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March 28, 2024, 01:11:29 PM

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Gardening thread 2022

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

Previous topic - Next topic

touchingcloth

Yeah, we try and keep the watering down to a minimum cos of the costs, financial and planetary.

Harry Badger

I was thinking of growing some MELONS and fucking CUCAMELONS in my garden. Given that it's quite a small garden, is that practical? Whenever I've grown squash or pumpkins its got completely out of hand.

Jittlebags

We had both a few years ago and they were pretty compact, so I'd say go.

Harry Badger

Excellent, I will give them both a go. I'm thinking of biting the bullet and finally digging up the tiny threadbare bit of lawn in order to create another vegetable patch plus I've bought some of those hanging pockets to maximise the variety of crops.

First mow of the lawn today lads, highest setting obvs.

And first laundry on the washing line. Wife says it smells like spring. Love it.

Ferris

Pumpkins - anyone done 'em?

Quote from: Ferris on March 19, 2022, 10:20:07 PMPumpkins - anyone done 'em?

Last year, you need to contain them because if not they take over the garden.

Ferris

Really eh? Fuck ok might need to replan that. Is it the trailing vines that are bastard?

Buelligan

They're a great plant to grow with kids if you've got a dinner table sized or larger, bit of good sunny rich ground going.  Great because you can start them indoors on a window sill, just make sure warmish weather is on the horizon before you begin, so's you know you'll be able to plant them out when you need to.  Seedlings pining away indoors in pots too long always make sad plants.

If you keep them reasonably controlled (nip off bits as long as you've got an established solid plant and you do it cleanly), feed and water enormously, don't let too many flowers set to fruit (so you concentrate all the energy into a manageable two or three pumps), it will be a joy.  When your fruit start getting biggish, gently, very gently, check their bottoms, slugs can get in there and really fuck them up.  It can be good to make them a little bed or cradle to stop the skin resting on damp earth (mildew), pea shingle or something could work, it'll keep them dry and deter slugs who will enjoy material like slate or cardboard.  Then Halloween harvesting, if you have lots, they'll make welcome gifts for other parents with children, pumpkin lanterns and pumpkin pie with what you take out.  Nice.

Dex Sawash

Quote from: Ferris on March 19, 2022, 10:20:07 PMPumpkins - anyone done 'em?


They were all someone's kins before I even started pump'n 'em

Brian Freeze

Pumkins are easy to keep under control and easy to hack back if they run away. Fascinating for how vigorous they can be in their growth.

Went looking for pumpkin seeds on ebay while the site was down. There's some which have come from 'kins that needed to be lifted by JCB (700lb +) and they are charging a fiver per seed.

Chose some smaller (15kg max) ones with white skins.

Brian Freeze

Ordered some Lithops seeds n all.


TommyTurnips



Three more hop shoots suddenly appeared. Now if only the other two plants would sprout shoots.

Ferris

Quote from: Buelligan on March 20, 2022, 06:43:53 AMThey're a great plant to grow with kids if you've got a dinner table sized or larger, bit of good sunny rich ground going.  Great because you can start them indoors on a window sill, just make sure warmish weather is on the horizon before you begin, so's you know you'll be able to plant them out when you need to.  Seedlings pining away indoors in pots too long always make sad plants.

If you keep them reasonably controlled (nip off bits as long as you've got an established solid plant and you do it cleanly), feed and water enormously, don't let too many flowers set to fruit (so you concentrate all the energy into a manageable two or three pumps), it will be a joy.  When your fruit start getting biggish, gently, very gently, check their bottoms, slugs can get in there and really fuck them up.  It can be good to make them a little bed or cradle to stop the skin resting on damp earth (mildew), pea shingle or something could work, it'll keep them dry and deter slugs who will enjoy material like slate or cardboard.  Then Halloween harvesting, if you have lots, they'll make welcome gifts for other parents with children, pumpkin lanterns and pumpkin pie with what you take out.  Nice.

Don't know how I missed this!

Ok perfect, that's what I needed. I should get going on them really - I think they'll be fun for the nipper at Halloween and yeah I can give the others away.

Dex Sawash

#74


Bins azalea, just now

TommyTurnips



Hop update! The shoots from the cascade plant are coming on nicely, there seem to be little leaves starting to form too. Lovely stuff!

Ok, cheers, bye!

Blue Jam

Quote from: Harry Badger on March 19, 2022, 01:47:54 PMI was thinking of growing some MELONS and fucking CUCAMELONS in my garden. Given that it's quite a small garden, is that practical? Whenever I've grown squash or pumpkins its got completely out of hand.

I've grown fucking CUCAMELONS in a pot on a windowsill before. The only problem I had was pollinating them, you really do need insects for that, a paintbrush doesn't cut it. Only got about four fruits in the end but they were very nice in a G&T.

Buelligan

Quote from: Brian Freeze on March 22, 2022, 07:46:27 AMOrdered some Lithops seeds n all.



Very interesting plants, Gardener's World did a bit on them a few years back.  Fascinating. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08qn68n

Brian Freeze

Thats a lovely clip, thanks Buellers. Interesting pollination technique.

The packet I got only had six seeds in that I managed to spill on the unswept kitchen floor. So we will be growing dog hair and grit and in the meantime I ordered another hundred and fifty seeds and will be much more careful.

Ferris

Tulip shoots just poking up! Exciting times.

DoesNotFollow

Got a bit of space free in our raised bed so any one got any advice for doing a washing-up bowl wildlife pond? Particularly plants that are good to stick in there?


Dex Sawash

Reckon this monstera cutting is ready for dirt yet, or not even close?


Buelligan

I'd completely be planting that if it was mine.  Obvs, make sure you don't let it dry out until you start seeing roots peeking out the bottom of the pot.

TommyTurnips

Hops are looking good. It looks like the same thing is happening to me as happened to Mr Wheel-Bueller, the cascade plant pictured below is racing ahead where as the Mount Hood has four little purple shoots sprouting up and the centennial plant has one solitary shoot dispite all being planted at the same time and treated the same way. It seems that not all hop plants are created equal.


Ferris

Those look great, just wait til June. They leap out the ground 5+ centimetres a day, it's quite disconcerting. Fucking triffids in the back yard. My advice assuming you keep them in the big pots all year (which is fine) is not to bother cutting any shoots back, and also fertilize them. You basically can't fertilize them enough.

I'm going to grow some monsters this year, I've figured out a way I can (theoretically) get some string and trail them over the space next to the deck, and make a little den for Ferris Jr to hide under which I think he'll enjoy, while still having them grow elegantly around the railings. Watch this space!

Elderly Sumo Prophecy

Habanero chillies have sprouted nicely on the windowsill. I got a bit carried away though and did 6, which is too many. I'll end up putting a few of them out the front with a "Free to a good home" sign underneath.

TommyTurnips

Quote from: Ferris on March 31, 2022, 03:13:44 PMThose look great, just wait til June. They leap out the ground 5+ centimetres a day, it's quite disconcerting. Fucking triffids in the back yard. My advice assuming you keep them in the big pots all year (which is fine) is not to bother cutting any shoots back, and also fertilize them. You basically can't fertilize them enough.

I'm going to grow some monsters this year, I've figured out a way I can (theoretically) get some string and trail them over the space next to the deck, and make a little den for Ferris Jr to hide under which I think he'll enjoy, while still having them grow elegantly around the railings. Watch this space!

I bought a box of fertiliser from the garden centre when I bought the pots and compost. I gave it a sprinkle when I planted them but was worried about giving them too much. The weedy little centennial plant could definitely do with some help so maybe it's time for another dose. It'd be nice to see your hop trailing efforts. For next years crop I plan on making huge tall trellises in my hopefully by then de patioed garden just like the ones that hop farmers use. It'll be like the good life if they were homebrewers.


TommyTurnips

Anyone out there gardening? Come on buds, show us your buds!

My cascade hops are starting to climb the bamboo (because if life gives you bamboo, build a trellis)


The Mount Hood is kicking out lots of shoots and starting to bind.


And the centennial plant has big aspirations.