Wake up!! This is a great section, just not really active:(! Last post 2 months ago!!! So I done the garlic, onion, broad bean planting outside, and getting on with the digging, waiting for a lorryful of manure to work in. What to grow, plant in the greenhouse?? I still got the tomatoes in there:thmb:
Hi Seedstotal, there has been so much to do that I haven't had time to reply. Here is my list - some of which have been done and some still to do. 1) Take seeds This is an ongoing process. Some plants are still in full flower and seeds won't be ready for a while - so I have to keep inspecting them. Remembering to take extra seeds for friends, neighbours, and GC members. 2) Take cuttings I have taken about 100 cuttings recently, and put them in my light box pictured above. They will take about 10 to 14 days to root. It is no good taking cuttings or trying to overwinter tender plants unless you have somewhere to put them. So another job was to prepare winter quarters in a small bedroom. 3) Identify what plants need to be protected over winter and if so - how. You can still leave them outside for a bit, but need a plan in case emergency action is needed. I will lift tubers, in due time, such as Dahlia, Liatris, Chasmanthe and Salvia patens, and keep them in the darkest part of the summerhouse, as they don't need any light. Borderline hardy plants such as Lobelia, Agastache, Penstomen, Verbena and various Salvias will be kept in a coldframe. Tender plants that require most lightwill be kept in the greenhouse and those that are pretty dormant over winter I will keep in the summerhouse. I also have space in the house for the tenderest of all. 4) Make the tempory cold frame. I haven't done this yet. This picture is from last year. Its very simple to make a tempory cold frame from bricks or breeze blocks with a piece of glass on top. It costs almost nothing and can be dismantled in spring. 5) Prepare the greenhouse I did this today to my small lean-to. I painted the back wall white, to reflect a bit more light. Then bubble wrapped it for insulation. Set up the tables and trays, and set up the heating system. My heating comprises an electric heater, an external electronic thermostat (as I don't trust cheap bi-metallic strip internal ones), and a power consumption meter to measure how much it is costing. I only keep it frost free and that cost less than £2 last year to run. Though it will cost a lot more if you set the temperature higher. 6) Set up the summerhouse in the same way. 7) Start to lift, cut back and/or repot any tender plants that can be done now. 8) Plant new bulbs, and any that were lifted over the summer such as Tulips and some Alliums 9) Plan where my biennials are to be planted. I currently have plants in pots that need to be planted out, but can only go into spaces left by annuals and tender perennials that are to be lifted. 10 ) and when I have done that I have got to rebuild my long trellis that was blown down in a recent gale. And then get rid of some of those forget-me-nots that smothered and killed some of my perennials earlier this year.
That lightbox is great fun. I use it for early seeds and cuttings. Its was easy to make and costs about £4 or £5 a month to run, but I only run it over the winter months. The key element was getting the idea and then finding out how much light was needed. It is three 3 foot strip lights over a growbag tray. With a heated propagator, the plants are at 80F with summer light levels, so you can grow almost anything in there . Last year I did some Salvia cuttings and within 10 days they were not only rooted but flowering as well. The initial flower buds were on the cutting material, and I cut them off at first, but they just went on coming back. The same plants are in the garden now and still flowering - continuously for 10 months!
:ntwrth: Peter I've collected seeds and taken cuttings which are currently either in the shed or the coldframe. Some are now ready to be potted on, which I'll do asap. I've planted all my daffodils, hyacinths and crocuses and also garlic today. The tulips can wait for a while as it's still too warm, maybe till November, or at least until we get a few frosts. I've dug up the tender perennials plus fuschias and pelargoniums to overwinter in the greenhouse, and other herbaceous perennials have been moved to different/better positions in the garden. That's it, I think. Once the tulips are in I can relax until seed-planting time in Feb/March.
Thank you Tiarella, and well done - that sounds very organised. But you left out one thing between now and Feb/Mar - the planning for next year. I think that's one of the best times of the year, looking through seed catalogues and drooling. :D
WOW Peters, you are so organised and your system is just Brilliant, I haven't even planted any bulbs yet in my back garden as its still Blooming Beautifully :luv: I have a week off work soon and im planning to do it all then.. Bet its Frosty :(
Peter enjoyed reading your message and your system looks great you mentioned Penstomen I had 6 delivered 2-3 week ago and I have put them in the front under the window Will I need to protect them, they are about 6-9 in tall at the moment, and I am a bit worried if I take them up and the roots have not started growth will I ruin them, Yet the actual bed they are in is protected from the elements but?
Hi Nathan, and thanks - in the front under the window will probably be OK, as the house will give off a bit of heat, and being planted close to the house will hopefully keep it a bit drier. Some Penstomen are very hardy. 'Garnet' probably being the most hardy of all Penstomen. My 'Garnet' is in the border and I never bother about it, except that I don't cut off the old foliage until the spring. Leaving old dead foliage on acts a little bit like a fleece, and just gives a little bit more winter protection. Also it you cut old stems that are hollow, the rain can get down them and cause the crown to rot. Penstemon (like a number of other perennials that are relatively drought tolerant) are probably more effected by winter wet rather than just the cold itself. In fact in the case of Penstomen, nurserymen use the expression 'persistance' rather than 'hardiness' to describe the chance of it coming back in the following year. So anything that reduces its exposure to wet will help. ie covering it or putting it under the eaves to keep it drier, or planting it on top of gravel or sharp sand to help it drain better.
Oh, I'm doing my planning too. I have been trawling through old GW mags, gardening books and seed catalogues. I've drawn sketches of borders with a list of what's there underneath and notes on what to add/remove underneath that. I have a shopping list of "must have" seeds on the go, but won't send off for them just yet as I suspect it may be added to. I also have a shopping list of perennials I'd like to purchase from Garden Shows next Spring.................I do so love the planning stage!!! :gnthb:
You so lucky that you are at that stage. Im planning to do the autumn digging:hehe:. Added more grass cutting to the compost today, and took home a habanero plant, and as said planning the digging for sunday:oim already tired. The second plot has been used first time this year, so there are still lots of blackberry roots to get out!
I have my plans drawn up and ready to put into action over winter and early Spring. Not as drastic as last year and I've already completed one area!
There is still plenty to do to prepare for winter. I received a roll of white polythene in the post this morning, So set to, using it to line my summerhouse for the winter. The pictures above are before and after. The reason for doing this is twofold. I overwinter tender plants in there, using it as a low grade greenhouse. Over the winter there will be a lot of condensation. Most of this water comes from the soil in the pots, if they are put in wet after a rainy period. The pots will dry out slowly over the winter, and all that water has to go somewhere - so it condenses on the roof and sides. This encourages mould to grow on the wooden surfaces. So the idea of the plastic is to keep the condensation off the wood, and the use of white polythene should increase the light level.
Wow Peter, you are serious about gardening man! Unbelivable! I just did some digging, and planted more garli, as we cannot get enough. Sown some sweet peas too, lets see what happens, never sown them in the autumn.
seedstotal - the attitude I take is to keep trying something different. Whatever you have done before - try one or two new things. For me, its fun that way, it keeps life interesting, you learn more, you chat to people on forums like this who can introduce you to new plants and new ideas, which can lead you into all sorts of areas that you never dreamed of going into before. I never stated of with the intention of doing what I am doing now. It just happened. Its a bit like a maze, there is no point in keeping still, you must try some of the routes available. Some will be dead ends, but some will lead into new interesting areas. This year I grew Daturas and Brugmansias for the first time as a result of seeds and information from Walnut on the forum (as well as a number of other new things). They are great fun, they can grow to 5 or 6 feet in a single season. I am also growing some Echiums - they can get up to 10 to 16 feet - hopefully next year. I am looking for something bigger now! :D Why not try one or two completely new veg yourself - you will never know if you like them or not until you try. If you grow them from seed, a couple of packets costs very little.
