How about a gardening thread?

[smoky]

	Quote:	Tom1234
	Yes, do the weeding as quickly as possible before the seeds set and disperse. Otherwise you'll have even more to deal with next year. Do a section at a time so you feel you've accomplished something.

If you don`t have the time to de-weed the entire garden - concentrate on removing the weed flowers/seed heads - for this interim period.

[TidakApa]

	Quote:	Kamarate
	Boo - not the answers I wanted to hear, but unfortunately the answers I thought I would. Thanks, all.

There is always the "Greek Garden"

[meloncollie]

Question for the tomato experts: (TidakApa? )

Seems I have blossom end rot.

The fruits are mostly full sized, a few are starting to ripen but most are still green.

I've picked the affected fruit, there are still some unaffected tomatoes on the vine. Is it too late to do anything to prevent the rot on the remaining fruit?

(These are cherry tomatoes grown in pots.)

Many thanks.

[smoky]

This crazy Sunflower!

Measured it yesterday - 4,8m!

No idea why it chose to grow so tall? Last year we also had a very tall one in the exact same spot - but this year this one waited till it had passed the roof height to begin to flower.

To imagine all that came from one tiny sunflower seed!

[SOBEIT]

	Quote:	smoky
	This crazy Sunflower! Measured it yesterday - 4,8m! No idea why it chose to grow so tall? Last year we also had a very tall one in the exact same spot - but this year this one waited till it had passed the roof height to begin to flower. To imagine all that came from one tiny sunflower seed!

That's a big one! - Did you use any fertilizer?

Smoky, your plant has designs on a mountain!

Talking about tall plants. Our Echinacea Secret Desire is double its expected height. Anyone know why?

[Liggsy]

	Quote:	smoky
	Ja, ok - I`m losing my English vocab, caterpillars, not worms! Not sorry about losing the bushes - was a nuisance hedge not serving any purpose, just taking up time with yearly pruning..... when we`re trying to cut down on garden work for old age time. The infection came from our neighbors, because they came over to view the aftermath of our cutting - and admitted they have bushes SO overrun they decided to do nothing until there was nothing left to dispose of! So obviously their moths took flight to find new pastures? We now have only two ornamental Bux`s by the pond - easier to manage any infections, by regular inspections and careful spraying. Only one neighbor has her Bux hedge, after investing over Sfr120 (still low and not as large as 10yrs growth) in spraying last year, to be repeated this year, at another (+)Sfr120. But she`s a professional working woman employing a garden firm for her garden. Not everyone employs professional garden firms! And by the time the invasion is noticeable, it`s usually too late, as the caterpillars work from the inside out. Our caterpillars are contained - cooking in the heat. But ours a small portion of what I`ve seen around - much like the starfish story.

We've just signed contracts on a house and the lady was very particular about her hedges and the fact that they may become infested with this caterpillar. She insists that she will get her gardener to maintain the hedges at her expense, which is great news for us!

[Tom1234]

	Quote:	Liggsy
	We've just signed contracts on a house and the lady was very particular about her hedges and the fact that they may become infested with this caterpillar. She insists that she will get her gardener to maintain the hedges at her expense, which is great news for us!

The best bit about that is that you won't be at all responsible if the hedges do get destroyed by the caterpillars.

[smoky]

	Quote:	SOBEIT
	That's a big one! - Did you use any fertilizer?

No fertilizer. It`s just a square hole in the concrete of the terrace where an espaliered (spelling?)apricot tree used to grow, that then died.

The earth there is quite barren, I know, because some other weedy things with flowers grow that won`t even flower if they have water. I watered the sunflowers, so no flowers or even plants of the weedy things grew once the Sunflower took over the turf!

I`m only growing the sunflowers for free bird seed for winter.
The dog walkers are quite intrigued by that one - I make sure I`m indoors when I hear any coming - the comments are getting a bit boring - mostly because they take too much concentration to understand (Swissgerman).

[smoky]

	Quote:	Liggsy
	We've just signed contracts on a house and the lady was very particular about her hedges and the fact that they may become infested with this caterpillar. She insists that she will get her gardener to maintain the hedges at her expense, which is great news for us!

Oooh - lucky for you!

We have two tiny round shrubs of Buchs left, in another part of the garden, that I inspected daily, and today I found they`d become infested!

There seems to be NO escaping the moths of the catterpillars that lay their eggs. Apparently the larvae can overwinter and re-emerge next Springtime?

One guy in my neighborhood called me over to look at three huge Buchs shrubs of his - they were just skeletons - in 3 days since he`d last inspected them!

So glad we`re finally rid of our shrubs - the infestation is gruesome! And they begin from the inside. Once you notice any damage they`ve already eaten their way thru the middle of the shrub.

Sadly won't be able to make it myself- but I wish. Did you know that there is a perennial plant association in Switzerland, represented in both Romandie and German speaking part, that organizes all sorts of visits, etc. Marion Casselle, a British woman long established in Romandie is one of the leading lights of the assoc in Romandie.

On 15th September, from 10.00 to 16.30 (earlier if you intend to swap, and not just buy), the trod market will be opened at Chateau de L'Isle. As indicated, you can just buy or swap. More info from Marion: casselle@sunrise.ch

[Mrs. Doolittle]

	Quote:	smoky
	Oooh - lucky for you! We have two tiny round shrubs of Buchs left, in another part of the garden, that I inspected daily, and today I found they`d become infested! There seems to be NO escaping the moths of the catterpillars that lay their eggs. Apparently the larvae can overwinter and re-emerge next Springtime? One guy in my neighborhood called me over to look at three huge Buchs shrubs of his - they were just skeletons - in 3 days since he`d last inspected them! So glad we`re finally rid of our shrubs - the infestation is gruesome! And they begin from the inside. Once you notice any damage they`ve already eaten their way thru the middle of the shrub.

Last year we had something attack our Buxus, I don't know the name but it is quite common (in the fungus family I think). The garden centre sold me a spray and that did the trick. I noticed the same problem the other day and I sprayed again. They are on the outside of the fence and later that day there was a good rain.

[Kamarate]

Agh! Just spent an hour and a half out in my garden weeding. I'm drenched in sweat, filled an entire compost bin (seriously) and it STILL looks like crap! Did I mention my "garden" is about 1.5m x 3m?

Where is the best place to get stalks for tomato plants and trellises for beautiful flowery plants that love to spread themselves all over the garden? Landi?

[Mrs. Doolittle]

When are they going to give Odile her own gardening thread??? We need separate topics.

So here is my question, the plums are ready for picking and they are really good. Hubby picked two tubs and put them in the natur keller, where they developed mold. But the ones in the fridge are fine.

So what does one store all the fruit which has been picked. Or hold an EF event and let those buy it and take it away?

Oh, by the way, baldur-garten.ch which sent me Echinacea Secret Desire instead of Secret Glow says they'll send me the right plant at their own expense - after I emailed them a picture of the blooms, which are orange-coral instead of golden yellow.

[sups]

Wow baldur seems to be good thought it could abe a bit late now

[Kamarate]

With a little help from my boyfriend and another friend, here is the garden:

	Quote:	sups
	Wow baldur seems to be good thought it could abe a bit late now

It's a perennial, so there's always next year.

[sups]

I bought a pandanus plant form exotic nursery and now after a year it has been producing pups. Would anyone be interested in owning a pup? it is indoor plant in our climate.
the leaves of this plant have a distinct aroma and is mainly used in asian cooking/baking.
In case you are interested let me know at the earliest as i will need time to seperate the pup from mum before the cold hits in.

	Quote:	sups
	I bought a pandanus plant form exotic nursery and now after a year it has been producing pups. Would anyone be interested in owning a pup? it is indoor plant in our climate. the leaves of this plant have a distinct aroma and is mainly used in asian cooking/baking. In case you are interested let me know at the earliest as i will need time to seperate the pup from mum before the cold hits in.

I want, I want! Pretty, please! I love the aroma of pandan leaves in cakes, desserts, coconut cream n egg jam (kaya), coconut rice and glutinous rice.

Please reserve a pandanus pup for me. It'll be less work than my big, black pup - and edible to boot.