mango
New Member
Posts: 6,594
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Post by mango on Apr 18, 2009 8:07:21 GMT
By mistake I chopped a branch off my baby Mandarin tree yesterday, I was busy with pruning a tree that was taking over... and got a bit carried away, easy done with an electric trimmer
anyway there were 9 fruit on this one branch, first its had - all very green but felt softish
cut the biggest one open and oooh - bright orange - no pips - full of juice!
There's still a few more fruit on there
I've given it heaps of Citrus food & said I'm sorry
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mango
New Member
Posts: 6,594
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Post by mango on Apr 18, 2009 8:09:41 GMT
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Post by puffin on Apr 18, 2009 17:03:20 GMT
Thanks, shimmer. I was rather pleased with them myself. This year I've had to move the lily bed beacause we had a deck built outside the conservatory. They seem to be doing well in their new position so here's hoping they'll be just as good this year.
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Scooby Do
New Member
Where's my pic?
Posts: 21,324
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Post by Scooby Do on Apr 19, 2009 6:24:59 GMT
I find slugs to be the biggest pest to lillies. I grow a few in pots, rasie them off the ground a few inches, and put a ring of rock salt on the grond around them. Works well for trays of seedlings too.
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Post by omnipleasant on Apr 22, 2009 10:25:38 GMT
Who reckons we've had the last frosts and it's safe to plant out tender annuals and veg now, then?
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feral
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Posts: 8,237
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Post by feral on Apr 22, 2009 10:34:44 GMT
Well ,Ive just put out tomato plant babies .They were getting too big for my window sill so had to be planted out .I've covered them with plastic sheeting mind to be on the safe side .You know ? that stuff that's supposed to let UV rays through whilst protecting them and turns your tomato plants into giants with enough tomatoes to last 10 years .
My garden is awash with stuff growing .I think half of it is weeds lol but the only weed I really recognise is bindweed so the rest stays until its bigger .If it gets a flower on it at some point then its allowed to live -weed or not .
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Post by omnipleasant on Apr 22, 2009 10:49:14 GMT
Yeah my garden is growing like mad. The tulips have already long since stopped flowering, which kind of suggests to me that plants know it's spring proper, and it's time for toms and Morning Glories and the like to go out.
I'm getting better at my weed IDing. I can now do ground elder and creeping buttercup as well as bindweed. I zap the feckers with glyphosate. Organic schmorganic!
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Post by omnipleasant on Apr 22, 2009 11:03:35 GMT
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sushimo
New Member
One tequilla, Two Tequilla, Three Tequilla - Floor.
Posts: 243
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Post by sushimo on Apr 22, 2009 11:16:23 GMT
Who reckons we've had the last frosts and it's safe to plant out tender annuals and veg now, then? Wait until begining of May Omni, unless you can cover. btw. My Grandad helped design and build the Promenade Gardens, and Ashton Gardens at Lytham St Annes. He was a pro gardener all his working life, and taught me a thing or two! |
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Post by omnipleasant on Apr 22, 2009 11:23:20 GMT
Nah sod it. They're going out!
I'm in town so that should bring the last frost date forward a week or two. Plus they need to harden off anyway, so they'll be on the patio by the house, above ground, for a week or two before they go in the ground.
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mazie
New Member
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Post by mazie on Apr 22, 2009 12:33:53 GMT
Hi Puff. I've got lily beetle this year! First time I've had it in years of growing lillies. Omni have you thought about selling seeds and cuttings on e-bay? Seems like a licence to print money to me.
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Post by omnipleasant on Apr 22, 2009 12:42:10 GMT
I've thought about it quite a bit actually Mazie. I've got a serious surplus of seedlings this year, and have all kinds of things in my garden that cost a fortune in nurseries that I could take cuttings of (if I ever learn how).
I'm not sure about the practicalities though. Doesn't sending seedlings in the post cause them to, like, die?
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mazie
New Member
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Post by mazie on Apr 22, 2009 12:57:19 GMT
Hi Omni
I buy all my plants off e-bay now, due to the price that garden centres charge(Criminal). I looked at some bog standard holly hocks last year and they wanted 6.99 a pot! outrageous, they grow like bloody weeds! Most of the people I buy off on e-bay are not professional growers and some of the packaging they use is very inventive to say the least. All the plants I buy are sent first class so arrive the next day, so not much damage done. Cuttings are really very easy Omni, how are you doing yours at the moment? If you do start selling on e-bay and want any plastic plant pots, let me know I've got hundreds you can have
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feral
New Member
Posts: 8,237
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Post by feral on Apr 22, 2009 13:31:07 GMT
Oh that weed link's good ,Omni .I think I have Irish Moss and Piles .  |
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Post by omnipleasant on Apr 22, 2009 16:01:23 GMT
Mazie - unfortunately, I'm completely sh!t at cuttings. The only thing I've ever managed to get to root is Jasmine that I cut from one growing in the pub garden. And that died when I tried to plant it out.
Any tips gratefully recieved.
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Post by minge tightly on Apr 23, 2009 9:28:27 GMT
I reckon the frost risk has passed. No evidence for it just a feeling.
Seedlings i'd fob onto people at work or family, friends & neighbours. Get you some brownie points and clear the surplus. Although you could always simply compost them. Nature is an unsentimental force and every seedling is not sacred..
Nice lils Puffin (Fnar). I think more pictures should appear here incidentally.
Good link omni
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Post by minge tightly on Apr 23, 2009 9:31:21 GMT
Perhaps i'll get a picture of the dandelion infestation across the two neighbouring gardens to show you all how herioc my gardening is in the face of such invasive adversity.
Now that spring has properly sprung, i've started the long hard campaign against weeds and pests. I never appreciated just how much like constant warfare gardening can be, with fronts opened everywhere.
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lala
New Member
Arrgh!! Urrgh!! No!!
Posts: 27,277
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Post by lala on Apr 23, 2009 9:59:36 GMT
Don't plant 'Dynamo' tomato plants, not unless you really, really, want to have more tomatos than you, your family, your neighbours, your workmates and your wife's workmates can eat. Huge ones, as well. Mrs la's dad was a market gardener, and he specialised in tomatoes. Because we don't get on, I planted some as a joke, because it would piss him off to know his over-educated, softhanded son-in-law was treading on his territory. Joke's on me, now, because we've STILL got bloody tomatoes.
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mazie
New Member
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Post by mazie on Apr 23, 2009 10:51:47 GMT
You probably planted the Jasmine out too soon Omni, not enough root growth. This is a goodwebsite for help with cuttings. Instead of using poly bags to cover the cuttings I use the 1 litre plastic coke (pop) bottles. Once they have taken you really do need to leave them in the pot until their roots are well developed. I never put more than one cutting in a pot, makes things much simpler when you come to plant it out or pot it on. www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/propagation_summercuttings2.shtml(p.s are you still watching Robin Hood?) (Hi feral xxx) |
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Post by omnipleasant on Apr 23, 2009 12:42:35 GMT
Well to be fair I've never actually paid much attention to doing cuttings properly, which may be where I've gone wrong. Usually just cut and stick in compost. Where is the best spot for them to root? I'm guessing light and warm, but out of direct sunshine?
I can't bring myself to chuck seedlings in the compost. I've got such a surplus I might just have to though.
Oh and I agree with Minge - we need more pictures on here. Foster a true gardener's spirit of quiet, understated, but fierce competitiveness with fellow gardners..
PS - yep Mazie, still loving Robin Hood! I'm gutted that Marion isn't in it any more though.
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