Monday, 7 May 2018

Its All Happening On The Veg Plot and Flower Garden.


I believe there is Fake News.  Fake Weather News Any way.  Do the weather forecasters look out of their windows in London and Dublin and decide what the weather is for all the country?  We have no Scorchio here.  It warmed up a bit and Ireland duly steamed up with Mizzle.  

 I have heard people call Ireland "The Kettle" and they are right.  I think its mainly to do with the mountains being on so much of the coast and the mild Gulf Stream?  My spudatoes have started pushing their stalks through the soil.  Have yours?  Hope we don't get Blight with all this Mizzle.

 Any way.  The weeds are growing like weeds and I have been busy.  
 A 'Slug Pub' in the middle of my cabbages.  Its an old Baked (Heinz of course") Beans can filled with some cheap and nasty beer we thought we would try.
 More "Slug Pubs" with plant labels lay prostrate to make the slugs and snails "walk the plank" and drop in after their last drink and also hopefully any useful Beetles don't fall in.
 Some of the hundreds of Perennials I have made this year.  Anybody want to buy some cheap pretty flowers?  
 Even the side of the poly-tunnel is playing at being a nursery for my plants. I placed them on a tarpaulin on top of some montbretia.  The plastic holds puddles of water and the plants drink it when they need it.
 A "Dog and Cat Pub".  This is an old pan full of water for Fido the terrier and Domino the cat have a drink of water when they so require.  The birds like it too!
 The cheapest poly-tunnel  in the world.  Just two old polythene bags.  They go over the plants in the picture below.  I can't believe how much moisture runs from under the plastic when I take it off.  I am reusing my plastic like Monty and Nellie and Nigel do on Gardeners World.
This is what it looks like when the plastic is removed.  The cat-mint (Nepeta) cuttings front left are growing like Triffids.  I made holes in some plastic buckets and filled them with with grit-sand and got hormone powder and dipped some cuttings in it and pushed the cuttings into the sand.  Everything is doing really well.  It just shows you don't need a tunnel to root your cuttings!  Anybody else making cuttings at the the moment?  Any propagation tips?  

 Is there really an heatwave in Blighty?  I find it hard to believe.  The rain is coming for Wednesday.  Just for a change!
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17 comments:

  1. Rachel Phillips7 May 2018 at 08:12

    It is 27C here this afternoon, almost 80F. I wish it could be like this more of the time. I planted two lots of mint this weekend.

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  2. northsider 7 May 2018 at 08:20

    Hi Rachel. Its 13C here and we have had no heatwave down in West Cork. Did you plant your mint in a bucket? It's great at taking over. Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Rachel Phillips7 May 2018 at 13:47

      I love mint and never see it as a problem that it takes over. We used to have an entire ditch at the farm that was all mint. I loved it and so did my mother. In fact at this property where I live now I have had a big problem in getting it to grow at all. The land here is terrible! This is my third attempt.

      Delete
    2. northsider 7 May 2018 at 14:23

      Yes mint sauce is amazing with roast beef and new potatoes.. it's worth digging out any clay or Stony soil and replacing it with good soil or compost or even grow it in a pot. Good luck Rachel.

      Delete
  3. Philip7 May 2018 at 12:05

    You’ve done well propagating that many perennials Dave. That will save a few bob.

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  4. northsider 7 May 2018 at 12:24

    Thanks Philip. I split my perennials Spring and Autumn. Gardening isn't necessary expensive and I am getting more into making shrub and perennial cuttings propagation. Its a good hobby even if it's raining. Thanks Philip!

    ReplyDelete
  5. local alien7 May 2018 at 12:27

    We are now on our third day of rain. Fantastic for the garden. The tomatoes love it.
    I have potatoes growing in the compost, around the edges. They just came up by themselves. I m not using this compost at the moment, so maybe I'll find potatoes when I put the compost on the garden in September.
    Cross fingers, looks like a fertile garden this summer.
    Love your slug pubs!!

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  6. northsider 7 May 2018 at 12:47

    Hi LA. Rain contains free nitrogen and you don't have to water your crops everyday. I hope you do get some new potatoes in your compost. The slug pubs are helping but we are getting brassica casualties most nights. Soon the cabbage white butterflies will be laying eggs for their catter pillars to devour them. Such is vegetable gardening. Thanks!

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  7. Gwil W7 May 2018 at 13:22

    Here it's 23 C. Slugs are cannibalistic. If you put a dead one on the path the others will gorge on it. You can then sprinkle them with salt and watch them dissolve into a slimy mess. Our slugs are orange. As yet they are keeping their heads below the parapet.

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  8. northsider 7 May 2018 at 13:29

    23 C sounds wonderful Gwil. We get more snails than slugs. They are clever and carry their house on their backs. You can buy nematodes to go after them. I lifted a paving slabs and counted seven of the menaces. Could do with some sizzling heat to frazzle them. Dont think we will get it though. Thanks!

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  9. Frances8 May 2018 at 01:37

    I am trying to strike some Leucothoe cuttings that I took from my son's garden. I just bunged them in some rooting powder and in a pot..put them in the shade and hope for the best! I have 3 more just in water if the first 3 don't " do" . It is sink or swim with me when trying to grow anything...Usually successful! I would prefer your weather to ours at the moment. I don't like " hot" .

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  10. northsider 8 May 2018 at 03:52

    Hi Frances. Now or June is a good time for softwood cuttings. You could always place some polythene over the pot to keep the moisture in. They will also strike if you place them in a slit trench full of gritty sand in winter. I would like some of the sunshine but the plants do like the wet and humid conditions here in Ireland. Thanks!

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  11. Valerie9 May 2018 at 03:32

    I tried and failed to grow mint!!! Green fingers obviously don't work for me...lol

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  12. northsider 9 May 2018 at 03:48

    Hi Valerie. If you buy good strong mint plants and plant them in a container of good top soil or good compost and regular water them they will thrive and flourish.

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  13. Vera10 May 2018 at 03:31

    I am having a go at taking cuttings, most of them raided from other people's gardens!
    I would so love to have a poly tunnel, but still don't. Ah well, I can always hope, especially when I see what you are growing in yours!

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  14. northsider 10 May 2018 at 08:59

    I like herbaceous perennials Vera because you can keep dividing them and making new plants for free. Propagators are very cheap to buy and great for cuttings. I love our polytunnel. I can go in it and garden even on rainy days. You won't regret it if you buy a polytunnel and you can raise flower plants and veg plants to sell or use for yourselves. Thanks!

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