How about a gardening thread?

[Uncle GroOve]

Around mid june we experienced a freakishly strong thunderstorm, accompanied by screeching winds...and hail.
My vegetable patch was in tatters (still is). Since then the slugs and the snails are basically ruling the place and eating everything they can, with the complicity of almost daily rainfalls and plenty of moisture on the ground.
Most plants are sick - our azaleas, the tomatoes, the eggplants, etc.
The cucumbers are down with oidium.
However - string beans are incredibly resilient...we've been eating them wholesale, the cucumbers are huge (and not too watery or bitter), and out climbing squash (wich are called "trombette d'Albenga" from the italian seaside town in Liguria where they are grown) is just on a roll!
Oh - and my black kale (cavolo nero or cavolo toscano) is apparently enjoying this crazy, dreadful, depressing summer...
Here's a quick pic of part tonight's harvest (not pictured: about 1 Kg of string beans)


Ciao

Paul

[Belgianmum]

I'm rather pleased with this beauty.
We received it as a housewarming present in a pot as an indoor plant last June ( it was much taller then) and it flowered and then died back completely in the autumn so I stuck the pot round the back if the house and forgot about it completely ( had no garden to plant it in at the time).
Come springtime I noticed that it had started sprouting again so planted it out in my newly created border and here is the result. I don't usually have much success with lilies as the beetles usually get them but this one is rather magnificent.

[edot]

I have this rose. I've had it a year or two. This year it finally bloomed. Attachment 85647

I believe the flower is double and flat, but I'm not sure. Anyone know anything about roses?

Oh, and it has a lovely fragrance!

Thank you!

[smoky]

I miss the white mealies (in South Africa). Love to bbq them in their leaves, they come out all juicy and succulent. Delicious with butter and salt!

Here one only seems to get the "sweet maize" sold in shops.

I`ve seen "white maize" in fields, but it`s for cow fodder - and tried one - its awful tasting!

Anyone know if its legal to grow white (edible) maize here? Or where to get seeds from? I`d like to try some next year.

[JanerMacP]

Ok - also back from holiday to a whole garden of dead tomatoes. Our house sitter said the ground got too wet and was moldy. They are in raised beds with proper drainage.

Any ideas what I can do to prevent this happening again? I'm gutted I would have had some beautiful ones from the garden

[smoky]

	Quote:	JanerMacP
	Ok - also back from holiday to a whole garden of dead tomatoes. Our house sitter said the ground got too wet and was moldy. They are in raised beds with proper drainage. Any ideas what I can do to prevent this happening again? I'm gutted I would have had some beautiful ones from the garden

Do they have a roof over them? Seems tomatoes need a roof to stop the leaves getting wet, that causes the mildew.

[Odile]

	Quote:	edot
	I have this rose. I've had it a year or two. This year it finally bloomed. Attachment 85647 I believe the flower is double and flat, but I'm not sure. Anyone know anything about roses? Oh, and it has a lovely fragrance! Thank you!

Your rose got me stumped... it is very beautiful, and I just love this 'off centre' look- never seen that before. So I thought it would be easy to look up... but drawn a blank so far. There is a Facebook page for rose enthusiasts- you could ask there perhaps. If you find out, would love to know. But never mind the name- just enjoy that beautiful flower.

[meloncollie]

	Quote:	smoky
	Do they have a roof over them? Seems tomatoes need a roof to stop the leaves getting wet, that causes the mildew.

Yep, over here on the Dark (and rainy!) Side of the lake, the only way to grow tomatoes is under a Tomatenhüsli. These can be a simple roof on poles, or include removable or roll-up-able sides, the later essentially turns the Hüsli into a cold frame.

My tomatoes under the Hüsli are doing fine, as are a planter of cherry tomatoes placed under the eaves of the house. But the pots of heritage species tomatoes I'd planted as an experiment, that I thought were sufficiently protected on the patio, rotted last week. I guess the rain came through that side of the house at an angle that hit the plants.


Tomatoes - which grow like weeds back home, you can't kill 'em even if you try - are a heartbreaking crop here in rain-drenched Switzerland.

ETA:

In my Gemeinde a Tomatenhüsli requires a permit if it is built as a permanent structure. If a seasonal structure that you will take down it only requires permission from the neighbors if over 1meter. Which it must be, as most tomato vines grow ca. 1.5-2m.


Speaking of which, I'd love to grow the shorter, more prolific bush (determinant) tomatoes I grew back home. Have any of you ever seen these here?
.

[Uncle GroOve]

	Quote:	meloncollie
	Yep, over here on the Dark (and rainy!) Side of the lake, the only way to grow tomatoes is under a Tomatenhüsli. These can be a simple roof on poles, or include removable or roll-up-able sides, the later essentially turns the Hüsli into a cold frame. My tomatoes under the Hüsli are doing fine, as are a planter of cherry tomatoes placed under the eaves of the house. But the pots of heritage species tomatoes I'd planted as an experiment, that I thought were sufficiently protected on the patio, rotted last week. I guess the rain came through that side of the house at an angle that hit the plants. Tomatoes - which grow like weeds back home, you can't kill 'em even if you try - are a heartbreaking crop here in rain-drenched Switzerland. ETA: In my Gemeinde a Tomatenhüsli requires a permit if it is built as a permanent structure. If a seasonal structure that you will take down it only requires permission from the neighbors if over 1meter. Which it must be, as most tomato vines grow ca. 1.5-2m. Speaking of which, I'd love to grow the shorter, more prolific bush (determinant) tomatoes I grew back home. Have any of you ever seen these here? .

Interesting.
I am planning to see what it takes to build a "tunnel" where I have my vegetable garden. Ideally I'm looking to protect the plants from excessive temp swings, from mildew, hail, etc. - I usually grow enough for 2-3 households and this year it's absolutely tragic (except for the aforementioned crops).
As far as tomato varieties are concerned: if you really need a big production, you should try planting grafted plants - but be prepared to do much more trimming and pruning (IMO).
Ciao
Paul

[edot]

	Quote:	Odile
	Your rose got me stumped... it is very beautiful, and I just love this 'off centre' look- never seen that before. So I thought it would be easy to look up... but drawn a blank so far. There is a Facebook page for rose enthusiasts- you could ask there perhaps. If you find out, would love to know. But never mind the name- just enjoy that beautiful flower.

I remembered where i got the rose and went back and looked at my order emails from Baldur-garten. It's a Delbard "rose des 4 vents"

More here
http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.41031

The off center thing is strange - maybe it's a mutant!

I hope more will bloom this year.


Now my next question
I have an apothecary rose. It's beautiful, but blooms only once. My understanding is that it sets hips, so I just let the blooms fall off. But the "hips" look tiny and shriveled. Is this normal? Did I miss their formation?

I like roses that have a fragrance but don't require much help, so the apothecary and my rugosas are excellent. The rugosas have nice round hips.

[kiwigeek]

Here's a question for you - has anyone had luck growing edelweiss in a pot? I bought a lovely looking one from Landi a couple of weeks ago, but since I've had it, it's gone downhill rather quickly.......very droopy and sad looking. Perhaps I watered it too much? Too much / little sun??
Unfortunately it didn't come with instructions so I have no idea how to care for it - it's currently uncovered and completely exposed on a south-facing balcony.

The Landi is just down the road, and so temp/altitude should be almost identical

[Tasebo]

This specimen is nothing for Chelsea yet, but I am feeling so happy that my Bougainvillea looks like this...more flowers than last year.

(I've tried flipping the photo, but the bulbs that needs planting are more my forté)

[sups]

I got a blackberry plant(thornless) this year and gave us quite a few berries. now that it is autumn i have been reading on pruning the plant(shrub). most of them say chop it back except for the floricanes...how do you recognize the floricanes? there are 2 canes that shot up new from the base and are particularly thicker and taller than the others....do i shop them? they are growing endlessly in length and would need to prune them to keep them in a manageable height.
what do i do?

[sups]

	Quote:	Tasebo
	This specimen is nothing for Chelsea yet, but I am feeling so happy that my Bougainvillea looks like this...more flowers than last year.Attachment 87967 (I've tried flipping the photo, but the bulbs that needs planting are more my forté)

pretty flowers

[smoky]

Gardens are "closing down" in preparation for winter ......

What are you all doing about your gardens? Any helpful hints and tips for overwintering?

And I`m still waiting in case some enlightened soul here knows anything about obtaining seeds for "normal edible" white maize? Can I ask someone in my home country (RSA) to post me a few packets...? ... Or will I be caught and hanged for bringing in foreign seeds?

[Tom1234]

	Quote:	smoky
	Gardens are "closing down" in preparation for winter ...... What are you all doing about your gardens? Any helpful hints and tips for overwintering?

I raked the thatch out of the grass at the weekend and fed it with low-nitrogen "Herbst" fertilizer.

I also pruned drastically and bought in a chili plant for over-wintering inside.

	Quote:	smoky
	Gardens are "closing down" in preparation for winter ...... And I`m still waiting in case some enlightened soul here knows anything about obtaining seeds for "normal edible" white maize? Can I ask someone in my home country (RSA) to post me a few packets...? ... Or will I be caught and hanged for bringing in foreign seeds?

Why not just get some from an EU country rather than getting seeds from Africa? - Much less risk of bringing in some pest as it will probably already be here.

[meloncollie]

Do any of you have experience with 'Blattfallkrankheit' in Johannesbeeren?

http://www.zulaufquelle.ch/ratgeber/...den-blaettern/

One stand of our Johannesbeeren got hit with this shortly after the fruit developed. We cleaned out all fallen leaves and sprayed with Cupromag after harvesting, but there was no re-growth through the rest of the summer. The bushes are simply bare branches.

Now that we are heading into fall - i.e., prime fungus weather - is there anything else I can do? Have any of you successfully battled Blattfallkrankheit? Or are my (10!) bushes toast?

[Mrs. Doolittle]

	Quote:	smoky
	Gardens are "closing down" in preparation for winter ...... What are you all doing about your gardens?

I could be in the garden 24/7 and never be finished working. At the moment I am still working on pulling out old Thuhja roots to put down grass seed. Not the best time of year for this I am told but if it does not get too cold at night we have a chance. It was a 30 metre long hedge. The other section of the garden where the Thujas had been cut (actually the previous owner accidentally burnt them down... a long story) the roots were not removed, just covered with earth, though not well and the lawn mower was getting ruined. Grass was not growing well. Those roots came out easily. I was pleasantly surprised.

Does anyone know how long the roots need to stay in the ground before they are easily removed?

[smoky]

	Quote:	Mrs. Doolittle
	I could be in the garden 24/7 and never be finished working. At the moment I am still working on pulling out old Thuhja roots to put down grass seed. Not the best time of year for this I am told but if it does not get too cold at night we have a chance. It was a 30 metre long hedge. The other section of the garden where the Thujas had been cut (actually the previous owner accidentally burnt them down... a long story) the roots were not removed, just covered with earth, though not well and the lawn mower was getting ruined. Grass was not growing well. Those roots came out easily. I was pleasantly surprised. Does anyone know how long the roots need to stay in the ground before they are easily removed?

We also cut down our infected Thuhja bushes - a long row of them - BUT they had been planted inside hollow bricks in a border demarcation so the roots were not removable - and some of them began to sprout again.

An "African" method of getting stumps down to below ground level is to burn the stump, if its too difficult to remove. So I did that - small fire on each growing stump, charcoaled stump is easier to hack down to below ground level.

But I don`t think that would appeal to you?

[smoky]

	Quote:	Tom1234
	Why not just get some from an EU country rather than getting seeds from Africa? - Much less risk of bringing in some pest as it will probably already be here.

Because it seems that only the sweet yellow corn is grown in EU countries.
Or the tasteless animal fodder white maize.

I am meaning small packets of seeds from gardening shops (like Landi) where the seeds have been treated with pesticides/fungicides/insecticides - "commercial" seeds.