Any Percy Throwers on the forum?

[Smiffy]

Our garden is very much "work in progress" at the moment. We had it landscaped about 4 years ago, but have really neglected it over the last 18 months. Decided at the beginning of lockdown to finally get it looking half decent again and have been working really hard removing brambles, bindweed, etc.
I won't post a "before" picture for fear of ridicule, but the picture below is where we are at the moment. Still a lot of work to be done, but it's beginning to take shape.
The top "tier" as we call it will be dug over properly again next week, as we have had to clear a lot of weeds from there and they are still dying back.
Got a couple of dwarf fruit trees arriving soon, (plum and apple), and plan to pot these up for the patio. Managed to pick up to nice large pots for them at our local garden centre yesterday for a bargain price.
The apple tree may eventually find it's way into the main garden if it takes off, but the plum tree will stay on the patio.
Got some timber turning up today/tomorrow to tidy up the framework around the beds, and a couple of garden sheds on order as the two we have out there at the moment are both rotten.
Fishing has taken a back seat at the moment!!

 

[backwoodsman]

I called into B&Q earlier for some bits and bobs, I thought I'd have a look at the plant section while I was there, walked out with two Acer Palantum Atropurpureum, an Acer Palantum Orange Dream and a red Cordyline thing which looked cool.
They're tiny at the minute, I assume I keep them from getting massive by restricting the pot size I transplant them to and pruning?
I'll check out the size of the pots I have when I get a chance.

You can keep them small simply by restricting the pot size - you wont need to bother with pruning other than snipping out the occasional dead twig or two. Mine has been in a pot about 35 years and is still only about 4ft tall and 5ft wide (In the ground and unrestricted, it should be at least 15ft by 20ft by now.) I think it's in its third pot now - which is approx 45cm diameter and 50 cm tall - and has been in it for at least ten years. Keep them well watered (mine's on automatic irrigation so gets done daily) and feed them occasionally (mine is done with tomato feed about 3/4 times a year). I've also got a Ginkgo about the same age - only 6ft high and about 3ft wide (would ge at least 40ft tall by now if grown naturally) and a Pecan. Did have an Indian Horse Chestnut that was about 40 years old but that did need pruning (sadly, it succomed to bleeding canker)

 

[Beezerk]

You can keep them small simply by restricting the pot size - you wont need to bother with pruning other than snipping out the occasional dead twig or two. Mine has been in a pot about 35 years and is still only about 4ft tall and 5ft wide (In the ground and unrestricted, it should be at least 15ft by 20ft by now.) I think it's in its third pot now - which is approx 45cm diameter and 50 cm tall - and has been in it for at least ten years. Keep them well watered (mine's on automatic irrigation so gets done daily) and feed them occasionally (mine is done with tomato feed about 3/4 times a year). I've also got a Ginkgo about the same age - only 6ft high and about 3ft wide (would ge at least 40ft tall by now if grown naturally) and a Pecan. Did have an Indian Horse Chestnut that was about 40 years old but that did need pruning (sadly, it succomed to bleeding canker)

Wow impressive. I have a large bag of blood fish and bone for my veggie patch, do you think that would be ok for the Acers as well?
Btw, I've got my eye on some lovely looking Mexican Feather Grass

 

[jim8flog]

Wow impressive. I have a large bag of blood fish and bone for my veggie patch, do you think that would be ok for the Acers as well?
Btw, I've got my eye on some lovely looking Mexican Feather Grass

Blood fish and bone is good for root growth if you are potting on an making up your own mix.

It's main use in veg plots is for where you are growing root crops.

 

[backwoodsman]

Wow impressive. I have a large bag of blood fish and bone for my veggie patch, do you think that would be ok for the Acers as well?
Btw, I've got my eye on some lovely looking Mexican Feather Grass

Blood fish & bone should be fine. Just be reasonably sparing with it - they dont need a lot. (Its always tempting to overdo it with fertilizers).

 

[Dando]

I went to B&Q to get some paint and walked out with 2 new Acers then went next door to Asda for some bits and got another one.

we have a big Laurel tree in our garden that I am not that fond of and I am trying to persuade Mrs D to let me cut it down. she was reluctant until we popped into a garden centre in Bexley and that had a stunning Acer (about 10 feet tall and 6 feet round) that would look amazing where the laurel is!

 

[BretbyBlue]

Our garden is very much "work in progress" at the moment. We had it landscaped about 4 years ago, but have really neglected it over the last 18 months. Decided at the beginning of lockdown to finally get it looking half decent again and have been working really hard removing brambles, bindweed, etc.
I won't post a "before" picture for fear of ridicule, but the picture below is where we are at the moment. Still a lot of work to be done, but it's beginning to take shape.
The top "tier" as we call it will be dug over properly again next week, as we have had to clear a lot of weeds from there and they are still dying back.
Got a couple of dwarf fruit trees arriving soon, (plum and apple), and plan to pot these up for the patio. Managed to pick up to nice large pots for them at our local garden centre yesterday for a bargain price.
The apple tree may eventually find it's way into the main garden if it takes off, but the plum tree will stay on the patio.
Got some timber turning up today/tomorrow to tidy up the framework around the beds, and a couple of garden sheds on order as the two we have out there at the moment are both rotten.
Fishing has taken a back seat at the moment!!
View attachment 30779

 

[BretbyBlue]

Just picked up this thread. I realise you have done some landscaping. Whenever I see a sloping garden, it always lends itself to a small running waterfall and pond. You can then consider some fish, patio etc. Depends what is at the bottom of your garden.

 

[Smiffy]

Just picked up this thread. I realise you have done some landscaping. Whenever I see a sloping garden, it always lends itself to a small running waterfall and pond. You can then consider some fish, patio etc. Depends what is at the bottom of your garden.

Three hungry cats usually.......

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Three hungry cats usually.......

Or in our case the village Heron.
We have some black hexagonal shaped clip on plastic thingies which lie on top of the water, look OK, heron & cat proof, and much better looking than nets etc

 

[2blue]

Wow impressive. I have a large bag of blood fish and bone for my veggie patch, do you think that would be ok for the Acers as well?
Btw, I've got my eye on some lovely looking Mexican Feather Grass

BF&B is very good for Sweetcorn which are quite demanding feed wise but fantastic if you succeed.
I've grown them for years & have 60 in this year. In 2mnths time when the 'tassles' on the top are formed make sure you shake them unless theres plenty of wind as its these that pollinate the cobs. I had a year when I had the cobs but no seed kernels in them due to no wind & not knowing. Tis why you grow them in blocks.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

On the point of plant supports, I still giggle at my wife saying on the telephone to the club captain.
'Oh hang on I'll get him, he is down the bottom of the garden putting a support round his peonies'
Cue very confused club captain.

 

[Dando]

On the point of plant supports, I still giggle at my wife saying on the telephone to the club captain.
'Oh hang on I'll get him, he is down the bottom of the garden putting a support round his peonies'
Cue very confused club captain.

don't those little blue tablets work any more?

 

[Beezerk]

BF&B is very good for Sweetcorn which are quite demanding feed wise but fantastic if you succeed.
I've grown them for years & have 60 in this year. In 2mnths time when the 'tassles' on the top are formed make sure you shake them unless theres plenty of wind as its these that pollinate the cobs. I had a year when I had the cobs but no seed kernels in them due to no wind & not knowing. Tis why you grow them in blocks.

Quality tip mate ?
I'm struggling with these at the minute, the top soil I bought has lots of weeds in it so I'm not quite sure yet what is weed and what is veg growth.
The radish and beetroot seeds are clearly loving it as they are showing nicely.
Bit if a learning curve this first year, my long term plan is to get a greenhouse to start seeds in so I have more control, and some better top soil ?

 

[2blue]

Quality tip mate ?
I'm struggling with these at the minute, the top soil I bought has lots of weeds in it so I'm not quite sure yet what is weed and what is veg growth.
The radish and beetroot seeds are clearly loving it as they are showing nicely.
Bit if a learning curve this first year, my long term plan is to get a greenhouse to start seeds in so I have more control, and some better top soil ?

Yes it'll be a battle if you're growing the sweetcorn from placing seed in the ground, though I've never done that. I started them in the greenhouse on 1st April & potted them on once whilst hanging back till the last frosts had passed on 15th May. The seeds aren't cheap so they've to be nurtured...... I managed to germinate 63 of the 64 seeds I had in pots. Yes, you need a greenhouse..... makes a big difference, matey.
I'd say that all topsoil has loads of weed seeds in it. Beet & radish germinate quicker than the weeds so they're easy to identify. Yes, sweetcorn will take longer though parsnips are the worst & can take up to 4 weeks to germinate so there are lots of weeds competing with them & look fairly similar....... & you can't start parsnips in the greenhouse. Gotta be in the ground when the ground is warm enough..... yeah, fun!

 

[Doon frae Troon]

don't those little blue tablets work any more?

Slug pellets. ?
@1975 Viagra was a distant dream in those days.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

A recommendation for Home Bargains [with garden centres], my daughter bought us some plants and stuff from them, plants are of very good quality and along with other stuff very good value.

 

[Dando]

A recommendation for Home Bargains [with garden centres], my daughter bought us some plants and stuff from them, plants are of very good quality and along with other stuff very good value.

The range had some decent plants in when I was there a few weeks ago

 

[Smiffy]

Here's one for the experts........
Have just purchased a pH tester off of Amazon, one of the "probe" type ones.
Carried out initial tests on various parts of our garden and the results I was getting indicated that we were "neutral" or just below. Great, I thought.
Plan is to add a couple of new Azalea's to the two we have already that have been here since we moved in 19 years ago. They are doing fine, no problems.
I appreciate that I need to try to lower the pH if I can in the spot where we plan to site the two new plants, so I have dug in some ericasceous compost and purchased some sulphate of iron booster to give them the best chance I can.
Problem is, I thought I'd check out the tester to make sure it was reading correctly.
Tried it in some neat bleach, and the needle, as you would expect, rocketed off the scale.
Next, I tried it in some neat vinegar, just to check it was reading for acidity correctly. The needle didn't drop below the "neutral" (7) mark?????? Reading up about the properties of vinegar, it should have a pH level of about 3!!
I have ordered a paper testing kit to double check, but something's not right...... does anybody else use these probe type meters with "certain accuracy" please?
Thanks

 

[2blue]

As you say in bleach goes off the scale. In malt vinegar moves to between 5 & 6
HThpugh haven't used it for 15 years or more. Hope this helps, matey