Excitable Boy

Talkback: Carrot crisis

Pash, be aware that although these deals are cheap you may not get your plants for a long time. I ordered some trailing begonias from T&M in April. The order confirmation told me they would be dispatched by end of May. It's now 8 June and their latest dispatch estimate is "a couple of weeks due to weather". I had always believed that plug plants were grown in commercial greenhouses, but obviously not!

Talkback: Most hated plants

Well, I rather LIKE some of the municipal bedding displays - remind me of the seaside when I was five or six! Wouldn't have them in my garden, of course, but there is a place for them.

The plant I dislike more than any is Pyracantha - firethorn. Horrid shapeless thing with nasty sharp thorns which break off in your skin. It also grows ridiculously fast. might be Ok to keep burglars away from office buildings but should have no place in domestic gardens.

bolting onions

sharonnetley50 wrote (see)

Im in the same boat. We use a lot of onoins so planted loads at least half are bolting. The garlic seems to be behaving.

I have only had 4 out of 74 bolt so far - but it is early in the season for bolting in my experience. I am growing red onions - red baron I think - so don't know if that makes a difference. More likely is that I happened to plant during the warm spell in March and they got established quickly, so didn't mind the cold and wet so much.

Lottery really.

Help - pricing toms

Very well done! Have to say they look nice strong plants for 50p!

Help - pricing toms

I'd go 50p for the big ones and 3 for £1 for the little ones if you have sufficient. If you haven't got enough sell them all at 50p. You are there to raise funds - nobody will object to a fair price!

white lilac?

I was hoping you'd say that!!  

bolting onions

Some of my spring-planted sets have bolted too, probably due to the extremes of weather/moisture. I can confirm that blairs is correct in that you can just snip off the flower stalk and use the bolted onions first come harvest time.

I have to say that I have grown onions for many years and there are always a few that bolt so I accept it as part of the game. You have to eat some of them first, so it might as well be the bolters!!

May In Your Garden

Wow Figrat, all your plants are so much further on than mine!

(tries to upload a photo but fails )

white lilac?

figrat wrote (see)

I guess exterminate or propagate! It is in the nature of s.vulgaris to send out suckers. You could dig up the suckers and grow them on - or get rid of the suckers as described in this thread:- http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/plants/lilac-shoots-all-over-the-place/2793.html

Thanks.What happens if I just leave them? Do I get a thicket of Lilac or does it kill the parent..or...?

May In Your Garden

kate1123 wrote (see)

@Excitable boy, you have a son who goes outside, where did you find him???

LOL, he's a student, so I just offer money and cider!!

To be fair he worked really hard yesterday and it's making a big difference. Won't do any "pansy gardening stuff" but he mixed half a tonne of cement yesterday and shifted a tonne and a half of path flint, so I'm not complaining. Of course, after about four hours he's had enough and has to have a lie down by the telly.

Pergola Problem