Thyme To Garden - November 2017

[AB Editor]

Hello all,
Woofgang requested a sticky gardening thread where green-fingered ABers can post their hints, tips and garden updates. So if you need help in the garden, lettuce know, and leaf all your gardening ideas here!

If people turnip to this thread we'll do this every month. I apologise for all the terrible puns but I don't promise to stop.

[HansUrbancka]

Hoe, Hoe. Cheers Ed, this could be a worthwhile 'sticky'.

Hans.

[woofgang]

many thanks Ed. The thread might be a bit seasonal....so less posts one the weather is really cold building up as it heads for spring....although having said that....what a weird autumn.....I have got an azalea in full flower along with autumn colour and my scented camellia which should be in flower in jan/feb is almost over.

[mazie]

Love the puns Ed :0). Update from me tomorrow on how the veg/fruit plot is coming along.

[Chipchopper]

Gourd idea.
Should have bean done years ago!
But watch your peas n' cues...

[woofgang]

so folks, the seed catalogues are arriving....what will you grow next year? So far I have settled on Potimarron and Turk's turban squashes, borlotti beans, multicolour mangetout and a pea called Blauschokker. Giving the baby sweetcorn a miss and planning to try growing the squash up poles like Monty Don did this year. I struggle to get female flowers on my squashes and hoping that the extra light and air will help. Still got my sweet potatoes to harvest...I will post a pic when I do.

[mazie]

Progress so far on the new veg/fruit plot. Soil is dug and tested. The PH reading is bang in the middle, hoping that's good for veg? Collecting next Wednesday.... I Granny Smith. semi dwarf stock, 1 Merryweather Damson and 1 Sunburst cherry. 2. Blueberry Goldtraube bushes and 16 raspberry canes. The ground is ready for them to go straight in. I planned on using fish,blood and bone mixed in with the soil for all of them. I understand I need acid soil for the blueberries and have Ericaceous Compost for them, the nursery say that an Ericaceous feed once a year should be enough. I'm looking for advice on what potatoes to plant, I hate watery potatoes. I'm looking at some for mashing roasting etc and some new potatoes? Hi Woof haven't got as far as seeds yet, looking forward to that once the trees are in and we have laid a path.

[melv16]

Have you thought of putting in an asparagus bed? Once you've tasted your own you'll never go back to shop bought.

[HansUrbancka]

Hi Mazie..There was a time when I had a vegetable plot & small orchard in my back garden. However, advancing years have decreased my gardening activities, but I may still have some knowledge to pass on in the columns of AB.

As regards 'all round' potatoes, it does appear that Maris Piper is the one that tops the list. :-

http://www.fyldefreshandfabulous.com/mashed-roasted-wedges-the-best-potato-varieties-to-cook-with/

Hans.

[mazie]

Hi Melv... Not a massive fan anymore. I used to love it but went off it a couple of years ago... Remember I'm a novice veg gardener :o( I always think of asparagus growing as complex.

Hans. Thank you for that I'll have a look at maris piper. Any help would be most welcome. xx

[woofgang]

It depends on what you want from your spuds. All of my gardening is for "fun" I know I won't get massive crops so I choose varieties based on interest and taste. I grow International Kidney, which is pretty much the same variety as the Jersey Royal, maybe another variety of salad (waxy) potato like Charlotte or Pink Fir Apple and usually King Edward because I am a traditionalist. I see that this year, Albert Bartlett are selling seed potatoes of their varieties so I might have a go at Rooster and Apache for a change.
I do think seed crops are worth a go if you like the veg because God willing, you will get a good crop in your first year for not much effort and if you decide that you don't want to have them where they were this year, then next year you put them somewhere else.

[woofgang]

loads of other places sell seed spuds but here are the Albert Bartlett ones.
https://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/seed-potatoes-page2-cid402.html

[melv16]

The guy on my neighbouring allotment grows strawberries in 12" pots. You can get them from Morrisons supermarket for £1-00 for 8. He chops the bottom off them, buries them halfway, then uses a mixture of half and half soil and compost. They're much easier to pick and it keeps the fruit off the soil.

[mazie]

Thanks woof. I buy the rooster potatoes so I'll have a look at them.thanks for the link. I'm doing the veg garden with my neighbour, he has less idea than me. Fortunately he has a massive strawberry bed in his garden, so won't be growing anymore. I rather fancy the international kidney one. The thing is I don't want to take on too much variety in the first year. I have flower beds to grow for as well, for me and next door. I have loads of seeds for those beds to deal with. X

[hammerman]

Hopefully most of your tender plants such as Dahlias and Cannas will of had a frost or two on them. I lift my Dahlias and store them dry in a frost free shed....same with Cannas. My Musa basjoo (Japanese hardy banana) have been cut down and the tubs tucked away in a sheltered corner whilst the Brugmansias are cut right back and kept dry but frost free.

[hammerman]

With regards to potaotes....i just buy some supermarket spuds and bung them in.....never had a problem and always had a good crop.
Same with peppers....just buy some sweet peppers....i buy the mini peppers from Tesco, collect the seeds, keep dry and cool and sow in spring,

[Chipchopper]

Tree Fern Protection.

With frosts, now likely its a good idea to protect tree ferns through the Winter months. The most important area to protect against damaging frosts are the young developing fronds (Crosiers)that will hopefully be ready to emerge in the spring.
What I've found that works well for me, is gather some dead bracken leaves and form them into a ball with the hands, the push the ball down into the centre of where the crown where the young fronds will be due to emerge from.
Existing fronds that form a shuttlecock-like arrangement at the tops of the trunks can be gathered in and tied over the ball with some twine.
Remove only when all signs of frost has gone.
The result should look reasonably natural, as well as being effective.

[woofgang]

great post chipper....its important that whatever you use allows free drainage. I lost one when it rotted because I wrapped it in polythene :(

[mazie]

Happy..... Fruit trees, raspberries, blueberries and rhubarb all in :0)

[albaqwerty]

I keep thinking about a poly-tunnel for some reason.
Am not a gardener but surely it could be handy for protecting some plant(s) over the winter?
just wondering....

[woofgang]

Fine if you have the space for it and can move the plant into it or erect it over the plants in situ.....also more likely to be damaged by bad weather.