Gardening

Ta I had to google that. Never heard of them. I washed all the little spit bubbles off.

July Jobs

The fruit garden
Top fruit such as apples and pears routinely produce more fruit than the tree can bring to full ripeness. They naturally shed lots of these immature fruits during June in what is known as the ‘June drop’, but this is rarely enough, so it is a good idea to come along afterwards to finish the job, not least because this prevents trees from overdoing it one year, and needing to take a year off the next. Thin out fruits that are clumped closely together so that just one or two is left at each point, and picture the ideal size of the final fruit. The idea is to ensure that each remaining fruit has enough space to achieve it.

Bulbs
This is the moment to plant autumn flowering bulbs such as autumn crocuses. Choose Crocus speciosus cultivars and plant them in well-drained grass in plenty of sun. Scatter the bulbs first and then plant them where they fall to mimic their natural spread.

The pond
Duck weed and algae can swamp ponds at this time of year, growing at a huge rate in the warm weather. Skim pond weed off the surface using a rake or pond dipping net. Dip a rake into the depths and wind it around on itself to whisk up strands of algae. Put everything that you have raked or skimmed out onto the side of the pond and leave it there for a few days to allow any creatures you have inadvertently scooped up to crawl out and return to the pond, then add it to the compost heap. You will need to do this regularly throughout the summer.

GARLIC is believed to repel spider mites and other pests with its strong smell. A trick for a homemade insecticide is burying garlic cloves 1 inch in the ground around tomato plants.

Dont forget to water those plants before you go on holiday.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/travel/how-to-keep-plants-alive-while-you-re-on-holiday-simple-tricks-to-ensure-a-garden-or-plant-collection-thrives/ar-AAZmUmb?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=1751b73ffa3f49e78ed4b3c3975eae7d

August

Wimberry/Bilberry season is upon us. Mother in law was famous for her wimberry pie.

This is not just a good idea for the people who don’t have sufficient space, but it’s also perfect for the people who want to make their garden stand out. Moreover, caring for this type of garden requires less time and effort compared to a standard one.

I like this idea very much. a seed library

Come in Uncle joe or indeed any gardener

I recently shifted my potted box plants, I know they need trimming, but since I moved them the leaves have a lovely yellow tip to them. Could they be variegated box or are they poorly

Mr Google says

Why are my box plants turning yellow?
When the leaves take on distinctive yellow tips or an orange or bronze colouration, it suggests the plants are under environmental stress.

Would that be because I've shifted them ?

Make sure that the drain holes are not blocked in the pots

And give them a feed

Drain holes are ok water running out freely. I'll try giving them more feed

Box leaves that turn yellow could be caused by several things. One of the most common is that box does not like to dry out. Thats likely in the heat that we have been having.

Lolly, can you see any brown or black straks on the stalks?

No the plant appears healthy in itself.

If the plant looks healthy, then I would hazard a guess the two things have caused the problem. First, some damage was done to the roots when they were moved. No matter how much caree is taken, roots do get some damage, even if it is quite minimal. When that happens, nutrients cannot be taken up by the plant in the quantities needed. Second, and probably most probable, the plants dried out in the hot weather.

The plants were at my old property, I only brought them here about 2 weeks ago, so they got little watering only rainwater,if that had got through to the soil them being ball shaped. So I suspect the latter UJ. The third one which is Christmas tree shaped is doing fine, more chance of rainwater getting to the soil I expect. I shall nurture them and hope they improve,

I'm planning now for next year, and am limited on space.  I came across this, has anyone used

similar?  I'm thinking that when the plants get watered there will be a a mucky mess, or are you

meant to take the pots out of the pocket to water them  then replace when drained?. Seems a time consuming job if that's so.

Anyone know anything about growing an Amaryllis bulb? Not in the garden but in a pot inside

I've grown them before at my other place no problem. I planted one over a week ago but I'm not seeing any growth yet. [My last ones grew pretty fast] Is this normal?

Lolly wrote:Anyone know anything about growing  an Amaryllis bulb? Not in the garden but in a pot inside

I've grown them before at my other place no problem. I planted one over a week ago but I'm not seeing any growth  yet. [My last ones grew pretty fast] Is this normal?

These are really easy to grow. Soak the bulbs in warmish (just above room temperatyre) water for a few hours, then plant in a smallish pot usung peat free compost. With a bit of luck, they should just about flower by Christmas, even if it is getting a bit late now.

Its still not doing anything two weeks into planting UJ. The bulb came with the compost and a six inch pot. I've never had one take this amount of time to start growing. I suppose I'll have to be patient.