Zoomer44

old compost

Hi, rovnos

Not sure why beds don't over flow if you keep adding compost, the thought had crossed my mind but after 3 years off adding compost the level is pretty much the same now as it was then It's had bags of horse and mushroom compost added over the years along with leaf mould. The term 'rot down' is used lot so presumably it does just that and reduces in volume.

I reuse some of my compost from pots, not always advisably though, as there might be pests in it which when reused could contaminate your fresh pots, a risk I'm prepared to take. Old compost is also lacking in nutrients to feed new plants so needs fertilizer adding. I add this when reusing it and also mix with home grown compost.

I'm sure others will have different advise.

What's the weather like in your area?

Cloudy, wet and windy here. Spent the afternoon yesterday cooking and freezing. I've a glut of toms and picking nearly a colander full a day, can't eat them quick enough.

I was thinking of trying to root cuttings this year on the basis I sowed flower seeds for next year, which were a first and am really pleased with the results.

Full sun and partial shade

I have a garden which gets sun all day, providing there is some and grew thyme in the shade of a hedge, it also competed with shade from huge rubarb leaves this year, providing it gets some light and heat, thyme should be ok.  

Grasshoppers!

Mandi, I can't answer your Q, but my brother gets lot's of lizards in his garden so  grasshoppers aren't a problem even when its unbelievably hot. His plants are fairly common though for South of France. ie- you see them in other people's gardens.

I've found that you can vist a garden in France and hear grasshoppers before you enter the garden, then in the garden it's serenely quiet of them, only visited 2 though  so not experienced.

Is it worth either visiting a local garden and asking for their advise or seeking their advise via e-mail... You've probably already tried this...

Help

I get frogs in the basement, they come up through a drainage pipe in the corner. Me thinks they live in there as they are very pale, and beige in colour not at all like the one's in the garden. The cat ignores them, in fact she can't get out of the basement quick enough if one's in there. When frogs come into the garden she'll sit and stare at them, if they get too close she moves away but goes on red alert if there's a field mouse or bird about... 

Lifting Lily bulbs

Hi Debs.I agree with chris. 3 would be enough in pots 25cm but don't split them now or disturb the root ball to much wait till spring. You can take them out of their current pots though and take off some of the compost round the sides, top and bottom, I do this and put them in plastic pots the same size with fresh compost on the bottom sides and top with some FBB mixed in with the new compost.

In the spring you can take them out of their pots, split the bulbs up and pot on any bulblets. Bulblets initally grow smaller than the adult plant. They take several years to mature, mine are just 1 year old. Don't let the bulblets flower in their 1st year possibly also the 2nd to allow the bulb to grow. .I let one or two flower this year and the flowers were very small, we shall see what next year brings 

What's the weather like in your area?

The sky was blue in Sheffield this morning but grey skies appeared passing Manchester which stayed all the way home.

Jo - Manchester has got to be one of my favourites places to shop. Chester is good too and Leeds. York-The Shambles has got to be seen.  Aberdeen is the furthest North I've been, fabulous city, excellent restaurants. There's a place in Kent too but can't remember the name possible 'Blue Water ', that's the furthest South I've ventured to shop.

I'd wanted to link this trip with the Harrogate flower show but it's hard to persuade people who don't have the same interest in gardening to pay the admission, so, still to go to my first but I live in hope. 

Allotment Potato Blight

I would guess most of the country have had the right conditions at various times during the year for blight to thrive.

I get alerts from a website called blightwatch.co.uk via e-mail. You probably already know this but it's a service supported by the Potato Council. Traditionally the risk of blight is based on the calculation of Smith Periods. This service calculates the risk of blight down to post codes based on weather conditions and humidity. A Smith period is 3 days of the right conditions for blight to appear. 1 day is amber alert, 3, red alert. If you register on the site you can gain an insight going back several years as to the number of alert's in your area by post code.

My post code for instance has had very few Smith periods for several years and only the occassional  blight alert in any given month This year alerts started in April and reached a peak in July with 15, which believe me is a huge increase in any previous year and the Smith period extended at one point to 5 days with only a gap of 1 day before another Smith period.

Check the site out and see what you think. Knowing when conditions are ripe for blight to thrive is like having an early warning system, I acknowledge you grow organic and can't advise on a product you could use to protect your crop as I try to grow organic small scale in  the garden and would cover my spuds during blight alert periods if they extended beyond 2 days.

What's the weather like in your area?

Hi, all, nice to have you back Jo.

More rain coming your way Frank. It was raining heavily here this morning at about 7.45 and rained all the way to work, a half hour drive. Continued to rain heavily on and off all day. Clear blue skies driving home.

It must have been sunny over the garden though as the furniture was dry when I got home, an opportunity to sit outside taking in the fresh aroma you only get after a good down pour and when the lawns been cut.

I'm off work for a few day's now. Going to Sheffield for a couple of days on a shopping trip, hoping to go to the Meadowhall Centre and Picadillly is the next stop so we may even get into Manchester. Haven't found anywhere yet which beats Liverpool 1 though.

plant suggestions

Lillies are bulbs and there's nothing boring about them, a small cluster makes a nice addition to many gardens.

Bolting onions....

Black spot...

Painting a trellis...

Repotting a Christmas Tree...

Veg to sow in February...

Stored home made liquid seaweed feed...

Moving flowers...

Which spuds to get...

Clearing snow...

Hard wood cuttings...

Where have all my beans gone!.

Growing fennel bulbs...

Growingspuds for Chistmas...

Saving bean seeds...

Saving tom seeds...