Gardening Forum any advice

[DJ360 6,385]

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?

[Brew 5,007]

Tried gardening many years ago, the only thing I grew was bored.

[radfordred 6,278]

6 hours ago, DJ360 said:

Any ideas?

 

Yeah concrete it, block pave it, slab it, maintenance free gardening the thing of the future, you’ve only got to look @ new builds. 

[MargieH 7,423]

… 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!

 

[Jill Sparrow 9,664]

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.

[MargieH 7,423]

Jill. Is it wallflowers that particularly give off their scent at dusk?

[Jill Sparrow 9,664]

Stocks, in summer, Margie. Wallflowers too. But there are just all sorts of scents not encountered during the day.

[Beekay 4,398]

Another one is Nicotiana (spelling?)

[Oztalgian 2,922]

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

[plantfit 7,205]

Great picture of a strange looking plant Oz, thanks for sharing it

 

Rog

[MargieH 7,423]

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

[radfordred 6,278]

Any information on where to buy these maintenance free artificial grass seeds? 

 

 

 

 

[DJ360 6,385]

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

[Beekay 4,398]

Are you sure they're not diamonds on your link Col. Only askin'.

[plantfit 7,205]

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

[philmayfield 5,503]

All our grass is in desperate need of cutting but apparently now is not the best time. I never take any notice of the opinion of others but if I did I’ve just read that the 18th of March is the optimum time.

[MRS B 317]

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.

[philmayfield 5,503]

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!

[David sheridan 158]

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 "

[plantfit 7,205]

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

[philmayfield 5,503]

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?

[Jill Sparrow 9,664]

Have a chat with the lettuces. They are very therapeutic and you'll feel much less tense afterwards. It's the laudanum, you know.

[philmayfield 5,503]

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.

[Beekay 4,398]

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 ?

[philmayfield 5,503]

He’ll always be Prince Charles to me. He looked so silly wearing a crown.