Does anyone know anything about gardening?

https://aureustreeservices.co.uk/

Aureus do a lot of work locally and are well regarded.

I've moved them to the back bedroom which is NE facing so not great but all the bright rooms have blinds because they face the street and it's like living in a display case.
I think the porch just got a bit too cold at night for them. They just need to survive a couple more months and they'll spring into life hopefully.
Watering has been a fine balancing act. They've not dried out but they have definitely perked up each time I've watered. Basically I've been waiting until the leaves start to droop a little and then they get a drink which gets them looking a bit better.

Have had hotbin going for less than two weeks - it's hovering around 0C outside, inside the bin it's 22C! And today I decanted approx 1L of clear, golden liquid. Should have taken a photo - it looked like olive oil. I think this means it's working??

That liquid will go black soon enough, temperature will hit 50°C easily and you’ll be dodging clouds of steam every time you open it. We used our hotbin most of last year but as it fills we found it hard to maintain enough oxygen and the composting process stalled. I’ve emptied it and won’t be using the contents and when I kick start it again I won’t be using any cooked food as I’m just too wary it’ll attract vermin if it’s not fully broken down.

I found that by removing the soggy charcoal filter, that solved the problem of getting enough oxygen in there. Bit of a design flaw.

OK, I might do this. Have already fully opened the vent - there's an awful lot of condensation.

I know it says there's no need to mix, but I might give it a bit of a fluff to work some air in there while I still can. Wish I had room for a normal compost heap, but I've got a tiny garden.

Are you putting the contents you removed back through a second time? Are they not usable at all?

You only want it open a very small way.

But I've got rivers of condensation running down the inside/starting to run down the outside. Seems like it needs way more air than what a 2mm gap will provide.

Are you definitely getting your carbon and nitrogen ratios right? Maybe put more cardboard in. What sort of temps are you getting and how full is it?
My temps start to drop when it gets above 3/4 full.
Here's a pic of my vent yesterday.

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Oh wow, you're generating serious heat!

I've got loads of cardboard in there (spent a day at work shredding), but will start adding more and see if it brings the temp up. Thanks!

We have this cherry plum tree.

Does it need cutting back?

If so: is now a bad time in the year to do so?

And

How much should be cut off and which bits?

at @edmundro or @dancing james perhaps

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Stone fruit should be cut back just after they finish fruiting iirc. It looks well established.

We’re going to dig some new beds in our garden to start planting new shrubs and flowers. When’s the best time do this. I appreciate it’s possibly a little cold still.

Thanks, yes, it's a big fucker. Will deal with it in the autumn.

Take max 1/3rd off to start with, go for dead / diseased bits (if any) then crossing stuff & open the centre a bit.

You might find one or two big branches chopped achieve all the above in the first couple of prunings.

If you're looking to pick the fruit easily removing height can help too.

We have a now dead ornamental cherry and I'm looking for a replacement.

I think it died either due to the fuck-tonne of water that soaks our garden for much of the rainy months. Or because I cut into part of the roots when planting bulbs causing an infection. Or both. Or just general bad luck and desease.

I would ideally like another slim ornamental cherry, but open to other options.

Criteria:

• Heavy clay soil
  
• Waterlogged through winter
  
• West facing garden on the north side of garden (but once it grows it will get decent sun for the first part of the day)
  
• not too wide
  
• height wise I'm less fussed as long as its not too dense
  
• Would be nice if it was early flowing
  
  

Left field idea is creating a raised play platform with some sort of bamboo and ferns growing up through. Although I have some reservations about neighbourhood cats, mice and foxes congregating underneath.

What is used to look like vs now

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If the last cherry didn't like it, there's an excellent chance that the next one won't either. If you go down this route I would dig out at least 4' in every direction around the old root ball and replace the soil. The existing (late) cherry will have depleted the soil of whatever cherries like, plus there may be residual disease or fungus spores.

Beware of strong growing bamboo, I removed several clumps last summer and needed my heavy Kango to do so...

Unless you have a commercial contract to supply the Scottish pandas, avoid bamboo or be prepared for it to soread in every direction every year, until you move.

Over the last couple of years I have tried propagating some shrubs box hedge and red robin.
All failed miserably even after rooting gel.
Gonna give it a last go this spring before I give up and never do it again.
A bit of direction and tips would be much appreciated.

Had to hire a bloke with a mini digger thing to get rid of a patch of bamboo, damn think is still sending up shoots from god knows where..

Shropshire prune. Small, hardy, will cope with soaking, nice blossoms and you (or the birds/insects) can eat the fruit.

Any bamboo would be a non aggressive variety, pot planted and sunk.

I'm not sure I could do 4' with the beds and mini shed.

It's such a shame as it's exactly what I want.

I was thinking about a silver birch oof some sort. No blossom, but winter interest. The only thing is the ones I've looked at like free draining soil. Dwarf eucalyptus is another idea as they're meant to be thirsty as fuck.

Cheers. Will investigate.

The only thing is too much fruit is messy and there's already an awesome apple tree overhanging from the neighbours. That said my folks plumbs took years before they produced a decent crop, so probably a non issue

Excellent suggestion - the fruit makes decent jam and a very good damson gin. They seem to be in decline locally - I think from modern hedgerow 'management' using a flail more than anything.

They seem to grow well here in Shropshire clay soils (not surprisingly) but the one I've grown from a stone is not yet old enough to bear fruit itself - apparently 12-15 years, so perhaps buy an established one if possible?

Edit: faster replies while I've been struggling with a keyboard makes much of the above redundant...