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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Heaven: The green blade re-riseth (gardening thread anew)
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daisymay
St Elmo's Fire
# 1480
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Posted
My red/orangey lilies are all flowering - I "employed" two teenage girls, neighbours, to water everything in my pots and they have done well all week. ![[Smile]](smile.gif) Narsturiums are shining away, reddish, orageish, yellowish. The hostas are just beginning to show their flower stalks... and I've got to do some huge cuting of the whiteish, pinkish jasmine; it grows up about twenty feet and is still s peading widely, even though it's got about 10 feet wide on the fence above the wall.
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London
Flickr fotos
Posts: 11224 | From: London - originally Dundee, Blairgowrie etc... | Registered: Oct 2001
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Flausa
Mad Woman
# 3466
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Posted
We've planted posies in MA's garden again this year (with praise and applause from his neighbours). Some allum and snapdragons came up from last year, and the silver dust we planted two years ago is still thriving.
On the tomato front, I have thinned and transplanted the plants and now have 8 tomato plants, one of which is really thriving (it's almost twice the size of all the others).
Posts: 4610 | From: bonny Scotland | Registered: Oct 2002
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Anna B
Shipmate
# 1439
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Anna B:
Can anyone tell me how best to harvest blackcurrants? I am going to make preserves. Do I pick off the currants as they ripen or may I wait until all the currants on a branch are more or less the same color? If the latter, may I prune the bushes at the same time by cutting off the canes that produced this year?
I now know the answer to this question, thanks to Mother Experience.
Blackcurrants have to be picked individually, as they ripen, since they do not all ripen at the same time. This is especially crucial when one is making preserves, as one wants to choose those fruits that are just slightly underripe for highest pectin content. The fruit is right for preserves when it is almost, but not quite, black.
When the canes have finished bearing and are completely picked of fruit, they may be pruned off.
Here endeth the Lesson.
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Bad Christian (TM)
Posts: 3069 | From: near a lot of fish | Registered: Oct 2001
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welsh dragon
Shipmate
# 3249
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Posted
And we are harvesting our blueberries . The currants (hopefully blackcurrants, we'll see) are still green.
Meanwhile we've successfully grown about a dozen courgette plants from seed and I am trying to get rid of the surplus at work.
And we have managed to grow about 5 sunflowers from a very out of date seed packet that was in storage with all my stuff, and Dave has been planting them out.
The roses are looking quite good (it's exciting seeing what colours the flowers eventually are).
Posts: 5352 | From: ebay | Registered: Aug 2002
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Matt Black
Shipmate
# 2210
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Posted
I've got garlic growing under my kitchen window (offspring of a bulb I chucked out through said kitchen window when I found it growing legs in the fridge) - when's the best time to 'harvest' it and can you do it in such a way that you can keep it growing/'reproducing'?
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"Protestant and Reformed, according to the Tradition of the ancient Catholic Church" - + John Cosin (1594-1672)
Posts: 14304 | From: Hampshire, UK | Registered: Jan 2002
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obble
Shipmate
# 10868
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Posted
Garlic should normally be harvested in July or August, but it needs a long growing season - when did you throw it out of the window?
The best way to cause it to continue growing when harvested is to plant a few of the cloves again in the autumn, to harvest the next summer.
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Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
Posts: 1700 | From: Some other planet | Registered: Jan 2006
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Matt Black
Shipmate
# 2210
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Posted
Threw it out sometime last year, can't remember when
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"Protestant and Reformed, according to the Tradition of the ancient Catholic Church" - + John Cosin (1594-1672)
Posts: 14304 | From: Hampshire, UK | Registered: Jan 2002
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obble
Shipmate
# 10868
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Posted
In that case, you'd probably be able to harvest it any time in the next few weeks.
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Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
Posts: 1700 | From: Some other planet | Registered: Jan 2006
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Moth
Shipmate
# 2589
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Posted
My hydrangea (a large lace-cap one growing next to a fence in my garden) is covered wirth fairly large sticky, marshmallow like oval blobs on leaves and stems. Any ideas what it is and how to get rid of it? Googling hasn't helped!
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"There are governments that burn books, and then there are those that sell the libraries and shut the universities to anyone who can't pay for a key." Laurie Penny.
Posts: 3446 | From: England | Registered: Apr 2002
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welsh dragon
Shipmate
# 3249
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Posted
3 of our assorted squash seeds belatedly germinated and I despaired of where to plant them, especially as something has been chomping on any courgette plants not protected by the greenouse. I bought another gro-bag and they are down the side of the garage now. (What would chomp courgette seedlings? We don't think we have rabbits, though we do seem to have moles)
We are also harvesting our first cucumbers.
I was puzzled to see that we appear to have a plum tomato plant, as I bought Gardeners Delight and Moneymakers, and the plant doesn't look like any of the pictures.
Really like plum tomatoes though, so that's good!
Posts: 5352 | From: ebay | Registered: Aug 2002
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Ferijen
Shipmate
# 4719
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Posted
Mr ferijen's Mum was growing yellow courgettes at the same time as mine (300 miles away though). I have my first yellow courgette, hers have all been eaten by a rabbit in her very suburban-surrounded-by-houses garden. So you might be unlucky WD!
In other news: first carrots are up, along with beetroot, my garlic hasn't split into cloves but is otherwise fine, peas, beans going nuts, and tomatoes starting to fruit (though need some sunshine to ripen them!). And played a "game" with my next door neighbours kids where they weeded our shared front flower bed and planted some things for me. In the pouring rain.
Posts: 3259 | From: UK | Registered: Jul 2003
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dolphy
Lady of Perpetual Responsiblity
# 862
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by welsh dragon:
(What would chomp courgette seedlings? We don't think we have rabbits, though we do seem to have moles)
My first two lots were eaten by snails and slugs, I even caught them in action. Fortunately my three latest plants have four healthy courgettes ready for picking and eating but, sadly, the other little fruits seem to have gone moldy due to the rain.
My tomato plants are also suffering due to the weather. While they started to produce little cherry toms on their vines, the lack of sunshine seems to be killing the plants. I have fed them and watered them but I fear that the fruits will die.
On the upside, my passion flower is in flower and looks spectacular.
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Looking forward to my rock moving closer again.
Posts: 15134 | From: my camper van | Registered: Jul 2001
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Carex
Shipmate
# 9643
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Matt Black:
I've got garlic growing under my kitchen window (offspring of a bulb I chucked out through said kitchen window when I found it growing legs in the fridge) - when's the best time to 'harvest' it and can you do it in such a way that you can keep it growing/'reproducing'?
The optimum time to harvest it is after the leaves have started to dry out, when there are about 5 or 6 leaves remaining with some green to them. Each leaf corresonds to a layer of wrapper around the cloves, and this is about the right point where there will be enough layers to protect the cloves and hold them together after cleaning. If you leave it too long the cloves are still good, but they won't hold together in a head, and garlic keeps best when the bulbs are left on the base.
The way to keep it growing is to replant cloves, though some types of garlic produce "bulbils" or other reproductive growths, either around the bulb or up on the stems, and these will eventually grow into new plants, though it may take two years to get usable garlic.
Posts: 1425 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Moth
Shipmate
# 2589
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Posted
Any thoughts at all about my hydrangea with white sticky blobs on it? The affected leaves are turning brown, and I'm afraid I'll lose the plant. I'm going to rub off the blobs as much as I can, but I can't work out what they are!
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"There are governments that burn books, and then there are those that sell the libraries and shut the universities to anyone who can't pay for a key." Laurie Penny.
Posts: 3446 | From: England | Registered: Apr 2002
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geroff
Shipmate
# 3882
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Carex:
The way to keep it growing is to replant cloves, though some types of garlic produce "bulbils" or other reproductive growths, either around the bulb or up on the stems, and these will eventually grow into new plants, though it may take two years to get usable garlic. [/QB]
Shop bought garlic rarely is of a variety that will do very well in the UK. If you are serious about growing decent garlic in this country you will be best using a variety such as Thermidrome which I have planted in my garden in Derbyshire with quite good results (a bit small this year but all of the culinary alliums are poor this year). I usually plant individual cloves out in October and harvest bulbs in the following June or July. You are then meant to dig them up and dry them in the sun - which is a bit of a problem this year. One year, when we had an allotment(1998?), I planted 147 cloves and everyone of them turned into a decent sized bulb! I was giving them away! The thing is that each bulb has ten to twelve cloves so 150g of garlic, as sold by the organic catalogue, goes a long way.
Two great things about growing garlic: Its really easy to do and the bulbs are large enough to roast whole!
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"The first principle in science is to invent something nice to look at and then decide what it can do." Rowland Emett 1906-1990
Posts: 1172 | From: Montgomeryshire, Wales | Registered: Jan 2003
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Flausa
Mad Woman
# 3466
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by dolphy:
My tomato plants are also suffering due to the weather. While they started to produce little cherry toms on their vines, the lack of sunshine seems to be killing the plants. I have fed them and watered them but I fear that the fruits will die.
I should send you some of mine once the fruit matures. All seven plants are fruiting like mad and I've given up trying to count new toms coming on. I'm just wondering how much longer it will be before the first ones ripen.
Posts: 4610 | From: bonny Scotland | Registered: Oct 2002
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babybear
Bear faced and cheeky with it
# 34
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Posted
The previous owners of my house paved over the back garden (lovely locally made bricks). It looks very good, and I am loathed to change it just now, although perhaps next spring I shall see about getting some raised beds added. It already has the look and feel of a Mediterranean terrace garden.
I would currently have some tomatoes growing, and also some redcurrants. What other things would work well in pots, especially edibles?
Posts: 13287 | From: Cottage of the 3 Bears (and The Gremlin) | Registered: May 2001
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Curiosity killed ...
Ship's Mug
# 11770
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Posted
Peppers and chillies are good in pots. I've grown a pepper on the windowsill. Would peas work? I've grown sweet peas successfully in pots and the same principle might work (according to the first link below it does). I've also grown radishes and lettuces/salad greens in grow bags with children and you can almost certainly buy "pots" for grow bags.
Recommended plants for recycled tyre beds (school gardens) are potatoes and carrots. But there are more suggestions >> here And this site has a leaflet of suggestions of plants for growing in containers here
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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat
Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006
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Roseofsharon
Shipmate
# 9657
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Roseofsharon:
The materials for my raised beds arrived on the Saturday of the Bank Holiday weekend, and it has taken until today to erect them. There are 3 of them. Two are 8'x4' and 18" deep, the third is 6'x4' and 12" deep
Two and a half of my raised beds are planted up with veggies. One of the 8ft beds has rainbow chard and leeks, the other, which was the last one filled with soil, has two varieties of squash.
The six foot bed, the first to be ready for planting, has too many courgette plants, three 'Gardeners Delight' tomatoes and one mini-pumpkin.
The beans (runner and purple climbing french) are in a non-raised bed - at just over 5ft I have enough trouble picking them when they grow from ground level ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
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Talk about books -any books- on our rejuvenatedforum http://www.bookgrouponline.com/index.php?
Posts: 3060 | From: Sussex By The Sea | Registered: Jun 2005
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welsh dragon
Shipmate
# 3249
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Posted
We have just eaten lasagne that Dave made with aubergine (eggplant), courgettes (zucchini), peppers and tomatoes we grew. We also have started eating home grown runner beans and we have a strange vegetable called an "asparagus pea". We've had about 5 large cucumbers and we bought 12 lettuce seedlings, all but one of which did very well. We are on the final one.
However, all is not rosy in the garden. - Our tomatoes have developed yellow leaves and we are worried that they are about to perish of tomato blight.
- Also, one or two of the courgettes have died on the branch and looked decidedly mouldy as they did so. We do have loads of healthy looking ones though.
- We did have lots of baby cucumbers coming on but they have all ahem fallen off.
- There were a number of flowers coming on the aubergine but after this fruit I can't see any others.
Any ideas?
Posts: 5352 | From: ebay | Registered: Aug 2002
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daisydaisy
Shipmate
# 12167
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by welsh dragon:
We have just eaten lasagne that Dave made with aubergine (eggplant), courgettes (zucchini), peppers and tomatoes we grew. We also have started eating home grown runner beans and we have a strange vegetable called an "asparagus pea". We've had about 5 large cucumbers and we bought 12 lettuce seedlings, all but one of which did very well. We are on the final one.
Wow ![[Yipee]](graemlins/spin.gif)
The slugs ate pretty much everything that I grew this year. Thank goodness for supermarkets.
Posts: 3184 | From: southern uk | Registered: Dec 2006
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obble
Shipmate
# 10868
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Posted
![[Mad]](angryfire.gif) Slugs
I was digging potatoes yesterday and between the slugs and the blight we seem to have lost half the crop.
Still, we've got loads of beans and greengages and lettuces and raddishes (and weeds), so it's not all bad!
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Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
Posts: 1700 | From: Some other planet | Registered: Jan 2006
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Lamb Chopped
Ship's kebab
# 5528
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Posted
We have raised one Very Large Groundhog. We were attempting to raise squash and sweet potatoes.
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Er, this is what I've been up to (book).
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down!
Posts: 20059 | From: off in left field somewhere | Registered: Feb 2004
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welsh dragon
Shipmate
# 3249
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by obble:
:
Still, we've got loads of beans and greengages
I got a kilo of greengages from the local farm shop. We weren't sure what to do with them, but I made a greengage and almond crumble and it worked v well (almonds a traditional partner to the greengage apparently).
Posts: 5352 | From: ebay | Registered: Aug 2002
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daisydaisy
Shipmate
# 12167
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
We have raised one Very Large Groundhog. We were attempting to raise squash and sweet potatoes.
Can one replace sqaush & sweet potatoes on the menu with VLG? I wish slugs were appetising - that way it would feel at least half way fair.
Posts: 3184 | From: southern uk | Registered: Dec 2006
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Yangtze
Shipmate
# 4965
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Yangtze:
However, in the meantime I haven't been able to resist a bit of planting in pots.
I have two tomato plants and two squash plants from [drum roll]......Lambeth Palace. I like to believe they were tended from seed by the Archbish himself! <snip>
As has the rocket seed I scattered over the bed.
The runner bean seeds on the other hand have not yet emerged as shoots so I'm assuming either the squirrels got them or the cats.
Well ++Rowan's tomato plants were of two different varieties, they're in the same large pot and one has done brilliantly and has loads of fruit and the other one is definitely as slow starter.
The squash are tiny but delicious. The rocket went completely mad and I've been stuffing myself on rocket and turning up at dinner parties with bags of it instead of the usual wine/chocolate/flowers.
The runner beans never did appear. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
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Arthur & Henry Ethical Shirts for Men
organic cotton, fair trade cotton, linen
Sometimes I wonder What's for Afters?
Posts: 2022 | From: the smallest town in England | Registered: Sep 2003
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daisymay
St Elmo's Fire
# 1480
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Posted
We've got Parks Gardeners now working across the road from me to save the "garden" that's under the trees, where dogs and human beings have been using it for the last three years as a "toilet".
They've cleared out concrete, shit, bricks and roots, and have brought and spread loads of real soil. They've put on wires along the back, the wall, to attach things like jasmine (they are taking a couple of my smallish jasmine plants). Now they are making a wooden fence to protect the soil and plants from the lot who've been attacking it.
I've been providing coffee. biscuits and water for them - they are really nice blokes ![[Overused]](graemlins/notworthy.gif)
My spiky asparagus is going there, still alive since waiting for being planted out of its starving pot; the Chief Gardener reckons he needs to prune it It should be very useful once the fence is removed to attack the shitters ![[Devil]](graemlins/devil.gif) two of the Gardeners have helped me to bring it up from my basement; they had leather gloves and I have scratches on my hands and arms that look like self-harm. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
I am feeling so pleased!
And my beans that I planted late this year have not yet provided any beans - just still flowers...
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London
Flickr fotos
Posts: 11224 | From: London - originally Dundee, Blairgowrie etc... | Registered: Oct 2001
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Lamb Chopped
Ship's kebab
# 5528
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Posted
I suspect that one of Campbellite's kitten recipes would work very well on our groundhog.
My husband's not too enthused, for some reason.
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Er, this is what I've been up to (book).
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down!
Posts: 20059 | From: off in left field somewhere | Registered: Feb 2004
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daisydaisy
Shipmate
# 12167
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Posted
Today I became an allotment holder
It is rather overgrown with thistles at the moment so clearing it will keep me out of mischief for a while, but it isn't so bad and I think I should be able to start planting soon. As well as the thistles I inherit a rhubarb plant, a strawberry plot, a frame for runner beans and (best of all) a shed. Although it is the smallest of the allotments on offer it still seems huge to me, so I'll tackle a small bit of it at a time.
So.... this afternoon I am off to pick some blackberries & do a bit of digging (now where did I hide that Radox? )
Posts: 3184 | From: southern uk | Registered: Dec 2006
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welsh dragon
Shipmate
# 3249
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Posted
It sounds great daisydaisy!
I have a couple of questions
1) Is Moss A Weed? (We have some in our borders and I'm not sure if it's a sign of gardening indolence or sort of cute) and
2) a neighbour just identified a mid-size shrub as elder. Unfortunately it is too late for the flowers, and there don't seem to be any berries. I prob should try to get rid of it, but how?
Posts: 5352 | From: ebay | Registered: Aug 2002
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Lamb Chopped
Ship's kebab
# 5528
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Posted
Moss is not a weed. It's a Feature.
No, seriously, it's pretty, it's green, and it never needs cutting--what's not to like? Some people grôw whole yards of it. And others envy them.
It's really a sign of abundant shade and moisture. Which is not bad.
Speâling.
[ 22. August 2007, 21:45: Message edited by: Lamb Chopped ]
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Er, this is what I've been up to (book).
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down!
Posts: 20059 | From: off in left field somewhere | Registered: Feb 2004
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pimple
Ship's Irruption
# 10635
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Posted
How to get rid of Elder? Unlessit's one of the ornamental golden ones, anywhichway you can. Cut it down. Dig it up. Axe it. Ringbark it. Poison it with Ammonium Sulphamate. A small-sized shrub soon becomes a large-sized tree. Pigeons get all the fruit then shit purple all over your chrysanthemums. Elderflower cordial is delicious but there's plenty elderflower to be had in the open country.
One word of warning. If you cut an elder tree you will be struck by lightning. Ah no, sorry - if you don't cut an elder tree you won't be struck by lightning. Big deal. Does the elder put it in writying, pay compensation if you get zapped anyway? Cut it, smash it, obliterate it.
As you may have guessed, one of my dearest customers has an elder tree in her garden. She loves it. Even more than me. There's going o come a time when there ain't room for the two of us....
Oh yes, I forgot. Flamethrowers are useful. Also nitro-glycerine, semtex...
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In other words, just because I made it all up, doesn't mean it isn't true (Reginald Hill)
Posts: 8018 | From: Wonderland | Registered: Nov 2005
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ken
Ship's Roundhead
# 2460
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Posted
I like elder. I planted some in my little garden and it is dong very well.
Worth pointing out that there are three distinct kinds of elder grwoing wild in Britain
The commonest one is the elder tree that gives the beautiful flowers and nice berries. Its one of the loveliest of our trees I think, managing to look ancient and wizened when its only a few years old, and its a native plant. Its very fast growing up to about 4 or 5 metres then stops - in some ways hardly a tree at all. Every garden should have one. And you can use the new shoots as peashooters. Every garden should have one.
Then there is the much rarer dwarf elder which doesn't taste or smell so nice, but looks pretty, and only grows about a metre or two high. It is not at all common. Likes wet ground. The only place I know it from is the sewage works near Stratford in London.
Then there is ground elder. This is a notorious weed in those places where it grows well. I'm not sure where they are, because it doesn't grow at all round here (South London) not does it grow back home in Brighton, or anywhere else I regularly visit. So I am unfamiliar with it. I suppose I could look it up...
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Ken
L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.
Posts: 39579 | From: London | Registered: Mar 2002
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ken
Ship's Roundhead
# 2460
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Posted
Ah... I looked it up. Ground elder is not an elder at all (Sambucus, related to honeysuckle and Viburnum). Its Aegopodium a perennial umbellifer. If you've got that then the thing to do is probably to pull it up bnefore it forms seed. And keep pulling every few months for a couple of years.
[ 23. August 2007, 04:19: Message edited by: ken ]
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Ken
L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.
Posts: 39579 | From: London | Registered: Mar 2002
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Curiosity killed ...
Ship's Mug
# 11770
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by ken:
Then there is ground elder. This is a notorious weed in those places where it grows well. I'm not sure where they are...
West Country - Dorset
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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat
Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006
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daisydaisy
Shipmate
# 12167
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Posted
Elder is pretty in the right place, and it is a very determined plant - you can cut it right down to the ground one year, and it will return just as bushy the next. Green twigs will take root if you cut them then leave them on the ground, or if you use them as plant supports. Fallen berries will become new plants.
If you want to remove it then it's probably best to take the roots out.
The flowers have several uses, but some of them smell/taste sweeter than others (I am told it's a m:f thing) so you might want to be choosy when picking them. You can dip them in batter and deep fry them, or make cordial, or fizzy wine, and I've known them included in jam (can't remember what they went with though) and in a salve for ointment (can't remember what that was used for).
But the berries... if only I could find something useful or tasty to make from them! I've made a cordial (absolutely disgusting!), a pie (yeuch), and about 3 years ago made a relish that has to stand around for 5 years before using, so I don't know what that will be like.
Thankfully the blackbirds love these berries, although they do tend to leave a purple-ish residue!
quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
quote:
Originally posted by ken:
Then there is ground elder. This is a notorious weed in those places where it grows well. I'm not sure where they are...
West Country - Dorset
and Hampshire
Posts: 3184 | From: southern uk | Registered: Dec 2006
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daisydaisy
Shipmate
# 12167
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Posted
I forgot to add photos of day 1 at the allotment.
It's a little bit daunting so I am only tackling the area in the first photo at the moment. I've managed about 2 hours there each day so far and have taken 8 large bags (2 bags each visit) of weeds to the communal composting heap. Yesterday I had a taste of what is to come because a friendly neighbour gave me 2 heads of sweetcorn which were very yummy when I had them for my tea.
Posts: 3184 | From: southern uk | Registered: Dec 2006
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Curiosity killed ...
Ship's Mug
# 11770
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by daisydaisy:
The flowers have several uses, but some of them smell/taste sweeter than others (I am told it's a m:f thing) so you might want to be choosy when picking them. You can dip them in batter and deep fry them, or make cordial, or fizzy wine, and I've known them included in jam (can't remember what they went with though)
Elderflowers are good with gooseberries. There is a recipe for green gooseberry and elderflower jam in Margaret Costa's: Four Seasons Cookbook. Hugh Fernley Whittingstall also has recipes for gooseberry and elderflower ice cream and elderflower sorbet, but big fat zero for elderberries. I have tried elderberry wine - really, really not worth the effort, that funny musty sort of flavour comes through.
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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat
Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006
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Beenster
Shipmate
# 242
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Posted
Can anyone shed any light on this? Last autumn, I planted some bulbs, most of which came up happily. A few, I planted in nice tubs. Imagine my surprise when I noticed they are coming up again. Some of them that is - just in one tub. I am not sure which ones are coming up - I think they will be Muscari - from the shape of the leaf and my poor memory of what I planted in that pot. Does anyone have a clue why I may get this second blessing of bulbs in one year?
Posts: 1885 | Registered: May 2001
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Lamb Chopped
Ship's kebab
# 5528
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Posted
Some bulbs just do this. I think it has to do with the autumn temps being similar to spring.
But you may not get flowers, just leaves. If you DO get flowers, count yourself blessed. Then go into the office and brag (hey, will they know?).
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Er, this is what I've been up to (book).
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down!
Posts: 20059 | From: off in left field somewhere | Registered: Feb 2004
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Beenster
Shipmate
# 242
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Posted
Thanks LC. It is pleasing I have to say. I was wondering if it were a climatic thing - following a rubbish summer and having had a few warm days and perhaps the bulbs were being fooled into believing that this were spring?
Posts: 1885 | Registered: May 2001
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welsh dragon
Shipmate
# 3249
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Posted
By the way, has anyone any experience with fruit trees that you can fit into a small space? I have been googling them and they are variously described as
- supercolumns
- legs
- stepover
- minarette
I think "dwarf" varieties are actually a bit larger.
We have been walking round the garden trying to work out where we could fit some of these plants in. The smallest - which I think are supercolumns - can go in a row 2 feet apart apparently. The stepover ones are only 1 1/2 feet high and about 6 feet long and are used in borders it seems.
We were wondering how much these things need to be in the sun - if they are that low then it would be hard to position them without some degree of overshadowing - and how well they work.
Someone also mentioned they have an apple tree with 5 different varieties grafted on. I haven't seen more than 3 on one tree in the UK. We do have a corner where we could put a medium sized fruit tree. There are also dual minarettes. Again any advice very much welcomed...
Posts: 5352 | From: ebay | Registered: Aug 2002
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Carex
Shipmate
# 9643
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by welsh dragon:
By the way, has anyone any experience with fruit trees that you can fit into a small space?
The original columnar method was developed in France. Basically by having the fruit grow direcly from the trunk the trees could be planted 1 metre apart. I haven't heard of a "super column", but I presume it is an extension of this approach. I did hear one person talking about trying to grow such trees in his yard, and it appears that some varieties are rather too vigourous for this and require constant pruning.
I'm not familiar with the other approaches, but I know such trees can be espaliered against a wall, and one local orchard grows apples on long trellises that look like grapes, but taller.
quote:
We were wondering how much these things need to be in the sun - if they are that low then it would be hard to position them without some degree of overshadowing - and how well they work.
Sun is good. Just as with grapes, the trellises ran north/south to maximize the amout of light that the plants received. If you plant several columns together, the sun will shine through them in various ways throughout the day, so they probably should get enough light. But if some are taller they should be planted on the north side of the group so they don't shade the others.
quote:
Someone also mentioned they have an apple tree with 5 different varieties grafted on. I haven't seen more than 3 on one tree in the UK. We do have a corner where we could put a medium sized fruit tree. There are also dual minarettes. Again any advice very much welcomed...
We have two trees with about 30 varieties of apples on each. Your best bet is to get some good initial stock then graft on other varieties yourself. Grafting apples isn't hard - I usually do it in February or March when pruning the trees, before the buds break. If you know someone with a tree of a variety you want, just get a couple of sticks from their pruning and try it. That way you can get your favourite varieties rather than the most common ones.
There is a local group that gets together for a scion wood exchange every Spring. We usually sort and label our prunings and take them to share with others. They typically have over 200 varieties of apples available, plus other types of fruit.
An excellent book on grafting techniques is The Grafter's Handbook by R. J. Garner of the East Malling Research Station, published in association with The Royal Horticultural Society. But that is far more than you need to get started grafting apples.
Posts: 1425 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Mrs. Candle
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# 9422
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Posted
Oh, happy day! After seven years of failure, I finally managed to get some edible fruit from a Black Russian tomato plant. Standing in the garden and eating the sun-warmed fruit was one of my most rewarding moments ever.
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Je suis le président de Burundi.
Posts: 869 | From: CO elev. 4960 ft. | Registered: Apr 2005
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Mamacita
Lakefront liberal
# 3659
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Posted
*bump*
Gotta get those tulip bulbs in....
[eta: Forgot the "s". It wouldn't be so difficult if there were only 1.]
[ 16. November 2007, 02:42: Message edited by: Mamacita ]
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Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.
Posts: 20761 | From: where the purple line ends | Registered: Dec 2002
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Anna B
Shipmate
# 1439
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Posted
No kidding.
It's colder than a witch's out there.
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Bad Christian (TM)
Posts: 3069 | From: near a lot of fish | Registered: Oct 2001
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Roseofsharon
Shipmate
# 9657
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Posted
25 cotoneaster franchetii were delivered yesterday, and today has seen the hardest frost of the winter so far.
Just a couple of degrees warmer, that's all I want, so the ground is warm/soft enough to plant them.
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Talk about books -any books- on our rejuvenatedforum http://www.bookgrouponline.com/index.php?
Posts: 3060 | From: Sussex By The Sea | Registered: Jun 2005
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Roseofsharon
Shipmate
# 9657
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Posted
The weather warmed up a couple of degrees, and I got the hedge planted. It is now bucketing down with rain to settle them in - and I am stiff and aching in all sorts of strange places. ![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
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Talk about books -any books- on our rejuvenatedforum http://www.bookgrouponline.com/index.php?
Posts: 3060 | From: Sussex By The Sea | Registered: Jun 2005
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Flausa
Mad Woman
# 3466
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Posted
Somehow, two of our tomato plants survived for two weeks without watering when we were on holiday, and they are still producing fruit! I had one yesterday and is was lovely and juicy. I'm definitely planting these again in the spring.
Posts: 4610 | From: bonny Scotland | Registered: Oct 2002
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