On Sun, 2 Nov 2003 22:52:45 -0000, "Heather"
wrote:

~Thanks to Steve on the koi. I will give them a chance then. I really do
~need more marginals to disguise the edges of the fibreglass pond, so they'll
~have to learn to live with plants.
~
~Thanks to Franz on the leaf mould. I have made it before in a bigger garden
~in a wire mesh enclosure, but that was only about 20% sycamore and they took
~the longest to rot. This time it's 90% sycamore, hence the question

I have three overlooking my front garden and have a
leafblower/shredder which makes life a lot easier at this time of
year. I did without it for the first three years I was here, and the
solid unshredded sycamores take about 2 years in a bin liner to rot
down nicely (though I do keep them in the garage). I'm hoping the
shredded ones take less time, but only did those for the first time
last year.
They are a lot tougher than a lot of leaves, sadly, so do take extra
time to rot. Franz, if yours rot in a year you're a lucky man...

I find that the other advantage of the leafhoover is it gets a lot of
the seeds up too, so I don't have nearly as many wretched long-rooted
little trees in spring.
~
~Now anyone want to share their bindweed control experiences?

Sit on ground crosslegged, preferably on a kneeler. Get out small fork
and start sifting. Follow root clumps as far as you can downwards and
remove whole. Break off soil carefully. A sieve is a good idea.
Remove every little bit. Repeat until bed is weeded. Be prepared to do
it again next year for the bits you missed.
I have an orchard/fruit area at the allotment that is a) full of flint
and b) has lots of gooseberry bushes. The bindweed has sneakily set up
home in their roots. You can barely dig (cos of the flints) and so a
lot of reachable roots aren't, and the rest are guarded by the
pricklebushes from hell. I just pull them out when they get long
enough to grab... hopefully one day they'll be weakened enough to
snuff it. It's also in the rhubarb. Yuk.

Meanwhile, good luck and happy gardening. I wish I had a garden that
big, even with sycamores!


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

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