Gardening Forum?

[Brooker]

Thanks for that will give it a go as picking them off one by one is mind numbing in the extreme as is washing the sooty deposits from the whole plant, anything to rid us of the little pests.

The soap I believe also interferes with their ability to breathe I looked at my 2 and picking them off that would be mind-numbing, but perhaps my strategically placed socks are what have saved mine from an infestation
They are in need of repoting but I'll do that Sept October time I think

 

[EddieVDog]

I grow a few Carnivorous plants.......

 

[ExREME.TECH]

As do ours, Mrs06 is fanatical about not letting them get cold, into the greenhouse if the air temp is going to drop below 5 C.

We do have problems with scale insects infesting the plants which can cause problems. Look out for sticky black deposits on the leaves and ants harvesting the scale insect secretions. We have tried both chemical and physical eradication but only with limited success.

Spray some diluted coffee on them

 

[mush_dad]

I grow a few Carnivorous plants.......
View attachment 673246

Little Shop of Horrors walt

 

[EddieVDog]

Little Shop of Horrors walt

I have a plan, involving selective breeding, strong fertiliser and the ex-wife......

 

[Swamp_Rat]

Some useful tutorials ref growing veg/various.

 

[Grownup_Rafbrat]

Some useful tutorials ref growing veg/various.

They look very good.

For old-school growers, the Dr. Hessayon books are excellent and can be found in charity shops very cheaply. They're not that dear to buy new!

 

[Brooker]

Spray some diluted coffee on them

That works? Does the vinegar solution work as well?

 

[Albertous]

That works? Does the vinegar solution work as well?

No vinegar does not work. The acetic acid in vinegar dries out the leaves so a rather big no no. Never heard of using coffee except the grinds to keep slugs away.

 

[Bacongrills]

This unknown fruit tree I planted shed most of its leaves with some disease , the new growth is not going anywhere, can I prune it back now and save it's energy until year or should I leave it?

 

[Albertous]

This unknown fruit tree I planted shed most of its leaves with some disease , the new growth is not going anywhere, can I prune it back now and save it's energy until year or should I leave it?

View attachment 673485View attachment 673486

It's impossible to say without knowing what the tree is. Given the leaf size it is probably tropical and looks similar to a banana so it might not like out summer so far this year. How long have you had it?

 

[Bacongrills]

It's impossible to say without knowing what the tree is. Given the leaf size it is probably tropical and looks similar to a banana so it might not like out summer so far this year. How long have you had it?

It's an apple or pear you lupin.

 

[Albertous]

It's an apple or pear you lupin.

In that case it has leaf blight you delphinium. Leaf blight can affect both apples and pears (different forms of a fungal virus). Rake up and burn the dropped leaves and cut the branches back to the start of new growth.

It's hard to get rid of though.

 

[ExREME.TECH]

This unknown fruit tree I planted shed most of its leaves with some disease , the new growth is not going anywhere, can I prune it back now and save it's energy until year or should I leave it?

View attachment 673485View attachment 673486

It's a mamba /spice tree

 

[Londo]

This new compost material we are being forced to use gets my back up a bit .
Dries out so quickly . My strawbs are in window boxes . Watered them yesterday and dry as a bone today and it's not even been a hot sunny day .
Tried a few brands now and they are all the same , just doesn't hold moisture .
Visited a garden center today and bought four 100ltr bags of Irish peat and to hell with the environment . . I shall put some of this on the top of the other crap stuff .
Won't be able to get it after this year as next year it will be banned from sale to the public .
Was thinking when I got back in should I return and stock up on more of the peat and then I thought I can always cover the crap stuff in pots and tubs with an inch or two of sterilised top soil when that runs out . I'll do that in the long run I think .

 

[mush_dad]

This new compost material we are being forced to use gets my back up a bit .
Dries out so quickly . My strawbs are in window boxes . Watered them yesterday and dry as a bone today and it's not even been a hot sunny day .
Tried a few brands now and they are all the same , just doesn't hold moisture .
Visited a garden center today and bought four 100ltr bags of Irish peat and to hell with the environment . . I shall put some of this on the top of the other crap stuff .
Won't be able to get it after this year as next year it will be banned from sale to the public .
Was thinking when I got back in should I return and stock up on more of the peat and then I thought I can always cover the crap stuff in pots and tubs with an inch or two of sterilised top soil when that runs out . I'll do that in the long run I think .

We always mix the compost 50/50 with soil, add some seaweed, then mulch the tops of the pots (or top with gravel if there's going to be a slug fest - don;t get me started on the banning of proper slug pellets)

 

[seat_sniffer2]

This new compost material we are being forced to use gets my back up a bit .
Dries out so quickly . My strawbs are in window boxes . Watered them yesterday and dry as a bone today and it's not even been a hot sunny day .
Tried a few brands now and they are all the same , just doesn't hold moisture .
Visited a garden center today and bought four 100ltr bags of Irish peat and to hell with the environment . . I shall put some of this on the top of the other crap stuff .
Won't be able to get it after this year as next year it will be banned from sale to the public .
Was thinking when I got back in should I return and stock up on more of the peat and then I thought I can always cover the crap stuff in pots and tubs with an inch or two of sterilised top soil when that runs out . I'll do that in the long run I think .

Just wondering about the water gel tab/ stuff they use in hanging baskets to retain moisture?

 

[Swamp_Rat]

This new compost material we are being forced to use gets my back up a bit .
Dries out so quickly . My strawbs are in window boxes . Watered them yesterday and dry as a bone today and it's not even been a hot sunny day...

DIY mate.

These things are made from recycled plastic.

£22.50 each or if you and your neighbour chip in together it works out £16.50 a piece.

Put in everything except blood or bone, so layers of clippings, kitchen scraps, shredded paper & *cardboard, chunks of hardarse soil/turf and when it gets almost full, nip down the angling shop for £5 worth of Dendrobaena worms and put them on top the material. Keep feeding em with fresh kitchen waste and after a week or so they will have munched through the bulk, reducing the volume by 25%.

It takes a while for it all to decompose but if you have patience, after six months you can tip it all over and dig it into your patch or mix with the shop bought peat-free stuff to bulk it out, after a couple of weeks it's good to go.

*corrugated cardboard; the wrinkly bit in the middle is held in place with a sugar based glue, so when you just lay it on the ground not only does it retain moisture but also offers nutrition to encourage mycelial growth. Which is the key really.

The mycelium is a sentient intelligence and it's the catalyst that maintains all growth by attaching itself to the root and transferring nourishment from the growing medium. Whether it's in your garden or the old forests, you might think you decide what flourishes but it's the mycelium that manages, regulates and maintains whatever grows there.

 

[Londo]

Just wondering about the water gel tab/ stuff they use in hanging baskets to retain moisture?

I've used that in hanging baskets . If my idea with peat or sterilised top soil doesn't work I'll give that a try .

 

[Londo]

DIY mate.

These things are made from recycled plastic.

£22.50 each or if you and your neighbour chip in together it works out £16.50 a piece.

Put in everything except blood or bone, so layers of clippings, kitchen scraps, shredded paper & *cardboard, chunks of hardarse soil/turf and when it gets almost full, nip down the angling shop for £5 worth of Dendrobaena worms and put them on top the material. Keep feeding em with fresh kitchen waste and after a week or so they will have munched through the bulk, reducing the volume by 25%.

It takes a while for it all to decompose but if you have patience, after six months you can tip it all over and dig it into your patch or mix with the shop bought peat-free stuff to bulk it out, after a couple of weeks it's good to go.

*corrugated cardboard; the wrinkly bit in the middle is held in place with a sugar based glue, so when you just lay it on the ground not only does it retain moisture but also offers nutrition to encourage mycelial growth. Which is the key really.

The mycelium is a sentient intelligence and it's the catalyst that maintains all growth by attaching itself to the root and transferring nourishment from the growing medium. Whether it's in your garden or the old forests, you might think you decide what flourishes but it's the mycelium that manages, regulates and maintains whatever grows there.

I've got three compost bins and use the lovely crumbly stuff from them to put on my veggie patch for my runners and marrows .
I grow a lot of smaller veg. in pots and tubs and for this I use the bought in stuff .