What Jobs Are We Doing In The Garden Today 2020

Thank you sir .

 

I’ve just pruned the dead branches out of the Kilmarnock willow.

I haven’t done much to it in the last couple of years, as I’ve been away at the the correct time (ie now-ish). Also the willow thought about curling up its toes last summer, with our prolonged drought...

Pleased, and shocked, with how it looks now!

before (photo taken 4/2/2020j...


...and after.

 

Loverly, under used plant, and good for polinators too.

 

We planted seeds which are now in the conservatory

 

Well it was an interesting day in the garden...

firstly, the rotorvator was a disaster! It was too big but also the emergency cut off button didnt work, neither did the break, neither did the clutch and the starter handle snapped! Rang them up and they’re refunding it.



The pleached trees eventually arrived an hour late at 1pm. Rang the supplier up straight away as there were a few black spots on the backs of some of the leaves. As I was on the phone to him the nutcase neighbour who swears at me out the window was hanging out of the window taking photos and shouted something at me but I couldn’t really hear what it was as I was on the phone. It was something like she was taking photos to put on facebook or something?!? I just gave her a thumbs up, carried on talking to the supplier then went to the back garden office to tell my husband what had happened. What a total nut job.



Anyway, We’ve manually dug a section of the border and dug in a load of really good soil conditioner. It took a long time to do a 6 meter section. I’ll plant the first 5 tomorrow afternoon.

 

Hi snorky, with the black spot on the pleached trees, what species are the tree, and did the person you bought them from, is there a plant passort number on the receipt?

 

hiya! Thanks for asking. I didnt check for a plant passport but I got them from Paramount Plants. They’re Quercus Ilex and was told they have all been DEFRA checked. I dont think they can import them anymore because of the oak moth issues. Do you have any thoughts on what it is?

 

Basically nothing! Unless you count a vain search for my trowel and fork which have vanished totally. They are the only tools I can use with my disability... Will have to replace but skint and we are islanded ie in isolation now, So mail order only.

 

I would have to look at leafs closely, but it looks like Holly leaf spot, which is a fungal infection, its common in pleached trees of Oak or Holly varieties, usually because of poor air circulation, very wet conditions.. The leaves will fall off, and the plant should regrow, it can only be treated in with a fungicide before the spots turn black, so if it is Holly leaf spot, the early stages have been missed.

As for the plants being DEFRA checked, DEFRA only inspect plants at the nursery, and visit nurseries once or twice a year, the inspector turns up, shows his i.d, spends a couple of hours, inspecting at risk plants, then other plants, they then report anything, be it whitefly, or a pathogen, gives the all clear, or issues are given by notice, so they give you a written notice, to treat for a pest, or an instruction to isolate and not to sell, on more serious issues. They can even confiscated, or take a sample away for further analysis. Plants are very seldom checked st customs, and therebis no restrictions on the amounts imported, unless a notice is given, so an inspection can take place on January 1st, the all clear given, they can import and sell many more plants, and the next inspection may not be to the following January or February. Our Local DEFRA office is in Trowbridge wiltshire, there are 2 inspectors, who cover Wiltshire, Gloustershire, Somerset, Bristol, and parts of Dorset.
Plant passports, by law you should be given, a label attached to each plant, or printed on an invoice, clearly visable and will read something like:

 

Sorry for the duplicate photos

 

@Cuttings Thanks very much for that info. I will have a look at the plants again. I only got a paypal invoice and there was no plant passports on that. I'll go out and take some better photos of the leaves and I will also send them an email.