[Help] Gardeners Question Time.

[jevs]

I used to plant about 15 plants in a rectangle..... usually ended up having to eat about 45 cobs in about a fortnight before they went starchy. I don't grow them any more !

Bloody worth it when you do get some though....straight off the plant and onto the barbie. Baste in melted butter, chilli and lime continuously.

 

[vegster]

Bloody worth it when you do get some though....straight off the plant and onto the barbie. Baste in melted butter, chilli and lime continuously.

I don't have the teeth for them anymore though !

 

[jakarta]

One for Jack Straw, our Photinia Red Robin Shrub is healthy but leggy, I don't just want leaves at the top, but at low level as well.

1. Can I give it a hard pruning down to say 1m above ground level (currently over 2m high)?
2. When should I do this - not now I would have thought?

Many thanks

 

[Jack Straw]

One for Jack Straw, our Photinia Red Robin Shrub is healthy but leggy, I don't just want leaves at the top, but at low level as well.

1. Can I give it a hard pruning down to say 1m above ground level (currently over 2m high)?
2. When should I do this - not now I would have thought?

Many thanks

"Yes" and "Yes"!
Cut down to just above a shoot or a bud if you can. If you can't find one, just anywhere you fancy. They're pretty tough old things. Give it a feed if you can, and a good watering. That will help to get it whizzing again. If you can get hold of some organic matter, mulch around the stem to the same area as the canopy. You haven't mentioned the width, but if it's 1m across, mulch the same 1m area diameter underneath.
We love a photo here, especially before and afters, then of progress.
Stat Brother is also doing similar with his!

 

[WATFORD zero]

"Yes" and "Yes"!
Cut down to just above a shoot or a bud if you can. If you can't find one, just anywhere you fancy. They're pretty tough old things. Give it a feed if you can, and a good watering. That will help to get it whizzing again. If you can get hold of some organic matter, mulch around the stem to the same area as the canopy. We haven't mentioned the width, but if it's 1m across, mulch the same 1m area underneath.
We love a photo here, especially before and afters, then of progress.
Stat Brother is also doing similar with his!

Without even seeing a picture, my money's on jakarta. Sorry Stat

 

[jakarta]

"Yes" and "Yes"!
Cut down to just above a shoot or a bud if you can. If you can't find one, just anywhere you fancy. They're pretty tough old things. Give it a feed if you can, and a good watering. That will help to get it whizzing again. If you can get hold of some organic matter, mulch around the stem to the same area as the canopy. You haven't mentioned the width, but if it's 1m across, mulch the same 1m area diameter underneath.
We love a photo here, especially before and afters, then of progress.
Stat Brother is also doing similar with his!

Many Thanks, I'm a technophobe but I have taken a couple of photos so will see if I can work out how to insert them. Happy to chop things down, its Mrs Jakarta's job to grow them...

 

[Jack Straw]

Many Thanks, I'm a technophobe but I have taken a couple of photos so will see if I can work out how to insert them. Happy to chop things down, its Mrs Jakarta's job to grow them...

My pleasure. When I upload photos, I use the "Go advanced" button near the bottom of the page. Make sure your photos are smaller than 2 mb.
It's very satisfying cutting shrubs, but the thing to remember is that what is left behind is more important than how big the pile of cuttings is.

 

[Stat Brother]

Here's the rose in question which is too stooopid to know there's a wall behind it:-

View attachment 123290

View attachment 123291
If you look closely in this one you might even be able to see some 3 week old baby poppies.



and here it is now, grateful for the advise and incredibly thankful it's owner is a freakin genius:-

View attachment 123292

Right then you fun sponges!

As you all ignored my brilliant cyclist solution to the climbing rose, here it is now:-

 

[LamieRobertson]

Right then you fun sponges!

As you all ignored my brilliant cyclist solution to the climbing rose, here it is now:-

View attachment 123555

Don’t give up the day job

 

[Jack Straw]

Right then you fun sponges!

As you all ignored my brilliant cyclist solution to the climbing rose, here it is now:-

View attachment 123555

Actually, that looks pretty good what you've done there. I was going to reply after seeing your clever use of inner-tubes, but forgot. Keep those nice new strong growths going. Don't cut them. More photos in a few weeks please.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Right then you fun sponges!

As you all ignored my brilliant cyclist solution to the climbing rose, here it is now:-

View attachment 123555

I think we've got him

 

[Taybha]

Nearly done , few more flat rocks to swipe off the beach , few more plants and a few fish , job done £115 , including the pump filter with UV .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgkIbEjXZ3E

 

[Jack Straw]

Nearly done , few more flat rocks to swipe off the beach , few more plants and a few fish , job done £115 , including the pump filter with UV .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgkIbEjXZ3E

Great job. Looks lovely. Well done.

 

[Stat Brother]

I think we've got him

Nah the detritus around it would suggest otherwise.
I do pull the odd weed out of Poppy Patch in the morning, but that's it.


You might have Jnr though.
He cleared the last border, finally ridding it of a belligerent ivy, he's pretty excited the tip is now open and we've lined him up with some forestry work experience.

So he's fairly full on.

 

[Stat Brother]

Poppy seed distribution isn't a strong point at Chez Stat.

View attachment 122954

Edit.

This thread tells me these poppy seeds have been in the ground for exactly 2 weeks.

A further 2 weeks on, Poppy Patch celebrating it's 1 month anniversary:-





Here's the rest of jnr's handy work in that time.





The bag of weeds in that shot is the smallest one of 3 he's removed from the borders!!

 

[LamieRobertson]

A further 2 weeks on, Poppy Patch celebrating it's 1 month anniversary:-

View attachment 123593



Here's the rest of jnr's handy work in that time.

View attachment 123594

View attachment 123595

The bag of weeds in that shot is the smallest one of 3 he's removed from the borders!!

I’d be concerned about the wall in the second pic its leaning to the right ...how big is your park...sorry garden by the way ..looks quite large from those photos

 

[Stat Brother]

I’d be concerned about the wall in the second pic its leaning to the right ...how big is your park...sorry garden by the way ..looks quite large from those photos

It wobbles all over the place.
I too am concerned, but my neighbour who once built an office with attached storage area, climbing frame and swing, in one weekend said it was fine.




So it's fine!

 

[Jack Straw]

I’d be concerned about the wall in the second pic its leaning to the right ...how big is your park...sorry garden by the way ..looks quite large from those photos

Deleted (sorry, wrong post).

 

[Jack Straw]

A further 2 weeks on, Poppy Patch celebrating it's 1 month anniversary:-

View attachment 123593



Here's the rest of jnr's handy work in that time.

View attachment 123594

View attachment 123595

The bag of weeds in that shot is the smallest one of 3 he's removed from the borders!!

Looking good. Get S.J. to very carefully dig out the Convulvulous and grass from beneath the rose. Convulvulous roots look like spaghetti and it is important to get every single bit out. Apparently, even a 1mm long piece left in the ground will produce a new plant.
Be careful when S.J. gets going on his forestry. He will ask for a chain-saw for his Birthday or Christmas, whatever comes first, and will be looking for stuff to saw down! You need certification for chain-saw use at work, but he will tell you he's not at "work" in your garden. You have been warned!

 

[LamieRobertson]

Looking good. Get S.J. to very carefully put dig out the Convulvulous and grass from beneath the rose. Convulvulous roots look like spaghetti and it is important to get every single bit out. Apparently, even a 1mm long piece left in the ground will produce a new plant.
Be careful when S.J. gets going on his forestry. He will ask for a chain-saw for his Birthday or Christmas, whatever comes first, and will be looking for stuff to saw down! You need certification for chain-saw use at work, but he will tell you he's not at "work" in your garden. You have been warned!

Best of luck with that