Does anyone know anything about gardening?

I’ve got some peony’s in a raised bed but I want to move them. If I do will they take another 3 years to establish? Just something I heard on the grapevine

I repotted a peony and it flowered the next year. It wasn't even the best time to move it. Maybe pot luck but maybe they're not all as fussy as reputed.

I've got 3 peonies, one does well as it's in a bit of a sunny spot and in a bed which is well drained, the other 2 are in quite heavy soil and a bit shady and in 4 years haven't done much so going to move them

Number one thing for peonies apparently is not to plant them too deep or they won't flower

Just what exactly is going on with compost these days? I’ve tried a few and every one seems to be crap. I put plants in and they barely grow. What do they put in? It feels like it’s made entirely of coconut husk.🤔

Peat free. Better for the environment.
Not quite so good at getting things going.

I'm a fan of the Silvagrow stuff with added seaweed, but it's a bit pricey.

Have a look online, there are some compost brands left that are ok.

Fertilizer is cheap enough, some people say the wood bits in it breaking down take nitrogen out of the soil, which makes it less useful for most plants.

Sylvagrow is good, also Dalefoot with wool is great for hanging baskets.

Yup that's the one, at least I know the name now so thanks and good luck with yours flowering.

Plenty of water but not drowned and in a nice sunny spot seemed to do the trick for us.

Decided next year I'll buy better compost, the stuff I bought this year just went waterlogged and developed a rock hard crust.

Off to Google silva grow.....

You'll need something to fill your new raised beds....

On gravel retention to match galvanised beds; if you have an angle grinder, why not cut strips of corrugated iron roofing which is already galvanised?

Apparently decided going to be edged in big pebble looking things.

Been looking at dumpy bags of soil versus dumpy bags of compost. Read that the bottom can be filled with all sorts of wood / branches that rot down.

You normally find people giving soil away on FB marketplace if you're able to transport (and shovel) it.

Thanks :) I'm not on FB but will ask my wife to keep an eye out

Greenhouse beginning to produce

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Sheeiitt! Them’s some vigorous looking tomatoes.

İf you're not familiar with the concept, have a g**gle for Hügelkultur.
Using slow decaying branches/timber in the lowest layer of a raised bed to transform it into a long term compost heap.
Meant to be a long term source of nutrients, less prone to water stress and, if you are lucky, the food source for beetle larvae.

I’m a big believer in this. Twigs, grass clippers, wood chip, logs, then fill up with compost.

Grafted plants. Never tried them before

Thanks, I'll look at that. I started a half arsed attempt at a compost heap in another part of the garden which could be a good source for the lower part of the bed :)

Whenever I build raised beds I fill them with 50:50 soil and compost mix which I buy by the ton bag at about £90 per bag. This lot took 7 ton bags....

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There is a risk of flatworms, seeds from invasive plants and other nasties if you accept soil from others.

If it's really close I guess it's same nasties as you have anyway but FYI.

Good luck with the compost heap!

They are huge!

Mine are maybe 2 inches across. In soil and moneymaker strain grown from seeds.

I have string

String levels are also handy, you can make as long a level line as you can make a taught piece of string.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/stabila-builders-line-level-3-80mm-/5494x