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Post by derekbrooks on May 9, 2013 22:23:19 GMT
I grow most of my tomato plants (about 8 or 10) in the polytunnel at school. I went this morning to take 4 growbags, a bag of compost and the plants ,also the cucumbers that I had ordered for school.I park the car near the allotment and go in for my wheelbarrow to wheel the compost and plants round to the school.Had to make 4 journeys. I cant take things like this on Thursday afternoons because Rosemary needs the car and I just walk down. They have been hatching duck eggs in an incubator at school and a girl from garden club saw me this morning and shouted to me "Derek,we have named one of the ducklings after you "  On my way home I called at the garden centre and got 5 surfinias . This afternoon before it was time to go to school I took 40 odd cuttings from them.I also sowed some more cauliflowers and calabrese in 3 inch pots. This evening I have made 19 gallons of old compost into compost for growing carrots by rubbing it between my hands to break it up and mix in some Q4 fertiliser. |
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Post by derekbrooks on May 10, 2013 20:46:30 GMT
Bought 3 surfinias from Morrisons today and took cuttings off them. Also took some cuttings off bidens and more bacopas.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 11, 2013 21:31:32 GMT
I have 2 45 gallon drums on the allotment for growing long carrots.They are filled with old compost.I made 7 bore holes in each one with a long pole and filled them with the compost I made last Thursday. I then sowed the seed in them.
I then went to school with two bags of compost ,one for school (we ran short of compost last Thursday to plant all the tomatoes) and the other for me to use for the tomatoes that I grow there. I grow tomatoes in two bottomless pots on top of a growbag. I planted 10 plants and the bag of compost (75 litres) was just enough.
This evening I have filled another frame with bedding plants and I also pot the climbing French beans and some runner beans in.
I then potted 15 cabbages, 11 Brussel sprouts and 5 cauliflowers that were in 3 inch pots into 5 inch. I have explained before why I do this ,it is help prevent clubroot. The idea is that when I plant them out they will be bigger plants with a bigger root system.The roots will have more compost to occupy before they go into the soil.
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Post by Tel on May 12, 2013 7:02:06 GMT
I have 2 45 gallon drums on the allotment for growing long carrots.They are filled with old compost.I made 7 bore holes in each one with a long pole and filled them with the compost I made last Thursday. I then sowed the seed in them. I then went to school with two bags of compost ,one for school (we ran short of compost last Thursday to plant all the tomatoes) and the other for me to use for the tomatoes that I grow there. I grow tomatoes in two bottomless pots on top of a growbag. I planted 10 plants and the bag of compost (75 litres) was just enough. This evening I have filled another frame with bedding plants and I also pot the climbing French beans and some runner beans in. I then potted 15 cabbages, 11 Brussel sprouts and 5 cauliflowers that were in 3 inch pots into 5 inch. I have explained before why I do this ,it is help prevent clubroot. The idea is that when I plant them out they will be bigger plants with a bigger root system.The roots will have more compost to occupy before they go into the soil. Isn't it a bit late for sowing long carrots Derek ? |
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Post by derekbrooks on May 12, 2013 21:25:02 GMT
I agree with what you have said Tel. I try to do all my jobs at the correct time and I think I manage it most of the time. There are times though when there are more jobs i would like to do than I have time for.Also in the case of carrots I use second hand compost mixed with more fertiliser and I have to wait unlit I have enough compost and then find time to mix it.
It was raining all afternoon so I spent it in the greenhouse.I took some more cuttings of diascia.I think these will be the last cuttings of basket plants because if I take any later they wont be rooted and make decent size plants in time for doing my baskets in early June.
Sowed some sprouting broccoli and more cabbages ,and sprouts in 3 inch pots and more lettuce and parsley in cell trays.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 14, 2013 21:58:31 GMT
No gardening at all yesterday but almost a full day and evening today.
On the allotment I put fish blood and bone on the chrysanth, gladioli, runner bean, brassica and the "others"beds. I wanted to get it on when it wasn't so windy.Raked it in this last mentioned bed and hoed it and sowed broad beans and French beans. When I got home I sowed some of each in pots to fill in if there are gaps in the rows. I know that many of you will have broad beans already growing but sowing them now times them for the shows that I go to.
At home I got the chrysanth beds ready for planting.Raked fish,blood and bone on first and hoed them and fixed up the wires.
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Post by lesley on May 15, 2013 9:25:15 GMT
Hi Derek, do you reduce your chysanths by taking the tops of ? this is the first year I've grown them I got 3 cuttings and they are doing brilliant. Your help would be appreciated |
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Post by peony on May 15, 2013 12:05:57 GMT
Hi Derek, do you reduce your chysanths by taking the tops of ? this is the first year I've grown them I got 3 cuttings and they are doing brilliant. Your help would be appreciated I'll also be very interested to read your reply to Lesley's question Derek, as I took some cuttings from my chrysanthemums this year for the first time, after reading on here that you were taking yours. Mine are doing well too and have made lots of roots |
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Post by lesley on May 15, 2013 15:49:50 GMT
I've just been out and taken a couple of pictures of them.   Do they look ok  |
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Post by derekbrooks on May 15, 2013 22:08:50 GMT
Hi Lesley and Peony. I start taking chrysanth cuttings at the end of January and carry on till March. When rooted they are potted up into 3 inch pots. You need to pinch out the tips of the plants when they are established in their pots.They need to be about 5 inches tall. This encourages side shoots (called laterals) to grow which will eventually carry the flowers. I grow mine for exhibition so I reduce the laterals to 2 or 3 per plant. If you are not showing you can let more grow. The more flowers you have on a plant the smaller they will be.
Your plants look O.K.and it looks as if the first plant has been stopped.Do you know what varieties they are? Are they sprays?If they are you will have several flowers on each lateral. If they are not sprays you will need to disbud them to allow only one flower on each. Are you going to plant them in the garden or grow them in pots? If they are to stay in pots you will ned to pot them on later into 5 inch pots then into 9 inch.
Have I given you enough information? If you want to know anything else please ask me .
There is a whole chapter on chrysanths in the flower book that I wrote.It gives a fuller answer than I can give here.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 15, 2013 22:16:17 GMT
It rained today till mid afternoon so I went in the greenhouses.There were a lot of rooted bacopa and surfinia cuttings that needed potting up so I did them first. Spent the rest of the day going through all my pot plants which I do every so often. I tidy them up and pot any up into larger pots that need doing. I stopped most of the fuchsias . Also disposed of several that were no longer any good. The weather brightened up later but I carried on in the greenhouses.
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Post by peony on May 16, 2013 10:18:27 GMT
Thank you for your advice Derek My chrysanths are sprays and I took the cuttings from a plant I've had in the garden for a few years. I'll follow your advice and pinch out to encourage the laterals. Now I know how early I can take cuttings I'll take more next year and bring them on for our garden club plant sale, I think they will be popular ;D |
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Post by lesley on May 16, 2013 15:42:36 GMT
Thank you Derek for info, the first one I stopped, there Early sprays flowering Sept, Dee Gem, Dee Gem Bronze, and Allouise Pink, I was hoping to keep them in pots or is it better to plant them ?? should I pinch out the other two ? thanks for your help Derek.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 16, 2013 22:31:37 GMT
Hi Lesley. Yes I would pinch out the other two.Whether you grow them in pots of plant them in the garden is just a matter of personal choice . Have you got any large enough pots?. If not you will have to buy some and also some compost whereas planting them out would cost you nothing . It also depends on whether you have room in the garden so the choice is yours
I like people asking me questions and I will always do my best to help and give advice.I hope you don't mind me saying this though. I prefer people to ask me questions on the "Ask Derek" page because this is what that page is for and nobody has used it since last June.
Today I have put the canes up for my chrysanths and begun planting but got rained off. I am now going to show you two pictures that I took which I thought might help you.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 16, 2013 22:38:07 GMT
 Canes and wires fixed up for planting chrysanths |
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