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March 28, 2024, 10:07:38 PM

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Gardening thread 2022

Started by Brian Freeze, January 29, 2022, 07:35:48 AM

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Harry Badger

Something weird is happening this year. I have had a load of seedlings (lambs lettuce, basil, salad leaves) germinate then not grow beyond the seedling stage. Not dying, just remaining stunted. No idea why - it's been a bit gloomy in Cardiff but not that cold, and these were indoors in any case.

Ferris

I'm delighted to be able to use this pun, because unexpectedly I noticed a second bine that looks pretty healthy and must have sprung up in the last day or two because I was about to reuse the space for carrots.

A New Hop(e).

Ferris

Quote from: Harry Badger on May 31, 2022, 10:19:34 PMSomething weird is happening this year. I have had a load of seedlings (lambs lettuce, basil, salad leaves) germinate then not grow beyond the seedling stage. Not dying, just remaining stunted. No idea why - it's been a bit gloomy in Cardiff but not that cold, and these were indoors in any case.

I had a tiny amount of moss that seemed to kill everything in the affected germination pellets very efficiently (no beetroots for the Ferris household this year). Is that too obvious?

Harry Badger

Quote from: Ferris on May 31, 2022, 10:31:54 PMI had a tiny amount of moss that seemed to kill everything in the affected germination pellets very efficiently (no beetroots for the Ferris household this year). Is that too obvious?

I don't think it would be moss - I was using regular compost in the cells as I always do and there was nothing noticeably wrong. In fact the compost itself was from different bags. I notice that my tomato plants are way less developed than they were this time last year, according to my Facebook flashback thing. And they aren't dying as such, just either ceasing growth or growing much slower than usual. It hasn't been very sunny this year so far.

TommyTurnips

Quote from: Ferris on May 31, 2022, 10:29:58 PMI'm delighted to be able to use this pun, because unexpectedly I noticed a second bine that looks pretty healthy and must have sprung up in the last day or two because I was about to reuse the space for carrots.

A New Hop(e).

There you go, see. Hardy perennials! And if they don't survive then blame Canada and try again.

Emma Raducanu

I've enjoyed a lot of self seeding this year. Alliums have tripled, poppies, foxglove, phlox, aqualigia. Feel like I have more delphinium too?

At the far end of my garden, we have a pergola seat hidden beneath a low hanging tree. It's a lovely place to read a book and occasionally look up and admire nature. I've got a sudden urge to add a water feature there I love the sound of trickling water exciting times.

Attila

All of my flax seeds have germinated!

Unfortunately, they also show how badly I scattered the seeds/how the seeds shifted due to raking* and getting watered and rained on. Instead of a solid patch full of side-by-side little seedlings, I have the green leafy equivelent of the hair on Prince William's head. I've ordered in another packet to fill in the gaps. (Of flax, not Prince William's hair, gross).


*Raking is somewhat problematic at the moment as because for some demented reason, the only rake Mr Attila has on hand is a cast iron one meant to spread molten asphalt. Not only does it wreck whatever it is you're trying to rake plant-wise, but it's so damned heavy I can barely pick it up. I'm sure there's some long-winded explanation, but I'm not going to prompt it (rhetorical and yes/no questions prompt a filibuster as it is; a genuine explanation might end with the heat death of the universe).

Elderly Sumo Prophecy

Habaneros are coming along well mates. First flowers are nearly ready to open. Will post pics when we get full fruitage.

Brian Freeze

We planted some wellies, Timberlands and Adidas today. Will post pics when in flower.

Ferris

Quote from: Elderly Sumo Prophecy on June 12, 2022, 07:58:06 PMHabaneros are coming along well mates. First flowers are nearly ready to open. Will post pics when we get full fruitage.

I had one of my 12 habaneros actually sprout. It's looking good though, not at the flowers stage but well on the way.

Dex Sawash


Cunt deer got inside my fence and ate my tomatoes and a bunch of flowery shit too.

Blue Jam


Ferris

Quote from: Ferris on June 12, 2022, 08:14:58 PMI had one of my 12 habaneros actually sprout. It's looking good though, not at the flowers stage but well on the way.

Habanero update: it started to go a bit yellow so I've moved it to a bigger pot. Please grow a habanero you bastard.

Elderly Sumo Prophecy

That's either from overwatering or getting too cold at night. Mine have gone a bit yellow on the leaves too, I suspect from having a fair few coldish nights so far where its dipped below 10C. I've also started chucking old coffee grounds on the soil occasionally, as apparently they make very good fertiliser.

Ferris

Ah, I suspected as much. I've stopped watering it so fingers crossed it pulls through.

Thanks!

Ferris

Habanero is looking great. I've also planted an apple tree and a sugar maple (a tree I've always wanted but will likely be ok old to do anything about once it is capable of making syrup).

You know what they say!


Buelligan

Sorry, been walkabout so catching up a bit.  Great to read of all the triumph and stress-busting going on. 

On the seaweed, I know, in places like the Aran Islands, seaweed has been used for generations, without number, as a fertiliser and soil conditioner.

On moss-death, green mossy growths on compost or other growing mediums might indicate that it's been too damp, humid, lacking in air circulation, allowing other fungal attacks on your seeds or seedlings.  https://www.rhs.org.uk/disease/damping-off

Quote from: Dex Sawash on May 30, 2022, 12:01:07 PMHad a small group of hosta-like things pop up for first time this spring, then the leaf stalks fell over and shriveled followed by thick stalks with Bristol chart type 2 poo on the end.




I'm thinking they're Arum maculatum or a close rellie.

Buelligan

BTW, that looks like the sort of place you could get some trilliums and a few erythroniums going, both North American natives.  Check it out, if you can, DO IT.  Something incredibly beautiful strange marvelous about plants like that. 


Erythroniums - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p067jnlz
More trillium shit - https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-trilliums/

Buelligan

Was just listening to this extremely interesting convo between Ash Sarkar and Michael Pollan.  Covers some, IMO, worth thinking about points on the subject of gardening and plants - but be warned, it's primarily about drugs, so if drugs are an issue for you, probably best avoided.


Pink Gregory

Had quite a bit of success with peas this year, but the second batch got annihilated by cabbage whites, which I'll be honest, forgot to look out for.  Courgettes and cucumbers hopefully coming, annoyingly we have a patch of campanula growing out of the wall that the bees love but it's usually gone over by courgette time so they don't get pollinated so much.

Buelligan

All the cucurbits and things like tomatoes too, can be very easily pollinated using a paint brush.  Or consider planting quick, very easy to grow, pollinator-attracting companion plants like Limnanthes douglasii or simple borage (you can put the borage flowers into salads or Pimms or whatever too).  Sow the seeds in succession and you'll have more flowers than you and more importantly, the bees, can ever use throughout the season.

Also be mindful that sometimes plants are pollinated but choose to shed unformed fruit (fuck you, Supreme Court) if they're unhappy with the amount of food or water they're getting.  And all the cucurbits are greedy as fuck.



bgmnts

Planted a courgette seed in a pot a few months ago and it has grown but it's way too heavy and drooping sad, depressed green penis. Tried tying it together and pruning but just think it hates me.

Fuck you courgette plant.

KennyMonster

Quote from: Buelligan on July 04, 2022, 10:13:03 AMAll the cucurbits and things like tomatoes too, can be very easily pollinated using a paint brush.  Or consider planting quick, very easy to grow, pollinator-attracting companion plants like Limnanthes douglasii or simple borage (you can put the borage flowers into salads or Pimms or whatever too).  Sow the seeds in succession and you'll have more flowers than you and more importantly, the bees, can ever use throughout the season.

Also be mindful that sometimes plants are pollinated but choose to shed unformed fruit (fuck you, Supreme Court) if they're unhappy with the amount of food or water they're getting.  And all the cucurbits are greedy as fuck.




I just tend to stick to F1 Hybrids when I grow my cukes and zukes.

Buelligan

Even F1s need pollination!  You're not pollinating to create new hybrids, you're doing it to make the plant start gestating its seeds which creates the fruit.

KennyMonster

Quote from: Buelligan on July 04, 2022, 10:54:43 AMEven F1s need pollination!  You're not pollinating to create new hybrids, you're doing it to make the plant start gestating its seeds which creates the fruit.

I just let the bees do their thing for that.
Doesn't seem to be an issue with me not having those flowers mentioned above nearby, but I do sow French marigolds around there because they deter nasty things from getting onto my tomatoes.

Plus MrS Monster has other flowers going on in the garden not too far away.

Buelligan

Yes, I think, for many, lack of pollinators is not a huge issue.  Nevertheless, it is, very sadly, becoming increasingly so.

https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2021/07/second-highest-honey-bee-loss-in-15-years-documented/

KennyMonster

Quote from: Buelligan on July 04, 2022, 11:30:29 AMYes, I think, for many, lack of pollinators is not a huge issue.  Nevertheless, it is, very sadly, becoming increasingly so.

https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2021/07/second-highest-honey-bee-loss-in-15-years-documented/

Yes.

Along with my various bee/bug hotels I have attached to the house I'm trying to convert a corner of lawn into a 'wild area' complete with pond, hedgehog house, frog/toad house and an area of twigs and branches for various insects etc. to thrive.

Apparently if we all did this to a small section of our gardens we'd help retain biodiversity greatly.
(also I don't use pesticides/herbicides of course).


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H_xQjW1uYSYuGLNWyO2hsP4nBfrcaHJo/view?usp=sharing


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ha0u732BDFvVWQ5CLvKbgb8eUA6GKC9W/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HYOPBqX39uXzXXF3vEpjTBcUj8HSPQq1/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HY8VaHeWl2ETzcFgdXxs2XRAyszMF3dw/view?usp=sharing

I missed the boat a bit this year because the best, natural, eco freindly, way to break up grass roots is planting "Yellow Rattle" seeds and let them grow first and then sow wildflower seeds after that.

But yellow rattle seeds need to be sown in autumn and over-winter, I was too late for this.

bgmnts

Anyone killing a wasp or a fly or a moth is actively contributing to the destruction of the ecology. Ha!

Any good plants that don't need pollination?

Buelligan

All of them.  But they do if you want them to produce any sort of seed or fruit.  There are some plants that are primarily wind-pollinated.  Maize being one (which is why it should be planted in blocks, rather than rows, if you want corn cobs.

All those things sound fantastic kenny.  I couldn't open the pics though (I assume they were pics).  :(

KennyMonster

Quote from: Buelligan on July 04, 2022, 02:46:13 PMAll those things sound fantastic kenny.  I couldn't open the pics though (I assume they were pics).  :(

Sometimes G Drive files take some time to be shared because it checks for viruses.

I'd appreciate it if anyone could follow up on if my pictures are visible at all?