What Jobs are we doing in the Garden today 2014..

With colder and frosty weather looming just barely watered plants in greenhouses, potted up last year's seed begonias that have formed corms and sprouted. Pinched tops off 2nd sowing of sweet peas that are growing 3 in a pot. Basket ones are branching without the need for pinching so far. Sweet Peas have been in the garden for a while as the greenhouse got too warm so have put them inside a plastic mini-greenhouse/blow-away to shield them from the cold/frosty nights ahead as I have no room to move them back in the greenhouse - fingers crossed they will be OK. Last year I bought a set of Clematis - one of them has only one stem - which has grown about 6 foot - "Fond Memories" looked it up and it needs cutting back to 6-8" - did this (despite the fact it has flowers/buds at the top ) - took cuttings of cut-back.

Indoors the astilbe has sprouted - tiny shoots. I found a packet of Zantedeschia Arum Lily seeds bought last year - pack said sow immediately which I obviously didn't - sowed them a couple of weeks ago and many have sprouted already . Nothing sprouted yet on the Hosta, Dicentra, Red Hot Poker. 1 pot of (2) chrysanths cuttings has rooted was sat on top of lights (mild heat) - other pot wilted - was lucky as they were in the greenhouse and had flopped badly before bringing them indoors. Have done another 2 pots.

S.

 

Yesterday it was very cold in the wind tunnel I call a garden. It rained on and off so i didn't get much done.

I've sort of done the same with the maskotkas you sent me FC. First time I've sown toms and they've shot up into tall leggy things seemly overnight. I only sowed a few as I don't need that many. I think I left them in the prop too long. They didn't take long to germinate either. I think I'll start again with another small batch and whip them out of the prop as soon as they're up. You live and learn!

 

I've got a nice, wide, south facing windowsill so I'll pop them on there after I've replanted them.

Did you grow yours last year in a pot or hanging basket? What size pot /basket did you use and how many plants in each one? I was going to put one plant in a 12inch basket but I'm not sure if that's right?

 

Thanks FC....I think I'll put them in pots instead.

 

FC and Fern......I went through trial and error growing toms in a propagator. Be it electric or otherwise, it's best to whip them out as soon as the first one shows itself, the others around it in the same tray or pots will probably have germinated and will appear soon after. I check my propagator at least twice a day because they can appear and grow quite quickly within a couple of hours.

 

Tut! You only need to prick out the exact number that you need. If you think that's going to be a problem, and they have come up a bit thick (i.e. thick enough to potentially damp-off) get some long pointy scissors and Off With Their Heads as a throng-thinning.

 

Still feeling a bit poorly after having a bug for a few days, so didn't do much outside today. I did venture out long enough to edge around the lawns after Mrs Trunky had cut them, water a few pots and feed the chickens.
That'll have to do for today.