Tee Gee

B&Q M.Purpose Compost Issues.

Thanks for your suggestions Margot

My plan is to search all the forums I have been involved with over the last year or so and get links to the various threads on the issue including this thread.

I had hoped this thread would have brought more response than it has so over the next day or two I will research the subject on line and contact Which,B&Q plus Wickes.

Subject to any response from them, I will also send copies of any correspondence to my MP.

I have even considered sending the same information to MP's throughout the country, as this is not just a local issue, it is national,  so the more MP's that get involved the better (assuming any get involved)

B&Q M.Purpose Compost Issues.

Apparently there are two batches of B&Q three for a tenner composts on the market. I found this out as a user on another forum posted a picture of a bag she bought and it is slightly different from the ones I bought. I am guessing that the batch that is giving the problems is old stock and has become contaminated. I have told this lady of the problems I and others are having with this stuff and she is going to trial it and report back to me. Once she does I will reply to this thread. BTW I have lost all the plants I potted up with this c** p including a ??60 collection of Streptocarpus I have bought. When I purchased the Wickes stuff which they declared was not suitable for seed sowing I decided to use the B&Q stuff as a seed compost. The seeds germinated OK but stopped growing on inspection I found that the roots had burned away. When I discovered this I re- pricked out all the seedling that had been started off in the B&Q including dipping them in water to wash off all traces of this dodgy seed compost. So it's fingers crossed that this will work ! To date I have lost over 200 plants and I am not a very happy bunny! Last year I was similarly affected with a compost named " Growell" when I lost over a thousand plant. I am now and the end of my tether with this compost issue. I have gardened for over forty years and I am now thinking of giving it up, trouble is I do not know what I will do in its place. If I thought i would be listened to I would contact my MP and point him to the numerous threads on the net like this but I won't hold my breath if I do. I am totally p****d of of the with blanket decisions these Euro politicians keep coming out with. If only they would ask the users first before they set these laws in stone. If they had asked me for instance I could give them a solution that would save more peat than the current procedures are doing and the users would not have to buy this stuff that is not fit for purpose. I ask the question; what can we Gardeners / users do to alleviate this problem. It would be nice to know your opinions then perhaps we could link the powers that be to this thread. Sorry for the rant but I just had to get this off my chest...Tg

lettuce

When the lettuce seeds germinate is it safe to prick them out to where they will finally grow,

You do not say where you are but I would say it is a bit early to do this.

But having said that if you have some on the go you can prick out a few into individual 3" pots and grow them on in a cool greenhouse or cold frame until it is the right time to plant them out, this will give you a head start!

or should they be sown into where they will finally grow,

Too early for this! This link might answer your questions better;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Lettuce/Lettuce.htm

Blue Lake Pencil Beans

They can two weeks or more to germinate subject to conditions, so be patient. Be careful with watering as this can cause them to rot. You got them at a swap shop was there a use by date on the packet? Older seeds can take longer to germinate and the% success rate can be relatively lower than that of fresh seeds. If they are not through in another week try teasing a seed out to see if they have rotted off.

Desperately seeking tulip Captain Fryatt

This variety is no longer available see here;

http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/Botanic/NewsItem.aspx?p=27&ix=42&pid=2820&prcid=4&ppid=2820

Talkback: Ask Adam

Hi Swiss Suze

I hope you don't mind me butting in.

This link might help for now until such times as Adammgets around to answer your question...Tg

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Compost/Compost.htm

Making Compost

This is how I make my compost which is more or less the same way as you;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Composting/Composting.htm

plants dying - conifer

At first I thought it was wind damage but I think the garden wall will protect it from this. But another thought is it might be a " frost pocket" se here; http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Frost%20%20pockets/Frost%20Pockets.htm I would try nipping the tips off the affected branches and hopefully ( providing you don't cut back too far it might green up again. That's about all I have to offer I'm afraid so it's fingers crossed that what I have suggested works.......Tg

plants dying - conifer

I have had another look at the top picture and I am not quite sure if the lighter coloured areas are light brown( tan coloured) or pale green. If it is the former then it could be wind damage so to overcome this nip of the brown tips back to green foliage but no further. If you cut back to the dark brown area this is too much, and the tree will not replace the foliage. If the light areas are pale green this could be new growth which will grow darker as the season progresses and the tips mature. To improve the soil will be difficult short of digging around the the base which might damage the shallow roots. What I would do is rake back the gravel by 6" to 12" spread a general slow release fertiliser such as fish blood and bone. Apply this at the rate is states on the box. Do not be tempted to add more than it says as too much can do the reverse of what you want it to do. Once you have spread the fertiliser cover the area with bark chippings rather than the gravel,this will keep the area moist and save the need for watering, plus it will eventually rot down and the worms will take it into the soil. I would be interested in a closer picture of the lighter coloured areas to see what is happening. Regarding the large tree it just looks if it wants a bit of tidying up once the frost have passed say June / July time. Again only cut the tips of the branches leaving a bit of green on each cut branch. If you go back further you will create brown ares which may not green up again. I hope that helps

hydrangea flower heads dead

There could be a number of reasons the most common is where it is located. Does it get the morning sun in winter. If it does, what happens is the plant gets frosted around dawn then when the sun rises it thaws the plant out too quickly and you end up with frost damage. Looking at your picture I think this might have happened to avoid this you could do a couple of things for example; if frost is forecast you could cover it overnight with fleece. Another thing you can do, but it will require you to get up before the morning sunshine and spray the plant with cold clean water and this will remove the frost before the sun can do any damage. The good news with your plant is I don' t think you will have lost any flower heads as I don't think they will have appeared yet in your area. You might have a few damaged growing tips which usually means it is going to delay the flowering time because the plant has to produce new flowering spurs. This link might give you a better insight to hydrangea growing; http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Hydrangea/Hydrangea.htm

Harrogate Spring Show - 2012