Gardening Forum any advice


Recommended Posts

I grew some Kale last Summer.  A 'Cavolo Nero' type actually called 'Nero Di Toscana'  After I'd finished fighting off the Cabbage Whites and the Slugs, I looked forward to it growing nearly as tall as me, with great long strap like leaves ..as seen in Monty Don's garden on Gardener's World. 

 

The reality was a final crop of three plants, which are maybe 12" high.   To be fair I've had quite a lot of leaves off them and they are delish.  I've also avoided taking the lead shoots out and made sure they are firmly planted.. but they are hardly the big plants I hoped for. The seed pack gives no info on expected height, so maybe they are not meant to get any bigger..

 

The soil is fairly average with plenty of previous manuring but none recently.  Radishes, Beetroot and weeds all grow very well in the soil.

 

Any ideas?

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Replies 52
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

… and then people wonder why there are so many floods.  There’s too much concrete/paving etc and not enough plants and trees to suck up the excess water.  I know that’s far from the complete answer bu

I have fond memories of privet.   All the houses on Clifton (as a council housing estate) were originally built with privet as a default feature around the gardens, and I was literally surro

I have just looked at the gardening forum for the first time and it looks as though no one has posted on it for the last 4 months. There’s still lots we can do in the winter. I work closely with the

… and then people wonder why there are so many floods.  There’s too much concrete/paving etc and not enough plants and trees to suck up the excess water.  I know that’s far from the complete answer but it does play a part.

….and what about the birds?  And the mental health benefits of having a green garden to work in or just to look at?

Also, just because new builds do lots of paving, doesn’t mean it’s better!

 

  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

Wouldn't be without my garden. I really miss being out there in the evenings during winter, watching the sky, the birds, the hedgehogs. There are scents in a garden at night that aren't apparent during the daytime. I always sleep better when I've had my evening potter in the garden.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 11 months later...

Talking of flowers with scents, Adelaide Botanic Gardens have just announced that a Titan Arum (Corpse Flower) they grew from a leaf cutting has opened and started releasing its rather pungent scent. Many say it smells like rotting flesh, dead rats, dead fish or rotten cheese. Luckily the scent only lasts for two days. It flowers first when 10 years old and then only every three to five years.

Photo from ABC News website

A large and unique looking purple and green flower

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Cambridge Botanic Garden has one of these ‘corpse’ lilies- by all accounts, the smell is vile when it opens!

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...

Well plastic granules are available. The clear ones of low density polyethylene, should grow into nice soft plastic grass. You could paint it green, or you could get some of the green granules, but they cost more.

 

https://images.app.goo.gl/f6Fp4xp8KbUqj3oV8

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

Didn't want to do it yet but the grass on the back garden was looking a mess so out came the mower with the blade set high and I went over the grass with it, all level now even though it's still a bit long  it looks a lot neater, mower all cleaned down and oiled ready for next time

 

Rog

Link to post
Share on other sites

The only problem with cutting grass now is if we get frosts, although grass is very tough stuff as we saw in our 40deg summer on the other end of the scale. I’m leaving mine for now as it’s quite muddy still but you could have a go on a high setting just to tidy it.

Link to post
Share on other sites

First I’ve got to sharpen the blades on the lawn tractor. I’ve got a device where I drive it on and jack it up to an alarming angle where I can unscrew them, one side at a time. It’s a Toro 47” zero turn twin cut that mulches the grass so I don’t have to collect it. I cut well over an acre, around the size of a football pitch but there must be around 40 trees to cut around so the fact that it turns in its own length is very useful. Fortunately my farmer friend cuts our meadow at haymaking time otherwise I’d have to get some sheep to graze it. We have had sheep in the past though - they converted our daughter into vegetarianism!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Best way I ever cut our overgrown jungle , was when I  was a young horse groom in the racing stables ,

One evening I put on the chip pan to heat up and I got interested what was on the telly ,  it was Emmerdale farm , and something Seth Armstrong was saying made me giggle until I saw an orange flicker on the kitchen door , I ran in the kitchen and I saw the chip pan was well lit up in flames , so I open the door of the kitchen and threw the pan out there , the dead grass which was 3 foot high instantly caught alight , I was hoping it did reach the corn field that backed on to our cottage back garden , when a little old lady from next door popped her head over the garden fence and said " what on earth are you doing "

Cooking home made chips I replied and asked what is the telephone number of the local fire brigade ,  I thought she was German because she kept saying " nine nine nine "

Link to post
Share on other sites

back garden grass looking good this morning and a fair bit of rain overnight so I'm pleased I cut it yesterday, no frosts forecast for the next few days, all the shredded birch tree bits are spread over the little garden and the pheasants have been on there scratching them about looking for food so if they carry on like that it will save me digging the shreddings in, snowdrops and Daffodils in flower and new buds on the Acer in the front garden and Swedish Hornbeam in the back garden, spring is just around the corner

 

Rog

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 months later...

I found myself talking to the tomatoes in the greenhouse this morning. I was congratulating them on their progress. I am going a bit ‘Prince Charles’ or is it normal for someone of my advancing years? Where can I get help?

Link to post
Share on other sites

I don’t grow lettuce at the moment. I gave up my veg garden when I had a hip problem and the plot has grassed itself over. It’s a bit late in the season to deturf and rotovate now. Perhaps I’ll just talk to the lettuces in Waitrose. Better class of lettuce in there.

Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, philmayfield said:

I found myself talking to the tomatoes in the greenhouse this morning. I was congratulating them on their progress. I am going a bit ‘Prince Charles’ or is it normal for someone of my advancing years? Where can I get help?

Who's Prince Charles ? Have you not seen the news recently sir ?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...