There are loads of the little darlings!
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Message 23
Posted by David K (U14115317) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Hey, David, 463 messages in June. Not bad, eh?
'Ö'Ìý
Yes, very encouraging, Leaps.
I agree the flower of bindweed is quite pretty...not surprising it's the parent plant of morning glory. -
Message 24
Posted by David K (U14115317) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
I know, it’s such a pain!! Sadly the treatments I’m aware of don’t come in the form of a spray. The problem is that they are protected from spray by their shell-like coat.
I understand that if you leave them in a dark room overnight, they will leave the flowers in search of light..never tried it though.
I took loads to my local hospice this morning. -
Message 25
Posted by halftidy (U8567554) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
I'll try some with the light tomorrow night and some will flykiller - I will report back - not sure the hospital will like an invasion of pollen beetles!!!!
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Message 26
Posted by David K (U14115317) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Halftidy - I've been trying to find answers for you re those pesky pollen beetles.
This is what Eagle says: "These are little black beetles that get inside of the flower.
Again Not a lot you can do about this, you might try placing the cut flowers in a dark box with a small hole in the top and leave them outside for a couple of hours and 90 per cent of the beetles should come out before you take them into the house."
I do seem to recall from my 'showing days' that some growers put/hang yellow containers (margarine boxes etc) in the vicinity...apparently they are attracted by the yellow colour....oilseed rape & all that.
Not tried it, but those sticky yellow greenhouse strips should be ideal. -
Message 27
Posted by chicken_hot_pot (U8480346) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Thanks for the extra info. If I find any of the bindweed on the side of the garden I use, I'll dig it up - fast, by the sound of it. Where it is at the moment isn't going to harm any plants.
I'll go for the chicken wire barriers to protect my plants, though there are also some old cobblestones that could be made into a small wall. Both the children are old enough to know, if told, that they can't walk, play or anything on the flower side of the little wall.
If I explain things to them they seem to take it on board. It's just that their parents don't think about it. I've also got to try and save the wild Primrose I found out there. It was so pretty and will just get strimmed up if I leave it.
Wish the children's parents were as easy to deal with as they are.
Glad I got the photo of the flower if it's just a case of its natural life span. -
Message 28
Posted by David K (U14115317) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Chp - A little bid photography & a little bit gardening, this is a picture of a flower named 'morning glory'. It can be clearly seen that it has bindweed in its parentage: [IMG]/IMG]
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Message 29
Posted by chicken_hot_pot (U8480346) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Yes David, it's very clear from that photo. The pink is much prettier than just the white flower though.
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Message 30
Posted by Nomadnomore - XNo - Quiz Queen (U3180380) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
I grew morning glory from seed this year. Well I germinated the seed and grew plants that started to wind around their sticks. They withered completely when I planted them out. Maybe I was too early, maybe they didn't like the soil.
Shame really as they were the bride's wedding favours from my nephew's wedding in New York last year. I thought it was a lovely idea to give seeds. -
Message 31
Posted by man-in-the-moon (U3655413) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
Listening to GQT when someone asked about Morning Glory and suffering the same problem as you Nomadnomore-XNo,they said plant them out very late in mid July. I grew them last year and didn't plant out until the end of July and they flowered until the end of September/October.
I am envious of posters sweet peas,mine have done nothing this year,no thickening of stems at all and a few weedy flowers.I've made a note though of Eagles seeds and shall try again next year(sowing in late autumn). -
Message 32
Posted by SussexCornflower InTheFinalCountdown (U13833966) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
(Checked sowing times in Hessayon's veg book.)Â
Ha! Another Hessayon "Expert" owner! I think I learned most of my gardening from those books all of which I still have and still use. -
Message 33
Posted by Leaping Badger (U3587940) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
I bought it on David's recommendation. It's great, apart from the fact that he recommends drowning everything in pesticides...
'Ö' -
Message 34
Posted by SussexCornflower InTheFinalCountdown (U13833966) on Thursday, 1st July 2010
I think he was sponsored by one of the manufacturers - Bio gets a lot of mentions!
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Message 35
Posted by DeeKay Bee - Disenfranchised (U236881) on Friday, 2nd July 2010
Re pollen beetles and sweet peas - I've seen it recommended to grow Hypericum (St. John's-wort) near them so the beetles go to that, when it gets too infested you creep up one evening and spray the blighters.
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Message 36
Posted by sagethyme (U5272261) on Friday, 2nd July 2010
Checking into the July thread after a couple of days away.
Re St John's Wort - we inherited a patch and have spent the last few years trying to stop it spreading!
Pretty yellow flowers for a few days each year, and does at least give ground cover in a dark dry spot next to the drive, but very invasive. -
Message 37
Posted by DeeKay Bee - Disenfranchised (U236881) on Friday, 2nd July 2010
I think it depends on the type, we have a wild one which we keep an eye on but we also have a more decorative one which blooms for quite a while and doesn't normally spread - though we have found a couple of seedling this year, the hard winter seems to have agreed with it - you almost need ear defenders when you go past it at the moment as it is alive with bee/wasps/hover flies/other insects.
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Message 38
Posted by Leaping Badger (U3587940) on Saturday, 3rd July 2010
Quick chive question (bet that's got you all excited): my herb book says of chives: 'To encourage new, lush growth, cut back after flowering and feed with comfrey liquid feed.' Now, most of the flowers have now faded but are still there, haven't dropped off yet. My questions are as follows:
1. Should I cut the chives back now, or wait for a while (and if wait, what is the sign?)
2. Should I cut all leave back, or just the flower stems? And how far should I cut them back?
3. What can I do with the leaves I cut off? Can I freeze them and use them later?
4. I don't have any comfrey liquid feed, but I have worm tea, and they have been fed on comfrey among other things, so I trust that will be all right.
Thanks.
Some miniature swine dug up a load of my lettuce seedlings overnight. Have replanted them as best I can, and hope it doesn't happen again.
Hope you're all enjoying your gardens on this lovely sunny day.
'Ö' -
Message 39
Posted by Looby-Lewis (U11820972) on Saturday, 3rd July 2010
Sorry, can't add anything about chives. But I have a question about bees and compost heaps.
I went to get some of my black gold from the compost bin and it seems the bees have moved back in again. I got what I needed and cleared off sharpish.
Does anyone have any ideas on how I might encourage the bees to move out?
I know bees are having a tough time lately, and I do like them around the garden, but just wish they wouldn't set up home in my heap. -
Message 40
Posted by DeeKay Bee - Disenfranchised (U236881) on Saturday, 3rd July 2010
They've obviously heard about the Telegraph's 'Bring Back Bees' campaign...
Do you know the type of bee? -
Message 41
Posted by Looby-Lewis (U11820972) on Saturday, 3rd July 2010
I thought the Co-op had sent them round! They're capaining for bees too.
From that website I would say honeybees. There weren't too many of them. From my wildlife book I would say they are bufftailed bumblebees. Although they are not as big as a traditional bumblebee. Wasp sized, but are not wasps.
If they were wasps I have no hesitation in getting the council pest control to sort 'em. -
Message 42
Posted by still_listening (U14542348) on Saturday, 3rd July 2010
Hello,
I'm new to all this & fascinated by all the information! I have a tiny garden & so I'm growing currants in pots on my patio- does anyone know if they will survive the winter frosts? (They're in plastic bucket sized tubs. ) Also I've planted some rhubarb which is growing really well- but has black fly. Please can anyone advise what to do? Its next to a flowerin orange bush which always gets blackfly & I spray that with whatever spray is available - but I want to harvest & eat the rhubarb so I'm a bit wary about spraying it with anything!
Thank you for any advice & for a brilliant message board! -
Message 43
Posted by Leaping Badger (U3587940) on Saturday, 3rd July 2010
Hi there, and welcome to the thread.
You rhubarb plant actually produces the best blackfly spray money can buy. David K, who organises the Potting Shed, came up with this recipe:
Boil 500g rhubarb leaves in 1 litre of water for 20 minutes or so. Once it has cooled down, remove the rhubarb leaves and add three drops of washing-up liquid. This helps the spray to stick to the plant and the blackfly. Put it in a spray bottle and away you go.
This works for any insect. It's the oxalic acid which is lethal too them. It's a contact spray, so will only work on insects you actually spray it on to.
(If I've got the quantities or any of the other details wrong, someone please correct me.)
Have fun blitzing those blackfly, and enjoy your rhubarb.
'Ö' -
Message 44
Posted by SussexCornflower InTheFinalCountdown (U13833966) on Saturday, 3rd July 2010
Hello still_listening.
I would think the only problem about the currants over-wintering would be that the soil in the pot can become very wet and then freeze which might not do the roots any favours.
Depends how big the pots are I guess.
Wait a while and someone more knowledgeable or experienced than me will come along!! -
Message 45
Posted by sagethyme (U5272261) on Saturday, 3rd July 2010
Advice from a very amateur gardener learning all the time.
Leaps - my chives seem to thrive on benign neglect! I remove flowers and eat them in salads, also remove the occasional brownish leaf. Otherwise they get watered with the other herbs, ie sporadically, and spring away happily every year.
still_listening - we have a number of plants in pots of various sizes. None are currants, but most overwinter. We did lose a passionflower during the hard winter and all the palargoniums. Depending on how exposed your garden is, we have found it helps to move as many pots as possible near to the house where the snow and frost are much less. -
Message 46
Posted by Nomadnomore - XNo - Quiz Queen (U3180380) on Saturday, 3rd July 2010
Regarding chives...
I moved into a house in Pinner (1986) and the garden had a small herb plot with a thriving chive plant which had a pretty blue flowers that I left to go to seed.
It took me another six years to get rid of the self-seeded chives that grew in every crack and cranny that a seed lodged in and as far as I know (I moved from that house in 2003) I got them under control.
I now religiously remove any chive flowers before they have a chance to seed.
Do you only have one chive plant Leaps? If you have two you could try cutting one to the quick and just pinching the flowers of the other and see which one looks best in a few weeks. I suspect it will be the one with the harsh cutting back.
I'd be interested in the results because I always found cutting a bunch of chives for the kitchen later in the summer disappointing because of the many withered strands that had to be picked out.
Again back to the garden in Pinner, I had several hostas that I thought I might want to take divisions of when I moved. My hostas book recommended "mowing" them in late May, early June. (Basically taking a set of shears to them fairly near the base). It encourages all the latent buds to develop, a bit like pinching off the top of a basil plant so you get the growth out of the leaf axils. Anyway, by the time I moved in the August I had the most magnificent display of fresh looking hostas with very little slug damage.
XNo -
Message 47
Posted by SussexCornflower InTheFinalCountdown (U13833966) on Sunday, 4th July 2010
I had a similar experience with Hostas, though not by design! I bought one which was eaten within an inch of the ground by slugs and snails.
So, I replanted it in a large-ish pot and stood it in a deep dish of water. It regrew beautiful leaves in the late Summer. Didn't actually flower that year though.
The water acts as a moat which (mostly) keeps the non swimming slugs and snails at bay.
Anyone else got Evening Primroses? I bang on about them, I know, but they are so lovely. -
Message 48
Posted by still_listening (U14542348) on Sunday, 4th July 2010
THANK YOU for your advice... I'm just off outside now to cut the rhubarb leaves & make my anti-black fly paste whilst listening to the omnibus!
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Message 49
Posted by DeeKay Bee - Disenfranchised (U236881) on Sunday, 4th July 2010
We have evening primrose, though fewer this year as some succumbed to the winter weather. I don't care for their smell myself, though OH seems to like them - I'm not making too much fuss as I'm concentrating on convincing him that a good dahlia is a dead dahlia, and he should stop growing more (I may have to find his seed stash and incinerate!).
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Message 50
Posted by Threeblack drapedwellsofmyown (U5254306) on Sunday, 4th July 2010
Sun, 04 Jul 2010 13:30 GMT, in reply to DeeKay Bee in message 49
Has anyone ever had fasciated courgettes?
I have a bush courgette in a pot and it has 3 courgettes that have joined together gving me a fasciated courgette.
I am sure it will be edible but just wondered if anyone knew why it has happed...
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