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  • Roses - Blackspot and Powdery Mildew - Salvage or burn?

    Forum post by Andy on 07 May 2009

    Hi gang I have a large rose bed which has been going for about 30 years according to the previous owner of my house. However the roses are looking a bit tired and have now had serious blackspot and powdery mildew for the second year running, despite preventative spraying. The soil has been fed and mulched well but it is a fairly horrible clay although the top 10 inches is now a fairly good consistency. Given the age and condition should I continue to try and rejuvinate them or give up and dig them Read more..

  • Re: Vegitabble gardning................wow

    Forum post by Andy on 07 Apr 2009

    Good tips! Check out my raised beds: http://www.wired-on-sea.com/2009/04/raising-bed.html Took me a weekend to do it and I didn't break my back thankfully!! Read more..

  • Growing the BIGGEST sunflower - How?

    Forum post by Andy on 07 Apr 2009

    Some bright spark in the office has set us all up on a sunflower growing contest. We all have seeds from Thompson and Morgan; "Russian Giant" Any good tips on growing a tall sunflower? (aside from staking it with a scaffold pole!) Cheers! Andy http://www.wired-on-sea.com/ Read more..

  • Re: Growing the BIGGEST sunflower - How?

    Forum post by Andy on 07 Apr 2009

    LOL. Little bit short on giraffe droppings in my particular area.. However, planting it in a big pile of some other form of er... internally processed animal feed.. may be a good plan. I also heard that someone swore by feeding lager to them! Not sure how that would help. Feed me too much lager and I fall over... (Guinness on the other hand...) Read more..

  • Re: Could someone identify this tree please?

    Forum post by Andy on 07 Apr 2009

    You need to post the picture online so that we can see it :) That link is pointing to yourhard drive. Try uploading the picture to Flickr and then posting the link again. http://www.flickr.com/ Read more..

  • Re: Blueberry help

    Forum post by Andy on 05 Apr 2009

    Blueberries need an ericaceous soil. Mine are in a raised bed filled with a good ericaceous compost. They also like plenty of water and shouldn't be allowed to dry out but they are hardy, orignally coming frommountain regions. I always use rainwater as most tap water is alkaline. You can prune them to make them more productive but do this carefully as I believe they mainly produce on growth older than one year. Normally the best time to move plants is when they are dormant but it is still early Read more..

  • Re: Idle chat

    Forum post by Andy on 05 Apr 2009

    Popped down to Kew Gardens today. Must say it is looking splendid at the moment! I also managed to identify one of the mystery plants in my garden whilst I was there so that's always a bonus! Does anyone know a good online plant identification site? What I really need is one that will walk you though all the steps such as leaf size, shape, flowers etc as I have so many random flowers that I don't have a clue about! (Veg I can do but still getting to grips with the pretty side of the garden Read more..

  • Re: Onions starting to sprout in the cupboard ...can I just plant them out in the garden ?

    Forum post by Andy on 04 Apr 2009

    I wouldn't for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they are not certified disease free. This applies to the onions and potatoes. You could introduce a nasty disease that may hinder your chances of raising future plants. Secondly, they are fully grown plants and you will probably get a very poor crop from them. Onions grow one bulb per plant, unlike shallots which divide and form clumps of bulbs. Potatoes should be bought as small seed potatoes from a certified supplier. Save them for the compost and Read more..

  • Re: Worm casts

    Forum post by Andy on 04 Apr 2009

    Worm casts are actually a very good source of nutrients for your plants as they are the result of the worms digesting all the bacteria and organisms in your soil into a nice nutrient rich material. You could with a small lawn pick them off and use them elsewhere, but clearly not an easy task. In the past I have just let them dry and swept them back into the lawn to feed it. You can either use a good stiff broom or a close-tined rake.There are no chemicals that will rid you of the worms and to be Read more..

  • Re: how to make a raised vegetable bed? complete newbie so all advice very much appreciated :)

    Forum post by Andy on 04 Apr 2009

    All depends what you want to grow. Some plants love fresh manure dug in but others hate it as it burns the roots. That said if its been rotting away for a couple of years it should be brilliant stuff. I mixed up the top soil i dug out with manure and general compost (bought) with some of my .. er.. 'rustic' home compost and it worked a treat. Carrots need a fine soil so its worth putting them in a bed of pure compost or a free draining mixed soil without stones, which cause them to fork. Read more..