WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY 2023

@Retired no the water hadn't frozen, last week yes it did. To defrost it i have put hot water in to loosen the ice because it wasn't frozen underneath.
At the moment the water dish gets full up with leaves so i have to change it.
The very cold weather has gone for a while but back to rain showers.

Good that you got some violin practice in and some maintenance on your chainsaw and rotavator.

 

Spent a while raking leaves this morning but the wet ground means they have glued them selves to the paths, not easy to get them off even with a stiff broom.

Went out front and cut back the 10ft plus shoots on the pollarded Catalpa, then had to rake up the leaves from it, big leaves wet and smothering everything.

 

Been out in the greenhouse to check on a few of the Dahlias tubers that had to be dug up unfortunately.
They are so huge that drying then off is seeming impossible . I keep going in and brushing off the soil layer by layer as it dries but I was still disappointed today to find that again after brushing off the tubers more damp layers remained.....will they ever dry out!! So much easier leaving them in the ground.

I am considering washing them......any thoughts or advice would be most welcome.

Thankfully we're enjoying a mild spell of weather at the moment.

 

I think is best to wash Dahlia roots as soon as you dig them up, trying to dry out lots of mud at this time of the year is difficult, then stand them upside-down in a airy place, yeah easier said than done.
Its just a really messy process how ever you go about it.

 

Thanks pete.....I just didn't think about washing them at the time. I did look up what to do and it just said wait until frosted then cut back and lift very carefully then hang upside down to drain and dry for a few days. Well it's now about 2-3 weeks for mine!! Not use to this at all. I will definitely find them a permanent home in the borders next year......says she optimistically thinking these poor tubers will survive this winter.

 

Use an electric fan to help?

 

No power out in our greenhouse and going by some of the critters hiding amongst the tubers they will definitely not be coming indoors. Hubs won't want them in his workshop ( garage to you and me.) either, but thanks for responding @Drahcir .

 

Dug out a clematis this afternoon just before it started to rain, not ideal to be moving plants now but its being evicted from the garden and planted on the garage site, I am going to let it scramble over a small conifer. It were suppose to be a montana rubens but it isn't bought from a supermarket if I remember, looks to be a group 2 or 3 variety Any idea? it be a common variety maybe warszawska nike.

I blast my dahlia tubers off with the hose @Upsydaisy , I did have the same problem trying to store them to wet , they dry off much faster when they are cleaned off .

 

We've lost our Niagra Falls water feature.....hubs has cleaned the guttering!!!

Do you think it's too late now to wash them @Perki ?

 

If they is a lot of soil still on the dahlia tubers might be worth a go , depends on weather as well if you've got any harsh frost forecast soon . They'll probably dry off in a day or 2 if you get some good sunny weather.

edit - just looked at the weather thread @Upsydaisy looks like you've got a patch of mild sunny ish weather . I'd wash them off personally

 

Yes we have @Perki . I will do that first thing tomorrow morning ,the greenhouse still gets surprisingly warm on mild days.

Thanks for coming back to me with your advice. Greatly appreciated.

 

It may be worthwhile wrapping or standing them on some kitchen roll @Upsydaisy, it may draw the wetness out.

 

Good idea @Sheal thank you.

 

Hi,

Many thanks @Logan; our water dishes were frozen solid the thick ice unhappy to let go. I enjoyed a nice violin practice this morning learning a bit more of "Only Fools Rush In" then I cleaned the bow hair with methylated spirit; I'll apply fresh rosin next session.

I should be awarded a big medal for stupidity; early this morning I said to Bron the 30 plants are going into the garden today whatever the weather throws at me.

The plants are now in and I'm drying out and warming up; atrocious conditions up the garden with lots of rain; a breeze blowing the conifer above my head as I worked ensuring dust wasn't a problem; it's a black hole and cold so everything's normal. Handling the tools covered in wet slippery mud was most enjoyable as was trying to lift a bag of compost which landed at my feet having lifted it to waist height; the small empty plant pots were being blown around as were the plastic multiple containers.

I no longer cared if it snowed I was fed up of looking at the plants wanting my attention; the sun can show it's face now because I've beaten the dire weather; I've told the plants to grow otherwise they face a layer of 6" thick concrete next year.

A successful day today just because I'm too thick to know when to quit.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi,

This morning still not bothered about our dire weather I wrapped up and wandered out; the wind had driven the leaves from the big oak tree up the garden over our patio & pathway; amazingly it stopped raining so I got stuck in and enjoyed being outside tidying up.


The big oak tree supplying the leaves.

Here's the remains of the big oak tree I removed in August; for years it has covered our patio with acorns and unlimited leaves meaning lots of work also the pigeons made full use of its branches as toilet seats; I thought we would be clear of oak leaves this year but the wind decided otherwise.

Three Anemones I planted yesterday in pouring rain; I didn't need to water them likewise the other 27 plants I also put in the garden.

What a mess this morning with all the leaves sticking to the wet flags.

Oak leaves everywhere.

I wasn't sure if the Makita cordless blower would blow these wet leaves but it actually did a brilliant job; the 4ah battery was fully charged and on full power I was very pleased with the result. I used the snow shovel to good effect too as seen having blown the leaves into piles which were easily scooped up.

Having cleared the leaves I then cleaned the tools I had used yesterday but couldn't clean due to pouring rain so I had dumped them into the garden hut; after a night in the hut they remained wet but they are now cleaned and sprayed with WD40; the gloves too are now clean. Due to the wet mud it was difficult to hold these but I completed the planting; the wet clothes dried overnight.

Looking a great deal better now and it's come over very dark starting to rain so I enjoyed the brief window break of rain hostilities; it can bucket down now and wash the patio & pathway. 11:15am and here I am at the keyboard needing a desk lamp switched on in order to see the keys; I wouldn't live anywhere else but Yorkshire I love it here. A good morning.

Kind regards, Colin.