WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2022

@JimmyB you will find it helpful to have a spray bottle of water handy too. I twist the sprayer to the fine mist and water the tops that way too sometimes. That way you can wet down only what needs it. And of course, those seeds that aren't supposed to be covered.

 

@CanadianLori The plot thickens! I think my sprayer also double for the ironing. Might be another investment needed.

 

Went out to just prune the Wisteria, ended up pruning the wisteria a bit of the apple tree while I was up there and two Viticella clematis , bit early yet for the clematis so not pruned short yet but they are already coming into growth. Cut the honeysuckle back on the fence between me and next door , it grows like crazy I just take it right back with the hedge trimmer. Tidied up round round the back of the apple tree as well they a miscanthus plonked there so cut that back as well.

 

I use CD 60 re useable plug trays , they have a large drainage hole which makes removing the plug easy, and keeps the cells in good condition.
If you are interested, Google Charles Dowding Gardening and go to his shop .

 

@Tomcat thank you! I’m going to try the soil blocks for now. But let’s see!

 

This morning I cut back the Coleus and repotted the cuttings in the pot and cut back seven pots and one hanging basket of Portulaca. It was strange, three of the pots looked almost dead and the others had new growth. Also cut back to about a foot the Salvia farinacea, the hanging basket of Nepeta and the Dwarf Balsam which still had a couple of blooms.

The seven Hibiscus in pots on the front patio all look healthy with no leaf drop (we still have to get through February, our coldest month). No blooms on them, only a few on the in-ground ones down on the dining patio under the Brugmansia.

It was nice with a little filtered sun and no wind with jeans and a short sleeved sweatshirt on.

 

Dedicated the whole last weekend for greenhouse washing and disinfection. For cleaning used soap water (soap made from gall) and for disinfection - potassium permanganate. I was so happy that Monday came and I could proceed with my standard office work - my arms thanked me.
This weekend will try to sort out the soil in the greenhouse: top up with compost, wood ashes, seaweed, maybe something else will come into my mind..

 

Planted 6 bare root rose bushes and 3 Callicarpa bodinieri Profusion
Rose's are Peace and Polo (for now) ordered from my local GC.
I'm currently scanning the David Austin catalogue for my upcoming birthday oh dear!

 

I am tending to about a dozen Gerbera daisy seedlings that I started from seed several weeks ago. The seeds were soaked overnight in a weak hydrogen peroxide solution and germinated in less than 24 hours. That said, they are the slowest growing seedlings I have ever grown in spite of being grown in an indoor greenhouse under an intense LED grow light system.

 

I brought in two flats of 4" pots which I had already filled with potting soil. Got them soaking so they will thaw be ready for transplanting chilli seedlings tomorrow.

 

I've ordered another grow light panel, so spent the morning moving my propagator to a different bench in the greenhouse where I can set both panels up over it.

Its amazing how heavy that damp sand can be.

 

oh oh @pete you're getting hooked on the dc stuff!

And today I will also make a note on the top of each month of my gardening calendar to test each flat for leaks before filling them again with preloaded seedling pots. Both flats of pots I sprayed with water this morning, then drained all over my counter top and onto the floor

Before planting out or potting up to their final home, most of these pots sit in an area that has capillary matting. I believe my thinking was that using old and battered trays was okay since they would mainly only be used for storing pots filled with dry soil and moving them about. Not for rehydrating. Doh!

 

The first of my Foxglove "Snowy Mountain" seedlings have germinated. Absolutely minuscule but it is through.
My better half took delivery of 100 Snowdrops in the green and planted them out today. Most of my work was in the house.

 

Armchair gardening

 

I planted some Anenome blanda in the pot with the pink Brugmansia. They are the pink/blue/white variety. I was going to do them yesterday then realised it was best to soak the corms first.