obelixx

Ive been told,

Tea contains water, obviously, and minerals too so is good for plants.

Don't use rooting gel or powder so can't help with that.

Clematis montana problem

Wildlife friendlypellets do not harm anything except slugs and snails.  Any surplus breaks down into the soil to make a harmless iron compound whereas metaldehyde based pellets kill or make ill all sortsof other creatures.  

I'm not suggesting blanket pelleting so there will be plenty of slugs and snails left over in other parts of the garden to feed hedgehogs and thrushes.  Recent studies indicate that hedgehogs don't actually eat that many slugs anyway.

Clematis montana problem

Put some wildlife friendly slug pellets out now if it's warm and then again on Valentine's Day (cos it's easy to remember) and at regular intervbals throughout spring.  this way you'll get the blighters just before the hibernate and also when they emerge, hatch and before they start to munch and breed.   Used sparingly but regularly they can save clematis, hostas and other plants from becoming slug and snail gourmet feasts.

Growing under holly

I have a holly hedge and weeds seem to manage very well under there.  As you can imagine it's a pain to clean up so we're going to have on last good go and then put down weed suppressant fabric and chipped bark.

If your holly is a tree or large bush and you can raise the crown by removing lower branches you should be able to get some plants growing.  Improve the soil with a thick mulch of good garden compost and or well rotted manure now and leave it till spring to plant up with things like geranium macrorhizum which copes well with dry conditions, has pretty white or pink flowers in May and scented foliage which is usually evergreen.   It turns a glorious red in autumn and lasts through winter.  You just need to pull or cut off the tatty bits on spring.

clay soil

Patience and ever more manure and compost.  Lay it on in thick layers in autumn and leave it over the winter for the worms and frosts to play with.    It will get better and clay soil is very fertile.

Pumpkins

Try some of the smaller varieties like Kutchi kuri which may well ripen more easily than teh larger ones.   A packet of seeds won't break the bank.  Start them off in individual pots on the window sill in April to have plants to put out after the last frosts of May.  That should give them time to ripen well.  Make sure their soil has been improved with plenty of good garden compost and/or well rotted manure so it is fullof nutirents and retains moisture as they are hungry, thirsty plants.

Insulating Greenhouses

Bubble wrap.  Buy it in sheets off a roller in a good garden centre or DIY store.  If you have an aluminium frame, you can also buy the little clips that slot into the frame to attach it.

I've had mine for several years and it's still in fine fettle.   I'm going to buy some more to make a double layer to insulate the lower walls better.

Bitter beetroot

I know that a lack of magnesium is thought to make tomatoes taste bitter so maybe it's the same for beetroot.  Also, if your soil is acid, some plants can find it difficult to take up magnesium so try giving them a weak dose of Epsom Salts every couple of weeks next year - 1 tsp to a gallon - poured over the foliage and around the plant but not on  sunny days.

Clematis

A good handful per plant lightly forked in around the base.    Good to add to the soil at planting time too.

Advice On Garden Design

Well, Plainleaf did first come to notice as Grid Gardener advocating square foot gardening.   Oops, what a give away.

Hello Jro - and any other old friends

Mare's tail

Encouraging bats in our gardens

Beechgrove this weekend

Weekend 22 March

Good Morning - 21 March

Choosing chillies

Hanging baskets and window boxes

New shed - any tips?