Gardening......... - Fishing For A Friend Forums

teenyweeny

Member Posts: 62 Location: West Yorkshire Offline

Sunday 29th January 2012, 10:18 PM GMT

hello people.

dont let the recent mild weather trick you into thinking we will have an early spring. the plants and birds may be thinking, grow, procreate etc. but it is very likely we will get extremely cold weather.

if you have plants flowering early, during periods of mild weather give them some TLC. sprinkle appropriate fertiliser (low nitrogen this early in the year) and a nice mulch, avoid cutting back too hard until a definite spring feel has arrived.

Please also can I say this is the hardest time of year for our bird populations........and feed them, even if it is only kitchen scraps, old grated cheese is a favorite, and sunflower seeds are excellent. X

Susanne

Member Posts: 1177 Location: Surrey Offline

Monday 30th January 2012, 7:38 PM GMT

I didn't know that cheese was ok to feed, since it contains salt, but I'll remember that next time an Edam has stored for too long in the fridge or someone didn't quite wrap it up properly. I've seen people shake cornflakes into birdhouses too and I'm not sure if that's all that good. I tend to pick some bird feed up at the end of a supermarket round.

GWYN

Member Posts: 151 Location: Rhondda Cynon Taff Offline

Sunday 5th February 2012, 12:19 PM GMT

HELLO FOLKS,
WILL LIME WATER, STOP BLACK ROT SPREADING IN THE CENTRE OF BORDER CARNATION?

teenyweeny

Member Posts: 62 Location: West Yorkshire Offline

Monday 6th February 2012, 10:15 PM GMT

Unlikely.....carnations best replaced every other year....easy to take cuttings or "pips" grown in water....

or...try flowers of sulphur but only during growing season

teenyweeny

Member Posts: 62 Location: West Yorkshire Offline

Saturday 18th February 2012, 5:30 PM GMT

Hi everyone.

Spring fast approached, and we should have just about finished our tree pruning, grapes, gooseberries.

Make sure you chop off your hellebore leaves so the flowers get some light, air and you can see them for their beauty!

The time for planting bare root plants is almost over, so order strawberries, roses and shrubs now before they become unavailable.

Perennials left unpruned over winter can now beginto be chopped down and divided if the weather is clement but avoid splitting ornamental grasses until mid march.

First earlies and second early potatoes can now be planted if not done so already.

prophet55

Member Posts: 90 Location: Staffordshire Offline

Sunday 19th February 2012, 10:23 AM GMT

Only 1 thing i can say about gardening. HATE IT LOL

teenyweeny

Member Posts: 62 Location: West Yorkshire Offline

Sunday 19th February 2012, 6:40 PM GMT

I have a question which I do not intend to offend or upset anyone by asking but......

why go onto a forum thread which the title of is Gardening.....when you hate gardening.

I wonder.

chops2

Member Posts: 65 Location: Humberside Offline

Monday 20th February 2012, 9:00 AM GMT

I Love Gardening! But I Love It When It Snows....Then My Garden Looks As Good As EveryOne Elses !!!

Clattnow

Member Posts: 22 Location: Grampian Offline

Monday 20th February 2012, 11:19 AM GMT

Hello everyone, my step-father is on here looking for a lady friend. I have a herbal garden and tend to like to plant herbs in pots like mint, corriander, thymne, sage, basil and parsely. My garden is a patio type garden. It also has a nice apple tree which blossoms in pink in the spring. I find that in my sunken rockery and near a shed that the mint tends to get eaten every time I plant it.

AdminFish

Member Posts: 536 Offline

Monday 20th February 2012, 1:30 PM GMT

Hello Clattnow: ask your step-father to join, lol!

No Longer A Member

Member Posts: 41 Offline

Monday 20th February 2012, 3:25 PM GMT

Hi teeneyweeny, love your gardening tips
I would like to ask about growing baby spinach, I know its too late now, but is it possible to grow in containers?
When and how??
I have several large tin baby baths that I grow Chard in, which I love, and peppers and lettuce for the summer
Any help, much appreciated!

Thanks

Lace

teenyweeny

Member Posts: 62 Location: West Yorkshire Offline

Monday 20th February 2012, 9:40 PM GMT

reply to the mint question about it being eaten.......yes, sunken garden and rockery, perfect haven for our mollusc friends, snails and slugs, moreover the snails......they adore mint! some mints are more prone than other, for instance apple mint is rather furry and they leave it alone, they love lamb mint, spearmint and the smooth sweet mints ( I love these myself especiallywhen covered in chocolate...........lol). Coarse grit is a good deterrent.

Hello Lace........regarding your baby spinach question......
There are two types of spinach grown one is the true spinach which can be tricky to grow, runs to seed easily and then there is the spinach beet which is very easy. Both can be grown as cut and come again crops.
Spinach beet could be sown outside in mild areas now, or under cloches, you could start picking the leaves in as little at 3 weeks time. If you want to grow proper spinach as a cut and come again crop, best to sow these direct from mid march onwards, again, give it some protection initially with fleece or a cloche, pigeons love green leafy veg so fleece is a good deterrent.
Proper cropping spinach is best sown after mid summer it bolts in high temperatures, and can be overwintered giving good crops for up to two years if picked regularly, spinach beet is a short term crop best grown from early spring until summer.
Both need a nitrogen rich soil, perfect for planting after a pea or bean crop has been harvested in that spot.

Clattnow

Member Posts: 22 Location: Grampian Offline

Tuesday 21st February 2012, 11:24 AM GMT

Hello Teeny weeny,

That is a marvellous suggestion I will use that I have some coarse grit in my shed strangely enough,rather like putting down pine needles so that the weeds do not come through. I love mint with chocolate as well. Thank you.

My step-father would not join he doesn't like gardening too much I do his garden for him to help him out but thank you for welcoming him on board.

No Longer A Member

Member Posts: 41 Offline

Tuesday 21st February 2012, 11:42 AM GMT

Hi TeenyWeeny,

Thankyou for the info, I think I will try the Spinach Beet
Do you think I could grow this crop in a large container?
Does the Spinach Beet need any special treatment, type of compost etc?

Many thanks for your help!

Lace

teenyweeny

Member Posts: 62 Location: West Yorkshire Offline

Sunday 26th February 2012, 11:01 PM GMT

Hi there Lace ...... regarding your query on which compost to use for your containers.....

For mini greens you can use smallish containers, even a shallon seed tray willwork the plant will not survive long term in there but you will get a good few weeks pickings, storage boxes make good planters for veg but the deeper the better.....
Regarding composts.........You can use a mixture of good garden soil and multi-purpose BUT make sure your MP compost is a good one, many formulations now include very dubious constituents, composted wood waste, composted domestic rubbish, etc, a good one will retain moisture and nutrients well, otherwise I would recommend using 50/50 MP and john innes no 2. For longer terms crops feeding will also be necessary.
When sowing if outside cover the container with clear plastic or fleece until seedlings have first true leaves and remember to cover over at night or if very cold daytime, and remember to keep picking those small leaves regularly to ensure continuous supply.
Mini leaves can include spinach, corn salad, radish leaves, mustards of which there are many, chinese leaves, pak choi, mixed winter lettuce, all these are perfect for containers but can be prone to aphids so try to keep them in a sunny and open situation, spraying with very weak washing up liquid is a good deterrent (wash pre eating of course)!

Author	Posts
teenyweeny Member Posts: 62 Location: West Yorkshire Offline	Sunday 29th January 2012, 10:18 PM GMT hello people. dont let the recent mild weather trick you into thinking we will have an early spring. the plants and birds may be thinking, grow, procreate etc. but it is very likely we will get extremely cold weather. if you have plants flowering early, during periods of mild weather give them some TLC. sprinkle appropriate fertiliser (low nitrogen this early in the year) and a nice mulch, avoid cutting back too hard until a definite spring feel has arrived. Please also can I say this is the hardest time of year for our bird populations........and feed them, even if it is only kitchen scraps, old grated cheese is a favorite, and sunflower seeds are excellent. X


Susanne Member Posts: 1177 Location: Surrey Offline	Monday 30th January 2012, 7:38 PM GMT I didn't know that cheese was ok to feed, since it contains salt, but I'll remember that next time an Edam has stored for too long in the fridge or someone didn't quite wrap it up properly. I've seen people shake cornflakes into birdhouses too and I'm not sure if that's all that good. I tend to pick some bird feed up at the end of a supermarket round.


GWYN Member Posts: 151 Location: Rhondda Cynon Taff Offline	Sunday 5th February 2012, 12:19 PM GMT HELLO FOLKS, WILL LIME WATER, STOP BLACK ROT SPREADING IN THE CENTRE OF BORDER CARNATION?


teenyweeny Member Posts: 62 Location: West Yorkshire Offline	Monday 6th February 2012, 10:15 PM GMT Unlikely.....carnations best replaced every other year....easy to take cuttings or "pips" grown in water.... or...try flowers of sulphur but only during growing season


teenyweeny Member Posts: 62 Location: West Yorkshire Offline	Saturday 18th February 2012, 5:30 PM GMT Hi everyone. Spring fast approached, and we should have just about finished our tree pruning, grapes, gooseberries. Make sure you chop off your hellebore leaves so the flowers get some light, air and you can see them for their beauty! The time for planting bare root plants is almost over, so order strawberries, roses and shrubs now before they become unavailable. Perennials left unpruned over winter can now beginto be chopped down and divided if the weather is clement but avoid splitting ornamental grasses until mid march. First earlies and second early potatoes can now be planted if not done so already.


prophet55 Member Posts: 90 Location: Staffordshire Offline	Sunday 19th February 2012, 10:23 AM GMT Only 1 thing i can say about gardening. HATE IT LOL


teenyweeny Member Posts: 62 Location: West Yorkshire Offline	Sunday 19th February 2012, 6:40 PM GMT I have a question which I do not intend to offend or upset anyone by asking but...... why go onto a forum thread which the title of is Gardening.....when you hate gardening. I wonder.


chops2 Member Posts: 65 Location: Humberside Offline	Monday 20th February 2012, 9:00 AM GMT I Love Gardening! But I Love It When It Snows....Then My Garden Looks As Good As EveryOne Elses !!!


Clattnow Member Posts: 22 Location: Grampian Offline	Monday 20th February 2012, 11:19 AM GMT Hello everyone, my step-father is on here looking for a lady friend. I have a herbal garden and tend to like to plant herbs in pots like mint, corriander, thymne, sage, basil and parsely. My garden is a patio type garden. It also has a nice apple tree which blossoms in pink in the spring. I find that in my sunken rockery and near a shed that the mint tends to get eaten every time I plant it.




AdminFish Member Posts: 536 Offline	Monday 20th February 2012, 1:30 PM GMT Hello Clattnow: ask your step-father to join, lol!


No Longer A Member Member Posts: 41 Offline	Monday 20th February 2012, 3:25 PM GMT Hi teeneyweeny, love your gardening tips I would like to ask about growing baby spinach, I know its too late now, but is it possible to grow in containers? When and how?? I have several large tin baby baths that I grow Chard in, which I love, and peppers and lettuce for the summer Any help, much appreciated! Thanks Lace


teenyweeny Member Posts: 62 Location: West Yorkshire Offline	Monday 20th February 2012, 9:40 PM GMT reply to the mint question about it being eaten.......yes, sunken garden and rockery, perfect haven for our mollusc friends, snails and slugs, moreover the snails......they adore mint! some mints are more prone than other, for instance apple mint is rather furry and they leave it alone, they love lamb mint, spearmint and the smooth sweet mints ( I love these myself especiallywhen covered in chocolate...........lol). Coarse grit is a good deterrent. Hello Lace........regarding your baby spinach question...... There are two types of spinach grown one is the true spinach which can be tricky to grow, runs to seed easily and then there is the spinach beet which is very easy. Both can be grown as cut and come again crops. Spinach beet could be sown outside in mild areas now, or under cloches, you could start picking the leaves in as little at 3 weeks time. If you want to grow proper spinach as a cut and come again crop, best to sow these direct from mid march onwards, again, give it some protection initially with fleece or a cloche, pigeons love green leafy veg so fleece is a good deterrent. Proper cropping spinach is best sown after mid summer it bolts in high temperatures, and can be overwintered giving good crops for up to two years if picked regularly, spinach beet is a short term crop best grown from early spring until summer. Both need a nitrogen rich soil, perfect for planting after a pea or bean crop has been harvested in that spot.


Clattnow Member Posts: 22 Location: Grampian Offline	Tuesday 21st February 2012, 11:24 AM GMT Hello Teeny weeny, That is a marvellous suggestion I will use that I have some coarse grit in my shed strangely enough,rather like putting down pine needles so that the weeds do not come through. I love mint with chocolate as well. Thank you. My step-father would not join he doesn't like gardening too much I do his garden for him to help him out but thank you for welcoming him on board.


No Longer A Member Member Posts: 41 Offline	Tuesday 21st February 2012, 11:42 AM GMT Hi TeenyWeeny, Thankyou for the info, I think I will try the Spinach Beet Do you think I could grow this crop in a large container? Does the Spinach Beet need any special treatment, type of compost etc? Many thanks for your help! Lace


teenyweeny Member Posts: 62 Location: West Yorkshire Offline	Sunday 26th February 2012, 11:01 PM GMT Hi there Lace ...... regarding your query on which compost to use for your containers..... For mini greens you can use smallish containers, even a shallon seed tray willwork the plant will not survive long term in there but you will get a good few weeks pickings, storage boxes make good planters for veg but the deeper the better..... Regarding composts.........You can use a mixture of good garden soil and multi-purpose BUT make sure your MP compost is a good one, many formulations now include very dubious constituents, composted wood waste, composted domestic rubbish, etc, a good one will retain moisture and nutrients well, otherwise I would recommend using 50/50 MP and john innes no 2. For longer terms crops feeding will also be necessary. When sowing if outside cover the container with clear plastic or fleece until seedlings have first true leaves and remember to cover over at night or if very cold daytime, and remember to keep picking those small leaves regularly to ensure continuous supply. Mini leaves can include spinach, corn salad, radish leaves, mustards of which there are many, chinese leaves, pak choi, mixed winter lettuce, all these are perfect for containers but can be prone to aphids so try to keep them in a sunny and open situation, spraying with very weak washing up liquid is a good deterrent (wash pre eating of course)!