Does anyone know anything about gardening?

If you're not averse to chemicals then spray on rose clear (or some other cheapo black spot stuff). I find a couple of sprays in the spring works wonders. Make sure you chuck any affected leaves or stalks in the bin rather than leaving them to rot or home composting.

Yeah, I wouldn’t use chemicals but I am removing the leaves as and when I have 5 minutes. Seems to be affecting all the roses of that type in that area too after a closer look.

Green gardener do a sulphur spray which is supposedly more bug friendly than roseclear.

Milk solution also works on fungus to some extent, but it has to get some sun. Which makes the garden smell of gone off milk. I haven't found it does much to black spot but it has some effect on mildew.

Bicarbonate of soda (1 tsp in a litre of water) can also be an effective fungicide

Light and air is what is always recommended by Monty, who doesn't use chemicals and whose roses look amazing.

I had a David Austen rose climbing up a frame in a big pot and it's had a bit of black spot for the first time this year. Removed the clematis that I had sharing the pot and it seems to have stopped the black spot in its tracks, presumably due to improved airflow and more light

This year does seem like the perfect growing season for roses. Pleased with this.

1 Attachment

The roses seem to enjoy the sun, mine are flowering very well even though it's dry.

I have won something, let the wildflower lawn battle begin... I have emailed the seeds company as I've no idea what's in the mix and what sort of poor soil they need. Rock hard clay it probably isn't.

1 Attachment

Do let us know what you hear back. I didn't get my seeds in early enough so now have rock hard soil/clay to contend with. Maybe I'll have to admit defeat this year. (Or water everything like a bastard)

Will do!

Clay is...a thing. The geranium don't mind it, but many other wildflowers don't love it. Creeping buttercup and hedge vetch dies grow for me.

I have self-heal growing in building sand that must have gotten some humus or compost blown in, every time I move it, it dies. But it loves that mix nothing else can grow in! :)

Thank you @KatBalou'sPhone - I popped them in the pond as soon as I got back.

1 Attachment

Wonderful!

I like the sound of this non chemical approach!

Would anyone be interested in a gage plum tree, about three/four feet tall, potted? We have one on the way from Dobies that we may not need - not sure yet, but if not, then it'd be good to see it used.

From Ulster Widlife:

Ulster Wildlife
Hi JWestland – Congratulations on winning one of the Let Nature In packs! The best time to sow your wildflower seeds would be early Spring (March/April) or late summer (September). We’d advise choosing a small area of your garden that is open, has grass and gets lots of sun - wildflowers do well in poor quality soil. Strip the grass or scratch back the top soil and seed with your wildflower mix. Then sit back and let it grow! You’ll find much more info on caring for your wildflower patch on the ‘Mini Meadows’ info card included in your Let Nature In pack.

With your climate, unless you're sowing onto really poor soil any grass will take over and prevent the flowers. Maybe burn it with a steamer or iron first.

I would if I was in London.

Yep you are so right.

I will dig out the grass, then shake out the poor soi and put it back in AND get some Yellow Rattler seeds to see if that works.

It will still require weeding for quite some time, but that's OK. Don't mind giving it a go.

Ironically, the grass near work which just gets moved and no special treatment has turned into quite the wildflower lawn. Ah well! :D

Thanks. September it is then...

The lawn I'm looking to sow seems to have been laid over a flattened house/driveway so is incredibly poor and mostly weed. I'll scarify and sand over the top when I do

Some successes and some failures...

After almost 6yrs our star jasmine out the front is doing what I wanted - lots of flowers and the sent of jasmine as you come home.

On the other end, having seemingly enjoyed being randomly put half way up the garden in a pot, the climbing hydrangea seems to be really unhappy about being planted. Idk if the soil is too clayey (seems strange as there's plenty of compost and nice soil immediately around the roots). The other theory is all the cement from the patio changing the pH of the soil.

2 Attachments

I have the exact same hozelock gun with the exact same problem, previous gun didn't have the problem, I think it's just that specific Hozelock model that's shit

rhowe's suggest sort of worked.

I didn't end up cutting any off, just identified where the lock section had got bent. Straightened it, reconnected, no issues.

I never had any issues with the actual hoze spray gun, just the connection from the hoze part.

Interesting! I'll investigate my own this weekend and see if rhowe can rescue mine too, thanks 🙏

I can’t get a Hozelock spray gun to
last more than 12 months without breaking - I’m on my 5th now. Any other recs for something a bit more well made that still works on the same Hozelock connectors?

Gardena

Gardena hose connectors work better than others too, seem to have a longer sliding bit that is easier to get off and seals well..