The zombie army COVID-19 Gardening thread.
Discussion
Hereward said:
Hereward said:
After years of making cold compost I decided to have a go at hot composting, using this year's grass cuttings combined with last Autumn's leaf piles.
Less than 24 hours after building the new pile this is the current core temperature (61 degrees C). Mother Nature never ceases to blow my mind.
Thermal runaway and about to hit 70 degrees C so I will give it a turn. Cool story, bro!Less than 24 hours after building the new pile this is the current core temperature (61 degrees C). Mother Nature never ceases to blow my mind.
I'm interested in using the heat from hot composting, but you need to keep it going for 6 months or so to do that which is possible with the right ingredients.
Have now advanced a bit in knowledge and equipment so am trying a mix of hoss muck, moorland rush and ash. I'm up to 30'c after a week.
Harry Flashman said:
This reminds me - does anyone have any tips on stopping a marauding lilac? The neighbour's monster is creeping under our fence and, despite digging down each shoot and cutting clean off it keeps coming through. Seems like the only solution is some sort of physical barrier driven in deep. Or more nefarious options obvs, but we're nowhere near that stage yet.
Sway said:
Stump killer to be added, and new tool to be bought to tackle the roots throughout what's been cleared. Had a quick trial with the tree surgeon's, and my word I'd have saved dozens of hours of hard labour with a mattock and heavy fork...
Edited by Sway on Sunday 24th April 20:38
There is always one isn't there:
Always one.
I'm glad of the Polytunnel right now, as it's bloody cold (7'c) outside, but about 20 in there despite being cloudy. I've started off all my veg in it, even those you're supposed to plant as seed straight outside to give them a head start. Everything is in fibre pots so it can be dropped into the veg bed when I've made it. I've got 12 tons of soil being delivered on Saturday (hopefully) to fill some raised beds with. Raised beds I haven't even made yet, but they'll just be some old beams cobbled together for now. Random pics:
As you can see i'm really tidy
Always one.
I'm glad of the Polytunnel right now, as it's bloody cold (7'c) outside, but about 20 in there despite being cloudy. I've started off all my veg in it, even those you're supposed to plant as seed straight outside to give them a head start. Everything is in fibre pots so it can be dropped into the veg bed when I've made it. I've got 12 tons of soil being delivered on Saturday (hopefully) to fill some raised beds with. Raised beds I haven't even made yet, but they'll just be some old beams cobbled together for now. Random pics:
As you can see i'm really tidy
Got some raised beds knocked up and filled at the weekend. Impatient as I am got them more or less planted out too and wondering if I should have waited a week as this current cold spell is due to lift then. Nevermind, done now and no frost forecast, just 10'c, dull and sometimes showers.
I've been fancying one of those 'soft rain rose watering lances' that Monty uses, have just found out it's a Geka so ordered one.
I've been fancying one of those 'soft rain rose watering lances' that Monty uses, have just found out it's a Geka so ordered one.
Well, it's burst into colour!
Pic taken a few days ago, must have doubled since.
Starting to achieve what we'd hoped - good colour for both front and back gardens.
Also bought a 'digging pole' from toolstation, however it's subtlety different from the one the tree surgeon suggested, and so is 'much easier, but still b
d hard work' digging out the cleared shrub roots.
However, I have a cunning plan. Have heated up and bashed some metal (see my 'blacksmithing/forging' thread) I'm clearly now an expert. So I think I'm going to get a MAP torch and do some modifying...
Pic taken a few days ago, must have doubled since.
Starting to achieve what we'd hoped - good colour for both front and back gardens.
Also bought a 'digging pole' from toolstation, however it's subtlety different from the one the tree surgeon suggested, and so is 'much easier, but still b
d hard work' digging out the cleared shrub roots.However, I have a cunning plan. Have heated up and bashed some metal (see my 'blacksmithing/forging' thread) I'm clearly now an expert. So I think I'm going to get a MAP torch and do some modifying...
j3gme said:
Gladioli and Begonias coming on
Banana plant and Birds of Paradise (Strelitzia) waiting to go outside, sadly never had any flowers yet
Blimey, you're well ahead of me. Where are you? Of all my gladioli I have just one shoot peeking out. Banana plant and Birds of Paradise (Strelitzia) waiting to go outside, sadly never had any flowers yet
I bought some tiny Strelitsia young plants home from a Madeira market. I gave two away to some friends in Portugal and kept one for myself to see what I could do with it. It seems to be thriving well enough but I'm not sure it's worth the effort as you don't get flowers for about 5 years.
I've enjoyed seeing your gardens and decided to post photos of ours. We're located in the Laurel Highlands Region of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
It's been a work in progress since the house was finished 1989. It was a muddy field of corn stubble when we moved in, with the nearest tree being a quarter mile away.
A visitor:
It's been a work in progress since the house was finished 1989. It was a muddy field of corn stubble when we moved in, with the nearest tree being a quarter mile away.
A visitor:
pmanson said:
Garden is starting to come alive
We had the ‘roundabout’ taken out from the driveway to make turning around a little easier. Gardener is due back next week to move some fencing around (to make side access easier but to then stop the dogs getting on the drive)
You have a beautiful property. What a great view!We had the ‘roundabout’ taken out from the driveway to make turning around a little easier. Gardener is due back next week to move some fencing around (to make side access easier but to then stop the dogs getting on the drive)
Meanwhile at the rougher end 
In the South you're probably harvesting the corn, here the daffs are still in bloom.
The French lavender has defied all odds (and experts) and is flowering, you can just about see one, but it's a bit vague.
Like I said on the Lavender thread it's the soil which is letting it survive, not the weather.
The slope is as steep as it looks and I must get my angle finder on it one day, it's got to be be over 45', but it's got all kinds of things planted on it now.
In the South you're probably harvesting the corn, here the daffs are still in bloom.
The French lavender has defied all odds (and experts) and is flowering, you can just about see one, but it's a bit vague.
Like I said on the Lavender thread it's the soil which is letting it survive, not the weather.
The slope is as steep as it looks and I must get my angle finder on it one day, it's got to be be over 45', but it's got all kinds of things planted on it now.
We moved in around 6 weeks ago, slowly exploring all the garden
This pond is knackered but the previous owners had a quote for about £4k to refurbish it
It’s circa 14m in length
I was thinking that I could get the walls repaired, remove the central island and get a huge pond liner put in
This pond is knackered but the previous owners had a quote for about £4k to refurbish it
It’s circa 14m in length
I was thinking that I could get the walls repaired, remove the central island and get a huge pond liner put in
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