Members tips

I suggested some people may benefit from members tips, and put it on "Members requests", maybe as a sticky. It has been suggested I start it off as a general thread.

Some folk refer to me as Marjorie. OK then, firstly I am not Marjorie - it's Andrew! I have chosen marjoriesseedling as my username as it is a superb variety of plum.

MY first tip I would like to share is that I am a big fan of newspaper in the garden.
Whenever I plant any shrub or tree, big or small I dig a bigger hole than I need and put a generous amount of well soaked newspaper in the bottom, followed by planting mixture (and the plant of course). This then acts as a sponge to retain moisture in dry weather, and eventually rots down to compost. No doubt it may have some impact on the nitrogen, but the plants survive a lot better, and are normally healthy.

Several years ago I asked a neighbour to water the greenhouse whilst on holiday. On return the tomatoes were swimming with water........but dead. They must have only just remembered to water them, so I turned to newspaper. I dug a trench about 24-30 inches deep with the bottom 8-12inches full of newspaper, and planted the tomatoes on top. I did not ask our neighbours this next time, but returned after a hot week to find healthy tomatoes, with no attention whatever.

Just my way of doing things!

Andrew:luv:

 

Hiya Andrew ...

We do / did have a section here on tips but damned if I can find it to put the link up. :halp:

Now I like this newspaper idea and it takes care of lots of issues (ie, carting the newspapers to the recycling center if you don't have a compost bin). Strange, newspaper is good for lots of things ... rolling into logs for fires in the winter, wet scrunched pages in new leather shoes to stretch them, wrapping frozen food in hot weather to transport home from the grocery store ... now your idea ....

Thanks for your clever

 

you can also make planting tubes with newspaper

get a sheet of folded over paper, wrap it round a loo roll tube then tuck in the end paper. remove the loo roll tube

they are great for quick growing long root seedlings - such as beans


i do use loo roll tubes but i once ran out and started making these


loopy

 

And for stuffing into motorbike boots and gloves when you get caught in the rain and need them to dry out by the next morning...

My tips are probably used by people already, but keep seeds in the fridge (a tuberware box is handy) and many of them benefit from soaking them in water for 24 hours before planting.