DFB's Greenthumb Project

[DFB FGXR6]

It has begun, bare root season is here.

A big, dirty job.

[Citroënbender]

Lucky bears!

I remember your posts on this before, lots of shovelling wet sand.

[DFB FGXR6]

All done. With the dreary winter weather working against us, it's satisfying to have it all done in record time.



What doesn't get sold over the next few months will be potted and grown on to sell throughout the rest of the year.

[DFB FGXR6]

This is something I'm presented with all too often.



We always recommend that customers have their soil pH tested before planting, especially on new top soil bought from landscape supply yards. For some reason, one prominent supplier in my area is content in selling a product not fit for purpose, and has done so for decade now. Plants grow best with a neutral to slightly acid soil pH. Some plants such as Camellia's and Azalea's prefer it more acidic again.

The picture above is on the other end of the pH scale, being highly alkaline. Plant's will not grow and will slowly decline till death if soil pH is as high as that. Although this condition can be corrected with appropriate products, it can be a expensive and time consuming process of application and re-testing until lowered. One has to question why a customer should need to spend more money to make the soil actually usable. These garden soils are sold as "premium garden mix", well you won't have a garden at all with that pH.

For reference, here is a pH scale.



As you can see, the sample above is beyond the highest number on that chart, most likely closer to a pH of 13.

It can be hard to explain to customers who are seeing their plants going backwards that the problem most likely is due to the soil. In their minds, they bought great looking soil, and paid a premium price for it. Once they see the colour of the sample, and where is should be, it starts to make sense.

[DFB FGXR6]

I helped install this garden arch today. After looking online for something that would be suitable, we decided to have one made at a local engineering shop to our measurements.





This structure will give something for the ancient and very vigorous Cecil Brunner rose to grow over. Once paved and a seat installed, it should provide a nice place to sit and reflect.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

This is something I'm presented with all too often.

image

We always recommend that customers have their soil pH tested before planting, especially on new top soil bought from landscape supply yards. For some reason, one prominent supplier in my area is content in selling a product not fit for purpose, and has done so for decade now. Plants grow best with a neutral to slightly acid soil pH. Some plants such as Camellia's and Azalea's prefer it more acidic again.

The picture above is on the other end of the pH scale, being highly alkaline. Plant's will not grow and will slowly decline till death if soil pH is as high as that. Although this condition can be corrected with appropriate products, it can be a expensive and time consuming process of application and re-testing until lowered. One has to question why a customer should need to spend more money to make the soil actually usable. These garden soils are sold as "premium garden mix", well you won't have a garden at all with that pH.

For reference, here is a pH scale.

image

As you can see, the sample above is beyond the highest number on that chart, most likely closer to a pH of 13.

It can be hard to explain to customers who are seeing their plants going backwards that the problem most likely is due to the soil. In their minds, they bought great looking soil, and paid a premium price for it. Once they see the colour of the sample, and where is should be, it starts to make sense.

That customer has every right to go back to the landscape yard and demand some chemicals to correct the ph.
I have a ph related story too, the sir Walter customer I have mentioned on here laid the turf himself, 6 months later it starts going yellow, irrespective of fertiliser applied. Took me weeks to work out that he had added lime to the soil, which is an eastern seaboard thing to “sweeten” it. This family have a heavy hand at everything, if the instructions say 1 handful per meter, then 10 handfuls is 10times better. He had lime induced chlorosis on Adelaide plains soil which is naturally alkaline. It took 3 applications of iron chelate to correct,hopefully the winter rain washes it away.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

That customer has every right to go back to the landscape yard and demand some chemicals to correct the ph.
I have a ph related story too, the sir Walter customer I have mentioned on here laid the turf himself, 6 months later it starts going yellow, irrespective of fertiliser applied. Took me weeks to work out that he had added lime to the soil, which is an eastern seaboard thing to “sweeten” it. This family have a heavy hand at everything, if the instructions say 1 handful per meter, then 10 handfuls is 10times better. He had lime induced chlorosis on Adelaide plains soil which is naturally alkaline. It took 3 applications of iron chelate to correct,hopefully the winter rain washes it away.

I regularly get told by customers, usually older gentlemen, that they "threw some lime on it" or words to that effect. I always reply with "did you pH test the soil first", the answer is always no. So why did you add lime?............"because I always have". Well, that's why your plant/lawn ect is sick, the pH is too high and it will be getting worse when you put lime down. You need to test before adding elements like that. The customer nods in agreement, then most likely goes home adds more lime!

[Citroënbender]

I wash my mortar and concrete buckets out towards a few azaleas, hasn’t impacted them yet. These champs must be laying on the lime like icing on a cake!

[DFB FGXR6]

Two annoyances of a gardener, cheap hoses that kink and crappy sprayers that leak, don't hold pressure or just don't actually manage to spray.

After limping along with a Hill's sprayer from the big B, it was time for something new. A spray trigger that stays open, continuing to spray chemicals when not needed is not especially safe. Now I know you can get spare parts for these sprayers, but I have had enough of this thing.

I have a really good Solo sprayer for weeds, and I could have got another one for pesticides but..........





https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...ession-sprayer

I decided to go with a Kwazar Orion Super, mainly because I get a decent discount with Waxit these days (I'm probably paying for someones yacht ) and because I love they way it looks (That's just as important! ). I have had a great run with Kwazar's other products, so I'm not anticipating any different here.

Aphids beware!!

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Two annoyances of a gardener, cheap hoses that kink and crappy sprayers that leak, don't hold pressure or just don't actually manage to spray.

Aphids beware!!

Remember when all garden hoses they sold didn't kink.
Funny, these days they actually promote the hose "That doesn't kink" as a beneficial feature.

Nice call on the sprayer, do you use white oil on those pesky Aphids ?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Remember when all garden hoses they sold didn't kink.
Funny, these days they actually promote the hose "That doesn't kink" as a beneficial feature.

Nice call on the sprayer, do you use white oil on those pesky Aphids ?

Where I live, I need to be careful using white oil at this time of the year. White oil can cause burning when combined with a frost.

When I started my career, chemicals like Rogor, Folimat and Kelthane were still available without the need of a chemical users certificate. Those products would kill anything in their sight. These days, even products like Confidor (Imidacloprid) are on the nose.

Depending on the situation, I will be using either Confidor or Searles Trifend. I like Trifend because it will target a range of issues, with the ability to control insects, mites and fungus all in one product.

[Citroënbender]

I was reflecting on how many times I’ve had bites/stings from critters. A lot, it seems. Most recent notable one was a spider or ant bite right on the waistband. It festered and left a deep crater about 4mm across. Compared to “normal” wounds - cat scratches, scrapes from branches, workplace grazes, it was far slower to heal and a significantly deeper infection.

Does anyone else enjoy such luck?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

I was reflecting on how many times I’ve had bites/stings from critters. A lot, it seems. Most recent notable one was a spider or ant bite right on the waistband. It festered and left a deep crater about 4mm across. Compared to “normal” wounds - cat scratches, scrapes from branches, workplace grazes, it was far slower to heal and a significantly deeper infection.

Does anyone else enjoy such luck?

Can't say I enjoy such luck. Although I had an rose thorn stuck in my thumb for about a month, not entirely pleasant. Ended up having to use a solution of soap and sugar to draw it out. Don't ask me why that combo works, and I was doubtful it would but it certainly did.

[DFB FGXR6]

Gave the new sprayer a whirl today. Was surprised to notice a pressure indicator on the trigger and pleased with the great quality pressure release valve.







The combination of the wide base and good quality plunger made pressurising the unit so easy.

[DFB FGXR6]

Planting Potato's for a customer today.



Soil dug and sheep manure added, raked to a fine tilth.



Trenches marked and dug, the width of a post hole shovel.



Seed Potato's spread out, I cut the larger ones to get more out the pack. I also scatter some pelletised fertiliser at this stage too.



Trenches filled back in and straw spread out over the top.



Now we play the waiting game. The seed Potato's will sprout and find their way to the light. As the foliage grows, they feed the production of a large cluster of new Potato's under the soil. Once the above ground part of the plant starts to die off, the crop will be ready for harvest. Digging up Potato's for harvest is a very rewarding process.

[Citroënbender]

Originally Posted by DFB

…tilth

Triple word score. Probably 35 years since I last saw it.

…Digging up Potato's for harvest is a very rewarding process.

Not what I recall my father saying, he found it hellish as a young labourer in near-freezing Canterbury Plains weather.

[Ross 1]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Planting Potato's for a customer today.

image

Soil dug and sheep manure added, raked to a fine tilth.

image

Trenches marked and dug, the width of a post hole shovel.

image

Seed Potato's spread out, I cut the larger ones to get more out the pack. I also scatter some pelletised fertiliser at this stage too.

image

Trenches filled back in and straw spread out over the top.

image

Now we play the waiting game. The seed Potato's will sprout and find their way to the light. As the foliage grows, they feed the production of a large cluster of new Potato's under the soil. Once the above ground part of the plant starts to die off, the crop will be ready for harvest. Digging up Potato's for harvest is a very rewarding process.

Will you be mounding the soil on the new shoots to encourage more potatoes in the clusters?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Triple word score. Probably 35 years since I last saw it.
Not what I recall my father saying, he found it hellish as a young labourer in near-freezing Canterbury Plains weather.

I was wondering if someone would recognise that word.

I learnt it from the British gardener Alan Titchmarsh. Of course I cant find a clip of him using that word, but he did have a pretty decent influence on how I garden.

https://www.gardenersworld.com/produ...-the-veg-plot/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiQOXEUtRn4

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Ross 1

Will you be mounding the soil on the new shoots to encourage more potatoes in the clusters?

I have done that it the past but I just let them do their thing, topping the straw if needed.

[Tonz]

good ole Canterbury plains...I presume Kiwiland. well I remember trying to get through the frost layer.

Absolutely love new potatoes but trying to grow and then store enough for a family is just ridiculous.

[Rallye Sport]

I'm giving potatos a go for the first time at the moment. They've been in for a few weeks now and seem to be going great. The big mystery though is whats growing underground. The suspense is killing me

We went for Prince of orange, a newer variety that seems to be a good allrounder. I didn't know much about the purpose of different varieties until the chef (mrs) explained it.

[DFB FGXR6]

One of my Camellia's is in full bloom at the moment.



This 'Emperor of Russia' Camellia I have planted under a Japanese Maple. So while the Maple is in full winter dormancy, the Camellia is looking it's best. This is one the reasons I love Camellia's, they lift a bleak winter garden.

I just wish this Camellia was the variegated version, like the one below.

[DFB FGXR6]

Another Lockdown project involved planting a Japanese Maple in this large glazed pot.



Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku' or Coral Bark Maple is so named because of the vivid pink stems in winter. Once the foliage re-appears in the spring and summer, the colour of the stems subsides. In the garden, this Maple will grow to about 6m high and 5m wide. In a pot, the tree won't reach those numbers. The foliage is green for most of the year, turning yellow and orange in the autumn.

The Maple will be viewed from the kitchen window, so the pink stems of this variety should provide some interest in the winter. Under planted with some Polyanthus for some extra winter colour.

[Tonz]

would love to have your soil's but good whete I am has clay and limestone, kinda limits one's choices. Couple years ago started adding home made compost but produce so little and it does not make any difference, one looses enthusiasm.

[DFB FGXR6]

More winter colour......



Matthiola incana or Stock are winter flowering annuals prized for their sweetly scented flowers. They need full sun and will start to flower mid winter, finishing off as the warmth of Spring arrives.

Hiding in the background is Camellia 'Tinsie', a variety that produces thousands of small, highly detailed flowers. Tinsie is said to be sun tolerant, although mine has summer sun till about 1pm and shelter there after.



Removing a few winter weeds, using my mower to shred them up. The two-stroker is ideal for this, bogging momentarily before revving it's head off and turning the weeds into mulch.

[Citroënbender]

Do you reckon I can split a mature, healthy, in-ground Photinia, by chopping the root mass in half? I’ve got one that’s basically wasting space and I’d like to plant it out along a fenceline, with the idea it will grow from the present 1900mm to 2400-3000mm tall in better light.

The idea would be to move one half now, and when that’s established, move the other half.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Do you reckon I can split a mature, healthy, in-ground Photinia, by chopping the root mass in half? I’ve got one that’s basically wasting space and I’d like to plant it out along a fenceline, with the idea it will grow from the present 1900mm to 2400-3000mm tall in better light.

The idea would be to move one half now, and when that’s established, move the other half.

Winter is the best time to do that sort of thing, so if you are going to try it, do it now.

General rule of thumb is to firstly prune the plant back by about a third, helping to reduce the amount the root system has to support. Dig the plant up, taking as much of the root system as you can, pruning any larger roots that get damaged. Have your transplant hole already dug. Water in well, perhaps with a product from Multi-crop called "Plant Starter", this will encourage the development of new roots. Apply that every 7 -10 days.

[Citroënbender]

Cheers, good point on the seasonal timing - that was just coincidence to me. Got Multicrop concentrate, have found it a real lifesaver when I’ve been a bit brutal in re-planting.

[DFB FGXR6]

This has been on the "I need to do that one day" list. The extra time I have on my hands at the moment finally gets it off that list.



This water outlet feeds water to my back gardens. It was a single 15mm tap that had seized open, something I'm sure I could have repaired but I wanted a separate outlet for the drip irrigation system and a general hose outlet.

The solution was to fit a 20mm tee with a 15mm/20mm threaded adapter to the existing outlet. I then went with two new 20mm taps, one fitted with a automated timer for the drip system, the other as a general hose outlet.

This is the full extent of my plumbing ability.

[prydey]

Hi mate, hopefully you can help me out here. If not, apologies for the 'hijack' of sorts.

I planted some billy buttons (craspedia) a bit over a year ago, or maybe 2. They are doing extremely well... actually, a little too well, which is the purpose of this post. I've done a bit of googling, but can't find much info on how to care for these plants by way of pruning.

These are getting rather messy now. Each bush is now about 50cm diameter and probably more than that high. How do I go about cutting these back, if that is at all possible.

Sorry, don't have any pics.