[Help] Gardeners Question Time.

[Jack Straw]

All a bit faffy, if you ask me.

Yeah Lobelia's sound about right.

While digging Jnr unearthed the dwarf daff bulbs that pop up each February.
He put them back and left them a little space.

It seems like the plan for now is leave alone.
Throw out the begonias and Lobelia's at Autumn hedgetrim o'clock.
Bulb in readiness for spring.
Then after that fill with bedding plants again.

All the while watering ....

Faffy? I used to be responsible for planting over 30,000 bedding plants in the summer, almost as many in the autumn along with 30,000 tulips! Faffy? Don't talk to me about faffy!!

 

[jevs]

Just a heads up to a possible frost this coming weekend.

 

[Ludensian Gull]

Faffy? I used to be responsible for planting over 30,000 bedding plants in the summer, almost as many in the autumn along with 30,000 tulips! Faffy? Don't talk to me about faffy!!

Likewise, used to work for Suffolk Coastal, thousands of bedding plants May/ Oct. Always over bought so garden looked good

 

[WATFORD zero]

Just a heads up to a possible frost this coming weekend.

ne'er cast a clout

 

[Coldeanseagull]

Oh forgot in my twitcher post to ask the following:

Took a bamboo out of the ground (about 7-8 years old and about 6 foot) as we are extending our Pond and it was in the way.

I have stuck it in a large pot, what are its chances of survival?

What boo is it, clumping or not? It won't make a difference to how it does in the pot, I'm just nosy tis all

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Oh forgot in my twitcher post to ask the following:

Took a bamboo out of the ground (about 7-8 years old and about 6 foot) as we are extending our Pond and it was in the way.

I have stuck it in a large pot, what are its chances of survival?

Bamboo is difficult in pots. It won't tolerate drought very well with the exception of Pseudosasa japonica in my experience and even then it'll look tatty. Give it room to spread and it'll look wonderful!

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I was of the impression bamboo was impossible to kill.

When you say taken out and moved it elsewhere.
What you might actually be saying is 'I now have 2 bamboo plants'. [emoji38]




But then again I know .... all.

What you say has an element of truth. Bamboo divisions are easy, particularly with a small plant. In the ground it is hard to kill a bamboo but in a pot it is a simple task, just don't water it!

 

[Coldeanseagull]

What you say has an element of truth. Bamboo divisions are easy, particularly with a small plant. In the ground it is hard to kill a bamboo but in a pot it is a simple task, just don't water it!

I agree with you....up to a point. Some of the coloured fargesia actually look quite good in a pot and I wouldn't plant sasa palmata in the ground! But yes, they need water or room to roam free(with restrictions)

 

[jakarta]

What boo is it, clumping or not? It won't make a difference to how it does in the pot, I'm just nosy tis all

Can't take a photo at present, I'm in lovely Wisbech for work...

Don't know about clumping, all a bit spindly but it has been overshadowed by a Fatsia (also removed this w/end) for all its life. It has produced lots of tiny red berries if that helps?

You can tell I'm not Monty Don...

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I agree with you....up to a point. Some of the coloured fargesia actually look quite good in a pot and I wouldn't plant sasa palmata in the ground! But yes, they need water or room to roam free(with restrictions)

Yes, a smaller Fargesia can do okay in a pot I'll concede. I have two Sasa palmata in large pots and the windward one is almost completely denuded after this winter. The other looks crap as well. Need re-potting but my poor back.....

 

[Jack Straw]

Can't take a photo at present, I'm in lovely Wisbech for work...

Don't know about clumping, all a bit spindly but it has been overshadowed by a Fatsia (also removed this w/end) for all its life. It has produced lots of tiny red berries if that helps?

You can tell I'm not Monty Don...

If it's the Bamboo that has red berries, I'm putting a small wager on Nandina domestica which I believe isn't a Bamboo in the usual sense? It's a member of the Berberis family.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/11327/Nandina-domestica/Details
If it's the Fatsia, the berries are normally black.

 

[Stat Brother]

Reduce height of whole shrub (what's left of it) by half, even if you've pruned it already. This is to reduce the amount of top growth that the root system needs to maintain. It's still got two chances!

It now looks like this:-



I'm boosted by the fact all the cuts look fresh.

I left 4 or 5 side shoots cut back to what felt like the first node, so I hope they'll act as a sign of life.
Again they didn't look like I'd cut through a dying plant.


Oh and while I was out there I took a couple of pictures of it's new neighbour (on the side of the garden Jnr is doing next)

I'm a bit annoyed I didn't do a before/after shot of the pruning it got inspired by this thread.


In the wake of the annual autumn hedge trim, it was looking very sorry for itself and stagnant.
Certainly not full of the joys of spring.

Anyway a month later




and this is what the trunk of a ceanothus looks like if you don't ever let it grown above due to the annual autumn hedge trim.
(something I'm anticipating getting quite a lot of shite for, any minute now)



I have no idea why I take such bad pictures.
I initially wrote 'my camera' but who am I kidding - this is on me!

 

[jakarta]

If it's the Bamboo that has red berries, I'm putting a small wager on Nandina domestica which I believe isn't a Bamboo in the usual sense? It's a member of the Berberis family.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/11327/Nandina-domestica/Details
If it's the Fatsia, the berries are normally black.

That's the One!

I'll have to let Mrs Jakarta know that it aint a Bamboo, its just called one.

The Fatsia is an Ex-Fatsia as it is now chopped down, proving to be a bugger to get the Roots out. Will have to wait until my sojurn to lovely Wisbech, Peterborough and Wellingborough over the next few days is done.

As ever many thanks for your expertise. Who needs Wikipedia when we have NSC?

 

[jevs]

Faffy? I used to be responsible for planting over 30,000 bedding plants in the summer, almost as many in the autumn along with 30,000 tulips! Faffy? Don't talk to me about faffy!!

Oh stop it you tart I used to be responsible for pricking all of those out in the nursery....for the whole of Brighton and Hove. Plants were 1/10th the size of your ones and we did around half a million. Don't talk to me about faffy!!!

 

[Jack Straw]

It now looks like this:-

View attachment 123110

I'm boosted by the fact all the cuts look fresh.

I left 4 or 5 side shoots cut back to what felt like the first node, so I hope they'll act as a sign of life.
Again they didn't look like I'd cut through a dying plant.


Oh and while I was out there I took a couple of pictures of it's new neighbour (on the side of the garden Jnr is doing next)

I'm a bit annoyed I didn't do a before/after shot of the pruning it got inspired by this thread.


In the wake of the annual autumn hedge trim, it was looking very sorry for itself and stagnant.
Certainly not full of the joys of spring.

Anyway a month later

View attachment 123111


and this is what the trunk of a ceanothus looks like if you don't ever let it grown above due to the annual autumn hedge trim.
(something I'm anticipating getting quite a lot of shite for, any minute now)

View attachment 123112

I have no idea why I take such bad pictures.
I initially wrote 'my camera' but who am I kidding - this is on me!

We'll make you in to a gardener yet! All looks very encouraging. I can feel a certain degree of renewed horticultural enthusiasm exuding from your posts. Put some photos of the Photinia and SJ's bedding display on here in a few weeks' time.

 

[Jack Straw]

Oh stop it you tart I used to be responsible for pricking all of those out in the nursery....for the whole of Brighton and Hove. Plants were 1/10th the size of your ones and we did around half a million. Don't talk to me about faffy!!!

Ah, the good old days! We can try to out-faff each other over coffee when all this palaver goes away.

 

[Stat Brother]

We'll make you in to a gardener yet! All looks very encouraging. I can feel a certain degree of renewed horticultural enthusiasm exuding from your posts. Put some photos of the Photinia and SJ's bedding display on here in a few weeks' time.

Nah I genuinely can't be doing with it.

I have a loathing for stuff like weeding etc.

I just can't be doing with all the faff.
Then doing all over again and again.

Chop it all down once a year, bag it up, go to the tip, then forget about it for the next 361 days.

 

[Jack Straw]

Nah I genuinely can't be doing with it.

I have a loathing for stuff like weeding etc.

I just can't be doing with all the faff.
Then doing all over again and again.

Chop it all down once a year, bag it up, go to the tip, then forget about it for the next 361.

Don't try to fight it!

 

[jevs]

Ah, the good old days! We can try to out-faff each other over coffee when all this palaver goes away.

I'll look forward to it mate. Will try to give you a bell this week for a catch-up.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

If it's the Bamboo that has red berries, I'm putting a small wager on Nandina domestica which I believe isn't a Bamboo in the usual sense? It's a member of the Berberis family.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/11327/Nandina-domestica/Details
If it's the Fatsia, the berries are normally black.

Yep as soon as I read the red berries bit, I went for nandina domestica, heavenly bamboo. This I find is neither.
Here's one you might find of interest, my slug food has germinated with a vengeance! Some call it clianthus puniceous