Gardeners!

[Dave 123]

When were you there Dave. I did Pershore 74-76.

I was in St Savoiurs infant school 74-76!!!!!

 

[PaulSB]

@Dave 123

 

[rich p]

Others experience would be very welcome as I don't believe this is bad luck, inexperience or incompetence

I have had mixed results with flowers and veg seeds this year but I do put this down to incompetence! I may be doing myself an injustice .
Most packets say that you can get a refund if they're a failure. I've never actually tried it though.

 

[wormo]

@PaulSB

I usually use T&M seed. This year 2 varieties of Nasturtium have drawn a blank. Nasturtium!!!
T&M are annoyingly expensive, but as a rule I find them to be of good quality.

My mum once told me about Kings seed, saying it was good. I bought some veg seed. Some of it was hit and miss.

Other than the Nasturtium failure it’s been productive this year.

Oh, and Reasheath was miles better than Pershore....!

My Nasturtiums have been pretty poor this year. Think I did them too early. Last two weeks everything is romping away.

 

[MartinQ]

Reminder for anyone in the Chester area, next Sunday 5th May.
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/gardeners.222547/post-5590760

Even got a limited supply of Nasturtiums .

 

[mudsticks]

Before retiring in 2016 I spent 44 years in professional horticulture following training at Pershore College of Horticulture, at the time recognised as the best in the country. I feel I know a thing or two about growing plants along with many other aspects of horticulture.

I've had an allotment for 35+ years but did not give it sufficient attention for many years prior to my retirement. The first spring of retirement was to correct this in many ways, new raised beds, significant soil enrichment, new paths, 800 litres of water storage, protection for young crops etc. I now have a highly productive piece of land. This year I decided to grow more young plant material from seed including many standard vegetables such as leeks, runner beans, lettuce, Cavolo Nero, peas etc. and a number of annuals, admittedly tricky ones, such as Verbena bonariensis, Cosmos sulphureus, Cosmos xanthos and Black Eyed Suzie. On the vegetable side I have previously germinated and grown these types successfully.

Germination has been appalling with the exception of Cavolo Nero. Even the beans have required a second sowing just to get the numbers I need! In some instances I have less than 5 (five) seedings from a packet. I have three thoughts in mind:

1. Are other gardeners having difficulty with germination in 2019? In which case it may be the season?
2. All of the seed came from Kings seeds, chosen for no reason other than our local retail nursery stocks these. Is this typical of their quality?
3. Do others have seed companies they have found especially successful?

Others experience would be very welcome as I don't believe this is bad luck, inexperience or incompetence.

I've had a pretty good year for germination on the whole.

Sounds like you're a pretty experienced grower so it must either be, the seeds or the compost / substrate.

I mainly grow vegetables from seed.
Moles seeds are very good, as are CN (commercial - but they accept any orders if you can make it up to £50)..Seeds of Italy (Franchi) are also quality.

The garden centre might not have stored the seed so wel? Hanging on a rack in a hot shop isn't ideal really.

Otherwise maybe the compost?

There were some duff proprietary batches a few years back, I can't remember the name of the chemical herbicide that i believe was getting into processed greenwaste, through a lawn treatment iirc

For substrate I swear by Klasmanns organic peat free, it's like sowing into brown sugar. Not cheap, but really consistent quality.

I mainly do module sowing, for less stress of transplants
The peat free you have to literally buy a lorry load straight from Germany - I do a group buy with other growers - but horti suppliers in this country (I think CES) do their other sorts which you can buy as individual bags.

My worst sowing problem this year has been with pesky mice.

Getting onto the heated propagation bench, digging up and scoffing all the early aubergine, and sweet peppers just as they germinated
Grrrr.

Had time to resow but still is annoying.

My on-farm trainee is trialling cropping lentils this year (again the mice are very keen) but I guess even if they come to naught in terms of foodstuf, they will make a decent green manure.

Still plenty time to resow everything though - as you well know, stuff catches up - and even can overtake the earlier sown things.

Happy allotmenting.

My fantasy veg garden would be a couple of metres square.

Multiple acres takes far too much time out of ones cycling life..

 

[Jody]

Can anyone recommend food for potted Japanese Maples? I've been using ericaceous liquid feed but not sure its the right stuff.

 

[Dave 123]

Can anyone recommend food for potted Japanese Maples? I've been using ericaceous liquid feed but not sure its the right stuff.

I use Maxicrop feeds for everything.

 

[Dave 123]

Geum Mrs Bradshaw

Allium purple sensation on its way

 

[MartinQ]

Raised ~£600 at the plant sale a couple of weeks ago. Going to Thrombosis UK, Bloodwise and the local residents association.
Thanks (again) to @Dave 123 for the seeds / cuttings last year.

 

[Dave 123]

Some pics from my blustery garden

The banana plants are surplus from work, so I’m making use of them for the summer

The citrus trees just starting to flower

And the grape needs thinning out

So we’ve moved away from veg growing and I’m just filling the raised beds with any old flowering plants, the brief is- just chuck it in, see what happens.

 

[Mrs M]

Some pics from my blustery garden

The banana plants are surplus from work, so I’m making use of them for the summer
View attachment 468148
View attachment 468149
View attachment 468150
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The citrus trees just starting to flower
View attachment 468154

And the grape needs thinning out

View attachment 468155

So we’ve moved away from veg growing and I’m just filling the raised beds with any old flowering plants, the brief is- just chuck it in, see what happens.

Looks great!
Are they purple Abyssinian bananas?

 

[Dave 123]

Looks great!
Are they purple Abyssinian bananas?

They is!

 

[Mrs M]

Poor Snapdragons
Bought these around 4 weeks ago from B&Q, as Homebase nearby is closed.
Look like they want to flower but nothing is happening, some in pots, some in the ground.
Know the bees love them so that’s why I bought them
In Miracle Grow compost, well watered and we’ve had some sun!

 

[booze and cake]

Living in a top flat I don't have a garden, but here's some pics I got from nice gardens I visited with with my Mum in Ireland last week.
Kelly's Hotel Garden Rosslare.

Palm flowering

JFK Arboretum, New Ross, Wexford
Cork oak bark

Multi-coloured.

Kimokea Gardens

Some fairy houses