Berghill

Sharp sand drainage properties

Exactly.

Our soil is silt over a sand substrate and even after all the rain we have had, the soil is now beginning to become very dry after only a week or so of no rain.

As said grain size and shape determine the ability (if that is the right word) of sand to allow water to pass through.

Deutzia dilemma

Bit worried about the slow growth of Frank'sDeutzia. All of ours grow 3 to 4 feet a year after flowering is over and need a trim to keep them within bounds.

Sharp sand drainage properties

I have been reading around and asking about sharp sand and drainage.

That said, all sands improve drainage as they create channels or pores for the water to travel through. There are some fascinating, (and a lot of very dry  ) books on the subject - mainly aimed at sports turf management.

That is a quote from a Soil Management student.

So Daituom have you read these books?

Deutzia dilemma

If they are too tall, then cut them back by about half. That way you will get more new branches from below the cut and thus more flowers next season.

Sharp sand drainage properties

Fascinated by this. Are you then saying that  the advice and the practices of all those famous and successful growers of rare and difficult alpines have been wasting their time adding sharp sand (often Cornish silver sand which is as sharp as it comes) to their compost mixes? They have been doing this for the last 100 years or so.

Sharp sand drainage properties

Are you sure it was sharp sand?

strange fruit

Looks like the sap one gets when a Plum moth larva has entered/exited the fruit.

Damping off

Copper sulpate is still available.which is basically what Cheshunt was. No longer allowed to be sold as a fungicide, but can be bought (I am told) in Wine making outlets..

Glut of apples

Core them and fill with dried fruit and the amount of Syrup you need to sweeten to your taste, bake in the Microwave until soft. Allow to cool and then freeze, They only need 2 minutes in the micro-wave to reheat and served with whatever you like from Custard to Creme Fraiche or even like me Soya cream they are lovely.

grass cuttings

It is a shame really, throwing away material which could be turned into usable stuff and then having to buy it back again.

I sometimes think the amount of work involved in turning grass in to compost is not worth the effort for the amount one gets. 12 months worth produces a few cubic feet of it and a lot of back ache!

Mind it would take a few bin loads to get rid of even one mowing of our paths so the choice is not really there.

And if this rain does not stop there is going to be even more of it, nothing else is growing as it should, but boy is the grass.

Potato problem

Plant id

Photo size

Sheds

A mild annoyance

Helleborus x hybridus

Timber

Silene and Phlox roots

Anyone used this mower

An invitation to View June 2012

A few of our bulbs.