What Jobs Are We Doing In The Garden Today 2020

Will do. I'll have a look in the morning. Thanks. I did have a dig around to see any evidence of vine weevil but couldn't see anything.

 

Hi Mike, that is a good point of course, and that is what I am trying to find out.
The thing is, if I had a a lot of space to have plants develop, I would probably not be bothered experimenting with the blocks.
For instance, if I had the space for a large greenhouse or a few small ones, or perhaps just a bigger house with a whole room, I would just make shelves as needed and fill them up with pots by the hundreds.
I do have a closed gazebo, which I used last year, but plants were not getting enough light and were in the way of using it for woodworking and other things.

So I am left with a 5 feet window sill, which I rigged with a board to take more pots, and two cupboard size greenhouses. Many plants I grow, like tomatoes, squashes and similar, end up needing bigger pots well before being ready for the outdoors. For smaller and developing plants, the blocks seem to be a space saving solution which reduces root disturbance when transplanting.

For the moment, my impressions are:

Pro
1) The blocks are most definitely much easier to plant in soil or larger pots without disturbing the roots. I planted in soil at the same time 12 beans in blocks and 20 corn plants from mini pots. Blocks were easier, whileit is quite hard to keep the potted soil together, unless the roots have filled it up completely and circling already, which some say is bad.
2) The blocks, if spaced a bit, should allow more air in the soil and prevent the roots from circling. Accordingly to some this is good.
3) Comparing to pots and bags, the plants (broad beans, sprouted) ) have developed much faster than in soil, pots, trays or bags. However, this of course might depend on temperature, light and other things.
4) Compared to biodegradable pots and bags I tried, there is nothing to biodegrade or potentially obstructing the roots. Of course, I did only try a few biodegradable pots and bags, perhaps I bought rubbish and other types do not create problems. I never tried paper pots, so I am not sure if they would be better.

Cons
1) They are not as easy and fast as simply seeding in a pot or tray. That is a fact. Particularly, large or sprouted seeds can be a pain. Young seedlings too, even if the basil seedlings seem to be doing ok.
2) They can break, as you say. 4 out of 70 or so did break, but it did not seem to arm the plant, and it happened with broad beans which came out form the sides, because of the way they had sprouted. I am curious to see what happens with other types of plants.
3) Unlike for pots, while one could simply pile up a few blocks or even 4 in a cube, you cannot really choose the size, so they are only suitable for smaller plants, or like small pots they soon need transplanting.
4) They require more care when moving and lifting them.

So, well, for the moment I am happy but perhaps I will change my mind in a future.

 

@shiney @NigelJ @rustyroots @Mike Allen

Thanks so much for the advice regarding beans and peas!
I was actually wondering what had pulled out some of my broad beans out of the soil weeks ago..
I blamed squirrels, I always blame squirrels as a rule But we do have pidgeons visiting the garden often, so probably it was them.

I think I will wait until thursday to plant all the rest then, accordingly to the forecast the temperature should go up again by then.

 

Please friends. At no time do I wish to put anyone down. I simply relate, pass on what I have learned over the years. I will go agains books etc at times.

I enjoy the friendship of this forum and do my best as a pro etc to join in the highs and lows of gardening. Sad old me. I have just started to wtch the dvd's of the Victorian Gardener. Here I find myself back in my world.. Amandii.. B. Cheek, Ime not that old.

 

Thumbs up. Clear for take off...........................................................Ooops. Didn't you see that wall. Never mind!!!!!

 

@Aldo I wouldn't let the squirrels off the hook; I have both pigeons and squirrels and it could well have been squirrels pulling the beans up. Mice, rats and voles will also take peas, beans and bulbs. This weekend I have found 4 horse chestnut seedlings in different parts of the garden, all I assume buried by squirrels; however since the only local chestnut tree was felled about 5 years ago I have no idea where they are getting them from.

 

No it's 2.5 cm 5cm is 2 inches looking at my ruler that i use to make my greetings cards.

 

I have used levingtons M2 as the base for my potting compost for the last seven years and found it excellent quality. you read so many comments on this forum as well as others about the poor quality of various brands of compost, I have had similar bad bags of so called premium compost.
I use ten 75 ltr bags a year of levintons M2 and have never had a bad one yet. I use blocks of coco coir as bedding for my worm farm which is mixed with the levingtons when turned into worm compost 90% levingtons 10% worm compost will grow anything.
regds Sandy

 

In the meanwhile..
On SaplingsCorner.squirrel.uk a new user, Mr ChipMunk, poses his first question, and some kind fellow squirrels offer advice:

Mr ChipMunk
Need some help with my saplings patch, please.
My saplings are all gone!
Perhaps it was pigeons, but I suspect humans..
They not only attack saplings but grown plants too! The saplings they just pull out of the soil but they can also munch through the trunk of bigger plants.
Could you believe that?
We had this beautiful chestnut five years ago, the acorn of my eye, and it was gone within days due to human infestation.
Good that I saved some of the nuts for planting.
I tried and pulling out some weeds, beans mainly, which apparently attracts humans. Hoping they would leave, but here they are again.
I heard somewhere about biocontrol. Apparently, the other side of the pond they use rattlesnakes, but they are a bit of a pain to keep on the branch until they are big enough. Also, they die off naturally after a few weeks in this climate, so need reapplying often, which is a bit expensive.
Any ideas?
Also, the sappling patch is a mess. Full of cabbage, beans and other useless weeds. I kept it all clean, but they came out of nowhere and are suffocating my saplings.
Some say humans grow their weeds, but maybe I am just being paranoid. They are low life, can they really be that smart?

CanadianSquirrel
Here in Northern NewWoods humans are a big problem. They are delicate pests, cannot take the cold, so they are out of the way most of the year. But in Summer we are overrun and we cannot take chances with the saplings.
I tried biocontrol, but rattlesnakes do not like the weather and bear cubs are a bit of a pain to keep on the branch until they are big enough to be of any use.
Also, some humans go back dying in their nests, but some just die here in the saplings patch and make a mess of it. It makes for good sapling compost in the end, but they smell a lot..
But then, I found soil blocks!
They are easy to make and carry on top of the tree. It is even fun, relaxing on your summer branch patio, when you spot a human, bang! You drop a soil block on their head! Put a stone or two in just for giggles..
There are smaller blocks too, but I am unconvinced. They might be fine for smaller humans.. But then they grow and you need larger blocks anyway, or simply pots full of stones. So, take them when they are young, as I always say!
Anyway, tonight is still freezing, fortunately. Need to go tending to my saplings and opening a few faucets nightime for the humans to enjoy in the morning :D

MikeMunch
Pardon my French, but this newfangled soil blocks talk makes no sense to me.
Nowadays I do not grow my acorns anymore. What is the point when you can go to the nearest centenary oak and get bags of just the same stuff?
I like to grow decorative species, oleander, blackthorn, weeping willow! They are pretty and fun.
But anyway, when I did grow from acorn, I would just plant them out early and plant many. You are bound to loose some but how many trees do you really need?
Plant a few well hidden under the humans' nest and their weed houses too. See how they like an oak coming through their munching room, that should keep them busy and out of the way.
Not sure about biocontrol, but some do keep slugs and apparently that deters humans to an extent..

ShineyTail
You need to keep your saplings sheltered..
The forecast is that there will be humans around, so find some safe corner, under thorny bushes.
Me and Ms. ShineyTail have been growing sapling in little boxes and we sold already 200, but I only sell to customers who can afford the saplings some protection. No point otherwise. The others will have to wait until the humans are gone.
If you keep slugs, their poo makes for good sapling compost. Also, you can bring them for an evening walk on the weeds, it saves you a bit of work and some even say that it keeps humans away too..

 

Well, I just enclosed my plants with some plastic sheeting, in the hope it keeps them warm enough over the next few days.
What I had not planned for was the wind, the BBC weather site describes it as a "moderate breeze", but to me feels plenty strong and it is blowing our recycling containers all over the place..

By the way, I hope the little fictional story I posted this morning did not offend anyone.
I read Nigel's reply in the morning and the idea that squirrels might actually bury nuts to deliberately grow trees, and might even have their own squirrelnet to talk about, came to mind.
I guess I read, and make up, too many children stories for my child.
Anyway, reading it back, and English obviously not being my native language, I hope it did not come across as I was trying to poke fun at anybody, but perhaps the squirrels, that was really not my intention

 

@ARMANDII Hi, I went to dig up the kojo no mai this morning. It didn't take much it just pulled out too easily really I think the roots were small but I have nothing to go off. The plant was only small, around a foot high. I've checked again and again for any sign of vine weevil and I can't see any evidence. All but a small couple of inches of the base of the trunk is dead. I'm a little perplexed really. Would you try another one? I liked it

 

Hi @Jasmine star , I've had trouble with an Azalea this Spring and it sounds very similar,. Is your Prunus in a pot? If so could it have got waterlogged when we had all that rain/flooding in February? If so just try to dry it out. I turned my pot on it's side for a couple of days to drain the excess moisture, renewed some of the compost and now it's starting to come back to life.