Gardening

[mandryka]

Unless this is the dwarf cultivar on rootstock, it wants to make 20-30 feet.

Have you had flowers?

One of my most favourite plants. White, complicated structured flowers (which just intrigues me) to maybe 10 inches across, heavenly scented. Borderline hardy in the UK. WOW, more than WOW in flower.

One of the very best that I have seen (UK) was in a VERY small front garden in Measham. I sat in the pub garden oppposite and noticed and could not believe my eyes - totally gob-smacked - it was in flower and hid the front of the house.
There is also a HUGE one/two/three at Leicester Bot. Gardens, against walls, and another against a barn wall at Felley Priory.

GET IT IN THE GROUND, train it up a wall, although it is a small tree/HUGE schrub, so needs no support.

There IS a supposed dwarf cultivar - I have had it flower in a 12 inch pot, but like most magnolias, it loves being damp at the root - no desert and deluge - FAR easier in the ground unless you use a 24 hour drip watering system. Dwarf cultivar flowers are around 6 inches across, but still ..................amazing.

Your pic' does not look like anything but the full monty.

Have you heard of the Roof Gardens in Kensington? They have quite substantial trees -- though I guess the spread of the roots will often be quite substantial. Here's a video

Aerial Filming in London - Kensington Roof Gardens (filmed with a remote controlled hexarotor) - YouTube

 

[Vinny]

Have you heard of the Roof Gardens in Kensington? They have quite substantial trees

Specifically ones in Kensington? Maybe not, but they aren't uncommon across the world.
Similar principle - in NL they have constructed bridges over major roads specifically to be planted with trees, scrub etc. to provide wildlife corridors.

I have had the very barest skim-read, but if you Google "roof garden design planting", there are almost endless hits, if you are curious. As you imply, just to resist wind-throw alone will need some kind of considerable anchor for a large tree (not that any seem to be especially large), although that could presumably be achieved at least partly by providing some kind of very open structural feature, built into the building itself, under any soil.

 

[mjw]

For the first time, we grew some Tigerella tomatoes this year. It was a free packet in a BBC assortment I think(?). They are quite delicious - sweet and acid. Here are some finding their way into a Greek salad (we have a glut of cucumbers).

 

[Mike Reed]

For the first time, we grew some Tigerella tomatoes this year.

Tried those about 10 years back and didn't like them at all. However, as I've found, the season, where grown and how carefully maintained is just as variable as a different variety.

Crimson Crush, recommended on this thread and tried this year, developed a greenish yellowy upper half on many plants. Although this was prob. the heatwave and esp. the 2 days of over 38 degree temp's, none of my other 8 or 9. varieties went that way. I did find, though, that after those 2 days, some of my Sungold had partially cooked and became simply squishy liquid in a skin. Delicious nonetheless but tricky to handle !!!

Not sure how you can eat or cook tom's with that amount of green but maybe you cut it out after the pic. Off for another big pick and freeze; very very ripe tom's this year, even outside.

 

[hifilover1979]

Best toms for us this year have been the San Marzano and Fiorentina ones; both Italian varieties and they have done superbly in the heat in the greenhouse

The Gardeners Delight haven't done well at all; very soft and tasteless!

Carrots haven't faired well either; same with the apple & pear trees. Too hot, too dry etc!

However, the twelfty million parsnip seeds I sowed (as they never all germinate), have all germinated and we've 2 fantastic, long & fat rows and judging by the slight digging of one to see how they're doing, we're going to be eating a lot of fat parsnips this winter

 

[webster]

Bit of a disaster this year - too hot, too dry, for too long.
Potatoes are tiny but delicous all the same - tomatoes (Pyros) really sweet & tasty but skins quite tough.
Haricots are a write-off but carrots & leeks will be fine by the time we get round to eating them in Autumn/Winter.
Most of our fruit has dropped due to lack of rain.

 

[Vinny]

Carrots haven't faired well either; same with the apple & pear trees. Too hot, too dry etc!

However, the twelfty million parsnip seeds I sowed (as they never all germinate), have all germinated and we've 2 fantastic, long & fat rows and judging by the slight digging

That is something of a miracle with the parsnips on two counts - they have done better than the carrots and the germination rate. Probably still the case, but certainly parsnip seed used to have the lowest legal minimum germination rate under UK seed reg's. Maybe there was something in the old tale about sowing them and then pouring boiling water along the drill?

Want something interesting a bit along the lines of parsnips - try scorzonera and/or salsify next year. You won't get a huge crop, but they are nice for a change of root veg'.

 

[hifilover1979]

That is something of a miracle with the parsnips on two counts - they have done better than the carrots and the germination rate. Probably still the case, but certainly parsnip seed used to have the lowest legal minimum germination rate under UK seed reg's. Maybe there was something in the old tale about sowing them and then pouring boiling water along the drill?

Want something interesting a bit along the lines of parsnips - try scorzonera and/or salsify next year. You won't get a huge crop, but they are nice for a change of root veg'.

I've had salsify & scorzonera in the ground before; did ok but not brilliant. I was the only one that ate it too...

Would love to grow celeriac as its my favourite root veg; but cannot grow them to save my life. Think our soil type isn't the best for them; the leaves/stalks grow superbly, but the root never gets bigger than an apple and that's after stripping the leafage back etc

The carrots this year were ruined by the huge ants nest in the raised bed; think they nicked most of the seeds

I'll be growing them in large, deep troughs next year

 

[Vinny]

Would love to grow celeriac as its my favourite root veg; but cannot grow them to save my life.

Celery is naturally a plant of watersides and swamps (celeriac is just a selection of it). Digging lots of humus in close to planting will make them fang even worse than normal but they must have a rich soil. This year would have been hopeless unless they were drenched every day or two, but normally a deep mulch helps considerably, even just grass clippings. Don't strip many leaves - they are doing all the work in producing the material for building the root. Start them from seed in pots as early as reasonably possible so that they have a chance to get well-rooted before any dry weather.

One of my favourites too - roast or about 30-40% with potato as mash - brilliant with roast pork.

Salsify and scorzonera are naturally low-yielders - roots seldom get as big as an inch diameter. There is nothing to dislike about the flavours - you must have a picky household.

Hamburg parsley?

 

[Mike Reed]

The Gardeners Delight haven't done well at all; very soft and tasteless!

Probably the tastiest G.D. I've grown (inside g/g). just shows that one cannot generalise. Every season is different in my garden re. results.
Pyros, Sam Marzano & Florentina; new to me but I guess the latter two are plum type Italian.

Just eaten some fantastic spinach; first in a year. I've 3 sowings and only one is flourishing.

Two crops I sow sequentially just to keep them on hand for as long as poss. basil and spr. onions in the g/houses. Really add flavour to most meals and basil with tom's is a must have (we eat a lot of tom. based dishes. Unfortunately, aubergines elude me; last year, lovely big plants but weedy (and mostly white) fruit. This year plants are dwarves and fruit small as well. Surprised as the sun/warmth has been ideal, I would've thought. Still, 49p each at S'bury's (with smart shop offers) is good value.

 

[Vinny]

Just eaten some fantastic spinach; first in a year. I've 3 sowings and only one is flourishing.

Real or New Zealand (spinach beet)?

The real stuff is a PITA to grow well and NZ is almost as good but simple to grow.

I have never tried aubergine (growing) but they are notoriously iffy in the UK...........

 

[stevec67]

I'm doing very well with aloes, cacti and money plants. The office is filling up, my desk and others. On mine I've a crown of thorns cactus, money plant, an aloe that just grows like a weed and a spider plant that someone else did their best to kill before I saved it.

 

[Mike Reed]

Real or New Zealand (spinach beet)?

Never heard of NZ beet, Vinny. I think mine was Johnson's spinach beet. The 25p Wilco 'America' spinach suffered a bit but is edible. The 2 year out of date T&M 'Amazon' hybrid isn't great but there again, hasn't been before. Who knows what real rain will bring?

Spinach, esp. perpetual beet as above, isn't difficult but does get attacked by pigeons unless under netting, as mine is this year. Usually have a decent crop but you need a heck of a lot to create a meal.

I'm doing very well with money plants.

You could make a fortune selling these to gullible energy consumers, Steve. However, with inflation as it is, you'd have to grow a hell of a lot more, I guess.

 

[Vinny]

Never heard of NZ beet,

Just another name for spinach beet, another name again is perpetual spinach. I believe it is a variety of chard (as is beetroot), so not especially closely related to real spinach.
Real spinach runs to seed at the slightest deviation from ideal growing conditions, which may be why commercial spinach is usually very immature leaves - harvested before trouble arises. I have only ever tried it for one(?) year - not worth the hassle - probably needs drip watering to be reliable.

Yes, they all cook down to nothing - if they are cooked. One of those large supermarket bags cooks to two very heaped tablespoonfuls, plus a lot of liquid. No doubt the liquid is more nutritious than the semi-solid - OK if making gravy or sauce of some kind, but otherwise........

 

[ks.234]

I have a culvert at the bottom of my garden that is now overgrown with weeds.

I did clear it out by hand and pick a couple of years ago, but it has grown back with a vengeance

Back problems mean digging weeds out by hand again will a) hurt and b) only be temporary, and I’m reluctant to use weed killer as, well, it’s a culvert.

Any suggestions?

 

[Vinny]

Even residual weedkillers, such as Pathclear, have very little residence time once they hit soil.

Buy or hire a flame gun and use it occasionally when any weed-growth is just a few inches tall - wait this year until everything has died-back for the winter to burn-away the dead annual growth, or clear it all out and start afressh next spring.
A flame gun is just "wafted" over weeds reasonably quickly, it isn't used to burn them, as such - it just scorches them and breaks the cells - the plants should be wilting within an hour or so depending on the weather.

I have only ever used one running on paraffin, most (all?) now use a gas cannister. Paraffin ones can be quite intimidating as they roar very loudly - they are just HUGE blow-lamps on the end of a stick. Maybe gas ones are the same?????????

Just checked - still available -

paraffin flame gun: Search Result | eBay

 

[stevec67]

Even residual weedkillers, such as Pathclear, have very little residence time once they hit soil.

Buy or hire a flame gun and use it occasionally when any weed-growth is just a few inches tall - wait this year until everything has died-back for the winter to burn-away the dead annual growth, or clear it all out and start afressh next spring.
A flame gun is just "wafted" over weeds reasonably quickly, it isn't used to burn them, as such - it just scorches them and breaks the cells - the plants should be wilting within an hour or so depending on the weather.

I have only ever used one running on paraffin, most (all?) now use a gas cannister. Paraffin ones can be quite intimidating as they roar very loudly - they are just HUGE blow-lamps on the end of a stick. Maybe gas ones are the same?????????

Just checked - still available -

paraffin flame gun: Search Result | eBay

The German supermarkets sell a Weed Wand device for less than a tenner that takes the disposable gas canisters that cost about a fiver each. This will give you a good couple of hours of burning. As Vinny says you zap it round and it kills everything above the surface. Go back a week later and hit the stragglers, repeat until either you or the weeds get bored. They will grow back, the roots are unaffected but it's environmentally friendly, easy, inexpensive and (eventually) effective.

 

[Mike Reed]

Any suggestions?

A bit left field, but how about dumping a load of top soil on the culvert to (a) confuse the weeds and (b) bring the surface up to a manageable level (and possibly attract more light/sun).

If the boundary wall is higher than the opposite one, you could fabricate a cloche/lean to/mini greenhouse with panes of (old window?) glass once a higher soil level is achieved. Regardless, you'll have a ready, accessible and possibly virgin growing area; good drainage too, I guess, being a culvert. A beneficial geographical position would be the icing on the cake.

 

[Vinny]

Seedlings and shallow/very-fibrous-rooted stuff, like chickweed will be gone in one run with a flame gun - there isn't enough root on them to survive.

 

[TheDecameron]

Seedlings and shallow/very-fibrous-rooted stuff, like chickweed will be gone in one run with a flame gun - there isn't enough root on them to survive.

It the most appropriate activity given half the country is presently a tinderbox.