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Surely these are slow or struggling?
I was told by my neighbour that things don't grow at the base of my garden. However, I went ahead and planted a few small trees. Some are looking very good a year in but some are less healthy looking.
My two lilacs are such a contrast. My raspberry looks like a twig. Surely the raspberry should be producing leaves by now. I bought them from our local gc which is usually very good.
Any nay comments guys? I'm being reassured the lilac will make it ........I'm not convinced.
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What's under that gravel? Was that area treated with a long-acting weedkiller before the grave was put down? Does the neighbour know?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
A mysterious prediction by your neighbour - there must be more to it.
Yes he said the builder had left mix from making cement and it affected the soil. That was 12 years ago. Funnily that was in the side of the garden where the trees are growing well. When I planted I dug an extra large hole. Put in compost at the base and around the sides and then filled in the soil. I can't figure why one side is growing well and the other is poorer. Although, I watched breech grove garden recently and they were mentioning the smell of the soil. I noticed that the soil was damp, sticky, and slightly rotten smell. But I thought the compost would help a bit. I'm going to remove the gravel and put in some soil mixed with compost anyway. I am pleased with the fact that most of the trees are coming on well. I planted gooseberries, buddleia, lilac and two apple trees along with the suspiciously dormant raspberries. Nearly everything is coming on well. But the lilac and apple on the right hand side are not growing great yet. At least they're not dead! Would ,mulching be enough at this point if I lift the gravel? I assume digging them up would be an autumn job if they don't improve?
Those raspberries ought to be sending up lots of shoots from below ground all around those canes from last year. Mine are rampaging across the fruit garden ............
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Not good so, curiously the gooseberries and black currants beside them are going well now. Do you think they're in trouble dove?
Well, as I said, mine are growing like mad - but those sticks wouldn't be sprouting new shoots, they should be coming from below ground around there - it might be a little early for them if it's their first year - you've not been weeding or hoeing around them have you?
I'd do as Verdun suggests - I always do what Verdun suggests
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Ah, well it would help if I didn't have plastic sheeting under some of the gravel then. Out I go to lift the gravel and sheeting. I didn't know they grew by underground shoots. See, a complete idiot me lol.
I just lifted out the lilac that wasnt growing well after a chat with the local gc. The base of the hole was damp, quite damp. Terrible soil reàlly. I have put in lots of gravel at the bottom, then loads of compost and fresh clean soil and replanted. Here's hoping. Turns out the end of the garden is very damp underneath.
thanks for the help guys, like I say, it's been a steep learning curve this last year. All that plastic sheeting and gravel is going. I just got a quote from the gc.... £20 per tonne for screened top soil and will deliver for £30 not bad I think.
Your raspberries may need separating if they are three canes and not one plant. I got differing advice on this when I asked earlier in the year. I started off by planting as one plant, but there was very little growth so two weeks ago I separated them into three plants and they have rocketed. I don't think now is the best time to do this, although I only did mine two weeks ago and they have really benefitted.
This is how is was....
And this is how they are now....
are the raspberries summer or autumn fruiting? My autumn ones hav'nt got going yet.