How about a gardening thread?

[amogles]

	Quote:	Tom1234
	I know, from the previous owner, that two of ours were female and one was male. I know that one of my remaining ones is definitely female as it has fruit this year and I'm assuming that the other one is a male as it had no fruit and the dead one looked like it had been dead for more than one year (but you would never had known because of the tangled mess. I'm sure yours will grow up again fast. I like the grapes in your photo! We're training some over a framework too to give a natural sun shade.

You don't necessarily need a male plant of your own to get fruit. Sometimes it suffices that a neighbour has one. Pollen can travel surprising distances. So just because one plant is dead and the other continues to bear fruit, it is no foregone conclusion that the dead one must be female.

An ex-neighbour of mine had a single kiwi plant and always had lots of fruit until suddenly one year that stopped. I assumed that some other neighbout's plant had died or been cut down. When i sugegsted that to her it turned out she didn't even know they come in male and female.

[amogles]

	Quote:	krlock3
	Hi to all the gardeners! I have a question if I may... I recently bought a ficus ginseng for indoor use. It has been losing quite a lot of leaves. From what I researched if could be 1) Adjusting to new environment, humidty, etc 2) Too little or too much water 3) Too much or too little sun 1 is certainly possible. I'd like to rule out 2 and 3. So I have two questions... a) How much water would you give this plant and how often. Would misting every other day, and half a litre at the base twice a week (so 1 litre) sound about right or wildly off? b) Our house gets a lot of light but no real direct sunlight in the spot it is in. Does it need? I attached a picture of it looking a bit sorry for itself...

Ficus, at least the type you get as a housplant, doesn't require direct sunlight, but does like regular light. So your situation sounds perfect to me. Also, they don't like change so don't move them around too much. Once you have chosen a good spot, leave it there. Shedding of leaves is a typical reaction to stress, so maybe you just need to leave your plant alone a bit and give it time and space to recover.

Watering advice is always a bit difficult as it depends on different factors. Is your pot draining well? Sometimes blocked openings lead to water accumulating in the pot and casuing the roots to rot.

Also, ficus does require fertilizer from time to time, and a bigger pot and fresh soil every few years.

[Tom1234]

	Quote:	amogles
	You don't necessarily need a male plant of your own to get fruit. Sometimes it suffices that a neighbour has one. Pollen can travel surprising distances. So just because one plant is dead and the other continues to bear fruit, it is no foregone conclusion that the dead one must be female.

No, it's not a conclusion but I don't know any neighbours with kiwis and there's a fair assumption that the middle of the two is the male.

I guess I could just ask the previous owner next time I see him.

	Quote:	amogles
	An ex-neighbour of mine had a single kiwi plant and always had lots of fruit until suddenly one year that stopped. I assumed that some other neighbout's plant had died or been cut down. When i sugegsted that to her it turned out she didn't even know they come in male and female.

Some varieties are self-pollinating so you don't actually need a neighbours plants.

There are many reasons why plants stop fruiting but if as you say, it suddenly stopped fruiting then yes, it may have lost it's pollination source.

[krlock3]

I had my ficus in a pot that didnt allow draining, and see that it was sitting in a pool of water beneath it. I suppose that is part of the reason it was losing leaves?

i have now added a layer that allows it to drain, but i guess I ought to let it dry out for some days first, and then start to water it again.

	Quote:	amogles
	Ficus, at least the type you get as a housplant, doesn't require direct sunlight, but does like regular light. So your situation sounds perfect to me. Also, they don't like change so don't move them around too much. Once you have chosen a good spot, leave it there. Shedding of leaves is a typical reaction to stress, so maybe you just need to leave your plant alone a bit and give it time and space to recover. Watering advice is always a bit difficult as it depends on different factors. Is your pot draining well? Sometimes blocked openings lead to water accumulating in the pot and casuing the roots to rot. Also, ficus does require fertilizer from time to time, and a bigger pot and fresh soil every few years.

Allotment gardeners.....are you too already planning what you'll plant this year?



I am currently drawing a plan to ensure plant roation in the high rise beds....and want to grow some different vegetables this year.



Of course the 'usual culprits', such as zucchini and cucumbers,green beans, fennel, beetroot,kohlrabi, celery and celeriac, leeks, onions, garlic, chillies and tomatoes as well as a gazillion of herbs are set and will be planted, respectively are perennial in my garden.



I have also got a selection of perennial berries strawbs-, rasp- and blueberries and a Felsenbirne (juneberries /Amelanchier)



Brussel sprouts didn't yield a lot last season, so they're out for the new season.

No Butternuts and Patty pans (I get a screaming fit if I seen one more of those for the next 2 years!!)



Last year I tried indian climbing spinach, which yielded quite a lot and will most likely be planted again.


Now, looking for inspiration and am curious to read what you fellow gardeners will grow this year.

[amogles]

	Quote:	krlock3
	I had my ficus in a pot that didnt allow draining, and see that it was sitting in a pool of water beneath it. I suppose that is part of the reason it was losing leaves?

Definietly. Waterlogging is pretty deadly as it causes the roots to die off and rot. Disease can then also spread to the healthy parts of the plant above the waterline. But if the ficus isn't too far gone it should revover. They have amazing abilities of self healing. But just keep an eye on it and make sure it does't happen again.

[DantesDame]

Has anyone tried to grow sweet potatoes here?

I doubt that the season is long (or hot) enough, but I'm somewhat curious to try...

Just makes me laugh to see the 'gardening thread' as we probably won't even see our garden for months (snow)

Friends near Neuchâtel grow tons of sweet potatoes, and say it is very easy.

[FunnyBone]

	Quote:	DantesDame
	Has anyone tried to grow sweet potatoes here? I doubt that the season is long (or hot) enough, but I'm somewhat curious to try...

My neighbor did with great success.

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:
	Just makes me laugh to see the 'gardening thread' as we probably won't even see our garden for months (snow) Friends near Neuchâtel grow tons of sweet potatoes, and say it is very easy.

	Quote:	FunnyBone
	My neighbor did with great success.

Mine too and since she shares all her fruit and veg with us we got to benefit from them too. They were lovely.

[st2lemans]

	Quote:	DantesDame
	Has anyone tried to grow sweet potatoes here? I doubt that the season is long (or hot) enough, but I'm somewhat curious to try...

Yes, but no tubers grew, just plants.

Tom

[DantesDame]

Well, most of the responses were more positive than I expected!
I think that I shall devote a small corner of the garden to various tubers and see what comes of it.

Thank you!

[curley]

Look what I spotted in my garden today

[ZuriRollt]

They are beautiful aren't they - for me always heart-lifting.
We also have one just outside our front door, that made its first annual re-appearance 3 days ago...

I don't have snowdrops in my garden, but crocus (and some other early blooms) and the croci are dotting the lawn now with long awaited for specks of colour. Love the re- awakening of nature and look forward to a great gardening year for all of us!

[Massa]

We'd like to go to Giardina which starts on Weds 13th March and runs until Sunday 17th March in Zürich. I see they offer the option of a 2 hour evening ticket for CHF19 versus the standard price of CHf35.

We're really just looking for inspiration during the show at this point ahead of a garden makeover - thus wondered if we can do the show justice in 2 hours or whether we should get the normal ticket and spend longer.

Any advice from those who have visited previously would be welcome - thanks!

[amogles]

Can anybody help me identify this tree?


my first thought was an almond. The blossoms do vaguely smell of almond, but the shape and colour doesn't quite match the pictures of amlond blossoms I found online

[Belgianmum]

The flowers look like Hawthorn but the leaves are not right for that.
I’m leaning towards a pear of some type based on the leaves and flowers.

[curley]

	Quote:	Belgianmum
	The flowers look like Hawthorn but the leaves are not right for that. I’m leaning towards a pear of some type based on the leaves and flowers.

Pear was the first thing that crossed my mind too. But the leave looks like sage

[DantesDame]

	Quote:	curley
	Pear was the first thing that crossed my mind too. But the leave looks like sage

I just came from my garden and the leaves on my pear tree looks exactly like the ones in the photo. Of course, my leaves aren't as well-formed as these ones, so perhaps there is still room for error.

Regardless, I also declare "pear tree!"