Monday, 30 October 2017

Making Plants And Planting Hedges For Not Very Much.




 One of our Hydrangea cuttings we made last month.  I decided to have a look if one of them had grown any roots.  Thanks to Mother Nature and hormone rooting powder, roots had appeared.
 The new shredder is making short work of the overgrown shrubs and I used them on this Hydrangea border.   I gave the border a couple of wheelbarrows of well rotted fym first before spreading the shredding.  Some people let the shreddings age first before applying it for a mulch.  

 I cleared the area of old grass and nettles this morning with my Azada hoe and piked them into a compost pile.  Then I planted it with some of our Gristelina cuttings/plants that we made last Winter.  They then had a good application of fym spread around them.  I also buried some old cardboard around them.  The shrubs behind the new hedge are mainly Formosa (Pheasant Berries) shrubs and they look a bit sparse at this time of year.  So I thought I would plant this hedge which cost nothing apart from our labour.

 Homemade compost area made from pallets.  The shreddings are piked there along side fym and anything else that will compost.  If we feed the soil we will have have healthy plants and it needn't cost much money money at all..


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17 comments:

  1. Kim30 October 2017 at 06:17

    I think I missed the right time to plant a new hydrangea this year.... I didn't know they could be propagated that way though.... so here's to next year!

    ReplyDelete
  2. northsider 30 October 2017 at 06:33

    I make cuttings every year Kim. Hydrangea are very easy to root because they are soft wood cuttings and you don't have to wait for them to callous and sprout roots like hard wood cuttings. The Gristelina cuttings lived in a border in the veg plot all last winter and they all rooted. Good luck making cuttings and thanks for your comment.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gwil W30 October 2017 at 07:07


    "buried some old cardboard"

    Flippin 'eck Dave you should be doing a TV gardening series.

    ReplyDelete
  4. northsider 30 October 2017 at 07:14

    I have a face for radio Gwil. No I would probably swear too much and be far too interesting to have my own TV gardening series Gwil. Mind you there is no Gardeners' World until next March. Gizza job BBC. Thanks for making me laugh Gwil!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Vera30 October 2017 at 07:38

    I desperately need to get a compost heap made, and yours looks very easy to make so I shall follow through with your idea. As for taking cuttings, I am quite successful with getting the cuttings rooted then fall down with their after care!

    ReplyDelete
  6. northsider 30 October 2017 at 07:45

    Its great to see you back Vera and I wish you a speedy recovery. I check my cuttings every day and the tender ones in pots will soon be put in the polytunnel to protect them from frost. I will pop over to your blog and leave a comment.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Philip30 October 2017 at 08:47

    I'm tempted to get a shredder. I did check out the one you got from BandQ. I've got some black currant hard wood cuttings that have rooted so I'll be planting those out soon. Very satisfying to make plants at no cost.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. northsider 30 October 2017 at 13:26

      Hi Philip. I am pleased with the B & Q shredder. We must have shredded the equivalent of a pick up truck load of shrubs since we bought it. There are some very good models on the market. Especially the petrol ones. I guess its horses for courses. Perhaps you could hire one from a hire centre first? I find the shredder is best used when you prune one shrub at a time. Its very satisfying shredding brambles and briers. I think its important to keep taking cuttings to replace old plants and trees and you don't need to keep buying them. Thanks!

      Delete
  8. Rachel Phillips30 October 2017 at 11:47

    All very interesting Dave. I pruned my roses the other day. Early Autumn pruning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. northsider 30 October 2017 at 13:29

      Hi Rachel. I pruned a rose my late dad bought for us the other week. I hope the cuttings take because I would love to make new roses from that plant. Are you getting excited about your holiday? Thanks!

      Delete
  9. Sol30 October 2017 at 12:05

    that reminds me, all of the hydrangea cuttings I took ages ago are still at my parents house. Must retrieve them else they will be massive as my parents will keep feeding them seaweed feed. Desperate to get hedging in here. need to screen the neighbours opposite. Any thoughts of the best plants for this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. northsider 30 October 2017 at 13:35

      Hi Sol. I would be interested in seeing your hydrangea cuttings. You can cut them back but then you have to wait a couple of years for them to put on a good floral display again. How do you make your seaweed feed?

      I like Olearia and the Rose Rugosa. Both are seaside hedges and the Olearia leaves are shiny and salt tolerant. You could go for a mixed seaside hedge which any good tree nursery will have a list of plants for you. I try to plant plants and hedges that flower these days. You could always put up some windbreak mesh for privacy and to protect the new hedge. Thanks!

      Delete
    2. Sol1 November 2017 at 12:18

      hey Dave, my parents try to get only kelp. they give it a good rinse. Then keep it in a bin bag in the sun for a couple of days. it then goes into a barrel with a lid. and then it is like comfrey tea. add water, put the lid on. Stir when you feel brave. When it no longer nearly takes your eye brows off with urine smell. My dad fishes the seaweed out and chucks it around the bed that he will be putting peas and beans in. he seems to think it stops pigeons? 2 mugs to a watering can. or what looks like weak tea before putting milk in. it stinks to high heaven. My neighbours are going to love me as I will be collecting it at every full moon high tide to fill the bottoms of the raised beds I have to make. the ground here is so water logged and muddy that I will need to have raised beds rather than the plants rotting in the ground.

      Got my garlic on order. I hope it gets here in time to plant before the end of this month. Ideally I would like to plant it on the 13th or 14th. waning moon.

      Delete
    3. northsider 2 November 2017 at 13:36

      Sorry Sol. We went away for my wifes birthday for the night. I have made a similar garden tea with nettles. I have to water it down or else it would burn the plants. You could try growing garlic on earthed up ridges. Thanks!

      Delete
  10. A Heron's View30 October 2017 at 13:06

    After seeing them pallets stuck on end. Am so glad that I'm not a close neighbour of yours Dave or I'd be complaining about you spoiling my view :-)
    And we might be one day for I have my eye on a costal cottage on the West side of Sheep's Head !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. northsider 30 October 2017 at 13:38

      Hi Heron. You don't buy the view when you buy your house. Like yourself I am joking. I would like to live in Dingle if I had a choice of anywhere in Ireland. Good luck with the coastal cottage Heron.

      Delete
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