How about a gardening thread?

[amogles]

	Quote:	omtatsat
	When would be the best time to start planting new grass? Is April too early? ( in Zürich )

April should be fine.

Grass is tougher than it looks.

[DantesDame]

It seems much too early in the year for this, but I still appreciate the burst of color in the garden today

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:	DantesDame
	It seems much too early in the year for this, but I still appreciate the burst of color in the garden today

It’s about right for those I think.

[DantesDame]

	Quote:	Belgianmum
	It’s about right for those I think.

Yeah, I know. But I guess I just feel like I've been cheated out of winter, so to see "spring" arrive like this...it just seems wrong


On a side note, that azalea should be blooming for the first time since I've taken over the garden three years ago. Before, it had been planted too close to a much larger bush that completely shaded it. I moved it (once I finally noticed it!) and gave it its special fertilizer. Then two years of settling in and light pruning of dead branches... and now I see some tiny little red buds

[curley]

	Quote:	DantesDame
	It seems much too early in the year for this, but I still appreciate the burst of color in the garden today

Wow, that would give me a boost of energy if I had that in my garden.

About a week ago I saw the snow drops blooming though, which my neighbour and I planted about two years ago. They came out strong and pretty even through all the bark mulch I threw there last year (not remembering them being there).

[omtatsat]

	Quote:	DantesDame
	It seems much too early in the year for this, but I still appreciate the burst of color in the garden today

that's unreal

[ennui]

Went to Meier Garten in Dürnten today.

Loads of citrus - blood oranges, limes, kudzu, Buddha’s hand and Meyer lemon in addition to the more pedestrian stuff. Loads of other things as well - herbs, salad greens, spring flowers. Really had to restrain myself. I love that place!

Although, I also buy stuff at my local landi.

[curley]

I hate all these thingies Migros - or Coop - keeps throwing at me when I pay at check out. Yesterday I got 5 somethings as if they really wanted to get rid of them fast. But then I had a quick look at one before throwing away and they are flower seeds. I wonder if they'll really grow?
Let me guess; I have to wait until mid May.

[omtatsat]

	Quote:	curley
	I hate all these thingies Migros - or Coop - keeps throwing at me when I pay at check out. Yesterday I got 5 somethings as if they really wanted to get rid of them fast. But then I had a quick look at one before throwing away and they are flower seeds. I wonder if they'll really grow? Let me guess; I have to wait until mid May.

First plant them

And I hate all these expensive garden tool. All with this highly galvanised polished steel and designer wooden handles. Who needs that high tech shit in the garden.

[omtatsat]

Should one give a Monstera plant food? What and how often? Its a new small Monstera

[amogles]

	Quote:	omtatsat
	Should one give a Monstera plant food? What and how often? Its a new small Monstera

I guess this is the baby one you previously showed us a photo of with new roots?

If you plant it in commercial planting soil, that soil should have sufficient nutrients to provide all the plant needs for the first year or two.

I guess, this being a small plant, that it will grow and that you will be repotting it into a larger pot when the time comes.

Again, that means fresh new soil that will bring in extra nutrients, so no need to feed it.

If a plant has been sitting in the same pot for more than two years, and you've done nothing else to help it, my recommendation is to feed it with those stick things you can push down into the soil. Green ones for leafy plants and red ones for flowering plants. A single stick is sufficient for maybe 3 or 4 months. Don't over do it.

My disclaimer. I don't know much about monsteras, never had any. But this is pretty much how I treat all my plants, with minor variantions.

[omtatsat]

	Quote:	amogles
	I guess this is the baby one you previously showed us a photo of with new roots? If you plant it in commercial planting soil, that soil should have sufficient nutrients to provide all the plant needs for the first year or two. I guess, this being a small plant, that it will grow and that you will be repotting it into a larger pot when the time comes. Again, that means fresh new soil that will bring in extra nutrients, so no need to feed it. If a plant has been sitting in the same pot for more than two years, and you've done nothing else to help it, my recommendation is to feed it with those stick things you can push down into the soil. Green ones for leafy plants and red ones for flowering plants. A single stick is sufficient for maybe 3 or 4 months. Don't over do it. My disclaimer. I don't know much about monsteras, never had any. But this is pretty much how I treat all my plants, with minor variantions.

Thanks. Great answer.

[DantesDame]

	Quote:	amogles
	I guess this is the baby one you previously showed us a photo of with new roots? If you plant it in commercial planting soil, that soil should have sufficient nutrients to provide all the plant needs for the first year or two. .... My disclaimer. I don't know much about monsteras, never had any. But this is pretty much how I treat all my plants, with minor variantions.

This response is exactly what I was thinking, but too busy ("lazy") to type out.

[legallyspeaking]

	Quote:	omtatsat
	When would be the best time to start planting new grass? Is April too early? ( in Zürich )

We threw the seeds in Feb. After the recent rains they have started to germinate and are coming along fine.

[MusicChick]

We have been so busy and neglected our million plants. Most are ok, but those bought in substandard dirt, pathogens and what looks like plant mites aren't happy. I can always grow anything but something isn't right for a couple of our plants. We change dirt, give food (sticks, elixirs, you name it), kill bugs, experiment with sun light and water...but nope.

Is there any generic pick-me-up advice/stuff to help a couple of unhappy indoor plants?

In my old place, warm and sunny, plants grew by themselves. But it seems that the last Migros/Ikea babies we brought home aren't picking up on our love for anything green.

It is spring and I want to make them happy. How?

[amogles]

	Quote:	MusicChick
	We have been so busy and neglected our million plants. Most are ok, but those bought in substandard dirt, pathogens and what looks like plant mites aren't happy. I can always grow anything but something isn't right for a couple of our plants. We change dirt, give food (sticks, elixirs, you name it), kill bugs, experiment with sun light and watet...but nope. Is there any generic pick-me-up advice/stuff to help a couple of unhappy indoor plants? In my old place, warm and sunny, plants grew by themselves. But it seems that the last Migros/Ikea babies we brought home aren't picking up on our love for anything green. It is spring and I want to make them happy. How?

Plants tend to like attention. They get sick in ways that you can't fix generically but that require you to look at each one individually and work out what's wrong.

But what generally helps is to make sure they are draining well, so no water accumulating in places where it can cause root rot. I think that fixes about 50% of problems people have with plants.

Also, there are illnesses that sometimes, sadly, you cannot cure.

[MusicChick]

	Quote:	amogles
	Plants tend to like attention. They get sick in ways that you can't fix generically but that require you to look at each one individually and work out what's wrong. But what generally helps is to make sure they are draining well, so no water accumulating in places where it can cause root rot. I think that fixes about 50% of problems people have with plants. Also, there are illnesses that sometimes, sadly, you cannot cure.

They seem to drain ok...but I think they get too dry/over watered when we travel.

I think I'll prune them more often to give them the incentive. Will see if it works.

The dry weather plants seem to slowly brown, dry and die. The rain forest plants get brown edges on their leaves.

So does one ficus. Other mini ficus just sheds leaves to re-grow them.

I think we may just bought them sick already and pumped with growth hormones. Time to maybe get a few new ones. The cutting babies and offsprings seem to be doing really well, so we manage to grow their roots ok. Hmmmm.

[Massa]

I noticed that our local garden centre here nr Albis, ZH which has been forced to close during these uncertain times has managed to find a cool solution - rather than being shut for a month and left with a ton of stock they can’t shift.

Basically you phone through your order and they leave it outside the garden centre for you to pick up - no interaction with staff etc.

https://www.gartencenter-guggi.ch/al...-abholservice/

Maybe your local centre has something similar?! We’re using the time to build some no dig beds and plant a herb garden and some veggies...

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:	Massa
	I noticed that our local garden centre here nr Albis, ZH which has been forced to close during these uncertain times has managed to find a cool solution - rather than being shut for a month and left with a ton of stock they can’t shift. Basically you phone through your order and they leave it outside the garden centre for you to pick up - no interaction with staff etc. https://www.gartencenter-guggi.ch/al...-abholservice/ Maybe your local centre has something similar?! We’re using the time to build some no dig beds and plant a herb garden and some veggies...

Yes ours is doing that too.
Either phone or email your order to them.


https://blumenmarkt.ch/fr/

[Tom1234]

	Quote:	amogles
	Plants tend to like attention. They get sick in ways that you can't fix generically but that require you to look at each one individually and work out what's wrong. But what generally helps is to make sure they are draining well, so no water accumulating in places where it can cause root rot. I think that fixes about 50% of problems people have with plants. Also, there are illnesses that sometimes, sadly, you cannot cure.

True - some plants come with viruses or infestations in them already - those from not-specifically-garden shopping places seem, IME, more prone to this although there was a garden centre up near Schindellegi where I saw that some Buxus plants came with a family of vine weevils in the pots.