How about a gardening thread?

[argus]

	Quote:	smoky
	Are they indigenous to Switzerland? Sounds awesome, and lovely. If you answer this in the affirmative, I`ll PM you. Thanks And maybe next year I can send anyone interested some Fingerhut seeds? They are minute, like grains of milled pepper - will go nicely into a normal sized envelope ... or I could email them Oh that reminds me of a joke ....... moving over to the joke thread so I don`t derail this one.

Sorry I have no idea as I first got them in a mixed seeds canister from a supermarket here. Wikipedia says: M. jalapa hails from tropical South America, but has become naturalised throughout tropical and warm temperate regions. In cooler temperate regions, it will die back with the first frosts, regrowing in the following spring from the tuberous roots.

[purplesharks]

Looking for Red worms for composting. Eisenia fetida or Eisenia hortensis

I have no idea where to even begin to search for these here. I'm living in Bern, so somewhere close would be ideal.

[Odile]

www.lombritonus.ch

[Powerlauer]

Dear Gardeners,

Advice needed, I have 3 little trees in my garden that are just under 2 m tall that have to be removed, is their anyway I can move them without killing them? Or is their someone who I can contact that can take them without cutting them down? They look like young trees as the trunks are not so thick, so I was hoping they could be re- housed!

Is this possible? I have no idea what they are, but they are nice!

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thank you

[Tom1234]

	Quote:	Powerlauer
	Dear Gardeners, Advice needed, I have 3 little trees in my garden that are just under 2 m tall that have to be removed, is their anyway I can move them without killing them? Or is their someone who I can contact that can take them without cutting them down? They look like young trees as the trunks are not so thick, so I was hoping they could be re- housed! Is this possible? I have no idea what they are, but they are nice! Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you

Can you take some photos of them and put them on here - sooner, than later whilst they still have their leaves (in case they are deciduous)

But, you should be able to move them with care but late winter, early spring is best but you'd probably get away with it now.

[TiMow]

	Quote:	Powerlauer
	Dear Gardeners, Advice needed, I have 3 little trees in my garden that are just under 2 m tall that have to be removed, is their anyway I can move them without killing them? Or is their someone who I can contact that can take them without cutting them down? They look like young trees as the trunks are not so thick, so I was hoping they could be re- housed! Is this possible? I have no idea what they are, but they are nice! Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you

Depending on what type they are, but if they're only so tall, you should be able to dig them out with a good root ball still attached.

The least time they're out of the ground, the better. If you're moving them within your garden, prepare the new holes first.

With a spade cut a square around the tree about 30ish cm each side and about the same deep. Try to remove this cube in one piece and transfer immediately to new hole. If moving to another location than put root ball in a big plastic bag. The new hole should be bigger than the root ball and filled in around the tree root ball with the earth mixed with some compost and/or fertilizer. Tread in gently, but firmly and water in.

Unfortunately now is not the best time to be doing this, as the growing cycle is coming to an end for the year and the roots wont spread as quickly as is best to establish in new location ...... but if you have no choice, then you might be lucky.

[Odile]

Came back to a bit of a jungle, after 3 weeks in England. Worked very hard all week, enjoying the Indian Summer. Stray raspberries have been planted in a long new bed, 2 crab apples, 2 apples and 1 plum planted in the orchard, to join the greengage and mirabelle, and started cutting down all perennials and placing them behind the lilacs by the pond to create warm cover for frogs, newts and hedgehogs. Many bulbs planted too.

A lot to do still before winter comes, but i think I am on track- a joy.

[sups]

now that winter is approaching i brought all potted trees indoor to protect from the frost and cold. As a result of this my living room looks like a jungle and is teeming with gnats. We dont have much place in the cellar or garage to overwinter them. I have seen ppl wrapping plants in jute or bubble wraps, does this also work for potted trees? or what is the best method to overwinter plants outdoors?

[Maria80205]

It depends on what kind of plants you have. My Japanese Maple and Clematis did fine last winter, but my balcony is enclosed (though not heated). This summer I have accumulated a fair amount of succulents and I"m not so sure about their survival. I was thinking of grouping my smaller plants together and just wrapping the pots in newspaper and an old blanket, keeping the tops open to get some sunlight. I'd be interested to hear of others experiences.

[Odile]

Succulents, cacti, aleo vera, etc, apart from sedum, will not bear any frost- the juicy inside will freeze and the whole plant collapse and die. Can you bring them inside for the winter- making sure you place them on old plates of under-plant plastic dishes to protect carpet or parquet? Otherwise, make sure you place the place on a warm matt, like thick cardboard or old towel, several layers of newspaper- then buy plant fleece from garden centre or diy place and wrap in 2 layers- securing with string of tape- a blanket will become wet and freeze, and won't allow sufficient light or air- and the open top will make the plants too vulnerable to frost.

[sups]

I have citrus trees, a dwarf peach and potted fig. I know that these would do well in the ground but it was too late to plant them outside . So just got them in.
Also does anyone have a decent solution to combat fungus gnats?

[Odile]

Et c'est parti, mon kiki! (a Swiss romande expression for 'here we go again') - started to snow this morning. So mad dash to take all garden chairs up to the barn. Then take all the plants in. Lined the Summer house/shed with cardboard and fleece, put the lavenders, and other less delicate plants in said shed and cover with fleece- cover entrance and put tables in front to stope the bise (east wind)- and up to the first floor landing near the window with the oliander and agapanthus. Done and dusted - back tweeking a bit, but happy in the knowledge all is cosy and safe. Bring it on!

[smoky]

Remember to water the stashed plants over winter! Stashing in cellars and forgetting them means they`re going to die of thirst.

Last year, for the first time, I had luck with potted Geraniums in the cellar, because, luckily, someone told me that most plants die from lack of water down there. The foliage dies back, but the roots still need damp.

[Maria80205]

I'm looking for a low cost way to supplement light for the plants I had to bring in for the winter. The windows are too crowded and not all of the plants are getting sufficient light. I've done a little research and I think I'll just start with some fluorescent lighting. Any help is appreciated.

[sups]

Maria
I am no expert here but this is what i have done to the overwintering plants. i bout CFL( sparlampen) 60W aa warm white and a cool white and fixed it to a wooden rack( 20SFr) and placed those pots on the shelves. It is the closest I could get to simulating daylight on a budget. Otherwise of course there are those growlights which cost a fortune.
hope this helps
sups

[smoky]

	Quote:	sups
	Maria I am no expert here but this is what i have done to the overwintering plants. i bout CFL( sparlampen) 60W aa warm white and a cool white and fixed it to a wooden rack( 20SFr) and placed those pots on the shelves. It is the closest I could get to simulating daylight on a budget. Otherwise of course there are those growlights which cost a fortune. hope this helps sups

And don`t be too surprised if the Polizei pay a visit to check on your plants
.....................................
I got so carried away with other things in the garden, was most disgusted with myself to find it was too late to sow Nüsslisalat for winter! It should have been sowed in September.......?

[argus]

	Quote:	smoky
	And don`t be too surprised if the Polizei pay a visit to check on your plants ..................................... I got so carried away with other things in the garden, was most disgusted with myself to find it was too late to sow Nüsslisalat for winter! It should have been sowed in September.......?

They're cool here. Hemp plants are legal in CH, someone told me.

[Odile]

It depends how many you've got. A raid on an old factory around here 10 days ago closed down a large cannabis warehouse - and the guys that run it are all in prison at the mo.

[MacGregor's Daughter]

There is this annoying weed in my garden that keeps coming back, it looks like 4-leaved clover and gets tiny yellow flowers, it has very long roots too. The most annoying thing is it has settled with a nice cactus plant and if you really want to dig it out ou dig out the cactus too. Any good ideas what to do?

[cannut]

	Quote:	MacGregor's Daughter
	There is this annoying weed in my garden that keeps coming back, it looks like 4-leaved clover and gets tiny yellow flowers, it has very long roots too. The most annoying thing is it has settled with a nice cactus plant and if you really want to dig it out ou dig out the cactus too. Any good ideas what to do?

Smoke it