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#1
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Beginners question
I am finally getting round to getting my small back garden into some
sort of shape. I have even planted something [1] which was rather fun. My beginners question is - is it actually a good time to order new plants (e.g. perennials or an Acer) and stick them in the ground now or should I really wait until next year? The J Parkers catalogue [2] suggests it is a good time to plant before dormancy sets in. I'm just a bit dubious as to whether "baby" plants will root in time and not die over winter - especially in quite heavy London clay soils. [1] some grasses and hellebores. Bulbs go in soon providing the soil doesn't become horrendously wet. [2] free with gardeners world magazine. -- Paul C |
#2
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Beginners question
In article ,
Paul Corfield wrote: My beginners question is - is it actually a good time to order new plants (e.g. perennials or an Acer) and stick them in the ground now or should I really wait until next year? Now is good, for reasonably sized plants. Don't try to plant a miniscule (almost seedling) perennial out now, but anything sold by a an even half-respectable nursery or garden centre should be fine. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#3
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Beginners question
"Paul Corfield" wrote in message ... I am finally getting round to getting my small back garden into some sort of shape. I have even planted something [1] which was rather fun. My beginners question is - is it actually a good time to order new plants (e.g. perennials or an Acer) and stick them in the ground now or should I really wait until next year? The J Parkers catalogue [2] suggests it is a good time to plant before dormancy sets in. I'm just a bit dubious as to whether "baby" plants will root in time and not die over winter - especially in quite heavy London clay soils. [1] some grasses and hellebores. Bulbs go in soon providing the soil doesn't become horrendously wet. [2] free with gardeners world magazine. -- Paul C Autumn is usually the best time to plant shrubs etc. the soil is still warm from simmer. The ground is coldest in spring....... You mention 'baby' plants. I'd not put anything too small out. How small are your 'babies' ? Jenny |
#4
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Beginners question
The message
from "JennyC" contains these words: Autumn is usually the best time to plant shrubs etc. the soil is still warm from simmer. The ground is coldest in spring....... Good job it wasn't boiling this year, then? D&RFC -- Rusty horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
#5
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Beginners question
"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message k... The message from "JennyC" contains these words: Autumn is usually the best time to plant shrubs etc. the soil is still warm from simmer. The ground is coldest in spring....... Good job it wasn't boiling this year, then? D&RFC Rusty Yeah.......we didn't fry did we? Jenny :~)) |
#6
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Beginners question
Paul Corfield wrote in message ... I am finally getting round to getting my small back garden into some sort of shape. I have even planted something [1] which was rather fun. My beginners question is - is it actually a good time to order new plants (e.g. perennials or an Acer) and stick them in the ground now or should I really wait until next year? The J Parkers catalogue [2] suggests it is a good time to plant before dormancy sets in. I'm just a bit dubious as to whether "baby" plants will root in time and not die over winter - especially in quite heavy London clay soils. [1] some grasses and hellebores. Bulbs go in soon providing the soil doesn't become horrendously wet. [2] free with gardeners world magazine. -- Paul C |
#7
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Beginners question
Paul Corfield wrote in message ... I am finally getting round to getting my small back garden into some sort of shape. I have even planted something [1] which was rather fun. My beginners question is - is it actually a good time to order new plants (e.g. perennials or an Acer) and stick them in the ground now or should I really wait until next year? The J Parkers catalogue [2] suggests it is a good time to plant before dormancy sets in. I'm just a bit dubious as to whether "baby" plants will root in time and not die over winter - especially in quite heavy London clay soils. [1] some grasses and hellebores. Bulbs go in soon providing the soil doesn't become horrendously wet. [2] free with gardeners world magazine. -- Paul C Hi Paul, If your heavy London clay gets quite sticky, it might be better to wait until spring before planting anything other than really hardy plants and shrubs. Your Hellebores should be okay, but improve the soil when you plant them. I'm on heavy London (SE) clay which has been much improved, but I still get some winter casualties. Your Acer may be better planted in a pot in a protected site (until it matures a bit) if your garden is at all exposed; they are woodland plants and therefore enjoy the protection of a (light) woodland canopy. Most bulbs prefer good drainage, so dig a relatively big hole and put some grit in the bottom. If you just make a planting hole in heavy clay without any improvement, your bulbs will rot in a cold, wet sump. Slugs can be a problem, too. I've stopped buying bulbous irises because they are always ruined or killed by slugs. If you are keen to plant bulbs but want time to improve your clay, plant your bulb selection in pots so that you can plant them out in late winter/spring when you've had a chance to work on your clay. If Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are on your bulb list, don't buy them dry but "in the green". Look in the ads at the back of gardening magazines, where you can buy them more cheaply "in the green". This simply means while they are still in growth after flowering. You'll get much better results, even if you do have to wait till Feb '07 to see the flowers. (Snowdrops do not grow well from dry bulbs. Also dry bulbs may even be illegal imports). Grasses are a mixed bunch; some prefer drier soil, some prefer moist. None like to sit in solid anaerobic clay - or none that I know of. Spider |
#8
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Beginners question
On Thu, 20 Oct 2005 14:34:20 +0100, "Spider" wrote:
Paul Corfield wrote in message .. . I am finally getting round to getting my small back garden into some sort of shape. I have even planted something [1] which was rather fun. My beginners question is - is it actually a good time to order new plants (e.g. perennials or an Acer) and stick them in the ground now or should I really wait until next year? The J Parkers catalogue [2] suggests it is a good time to plant before dormancy sets in. I'm just a bit dubious as to whether "baby" plants will root in time and not die over winter - especially in quite heavy London clay soils. [1] some grasses and hellebores. Bulbs go in soon providing the soil doesn't become horrendously wet. [2] free with gardeners world magazine. Hi Paul, hello - thanks for the response. If your heavy London clay gets quite sticky, it might be better to wait until spring before planting anything other than really hardy plants and shrubs. Your Hellebores should be okay, but improve the soil when you plant them. I'm on heavy London (SE) clay which has been much improved, but I still get some winter casualties. I have tried to get rid of as much old plant debris and root systems as possible. I have also dug in some limited quantities of rotted down farmyard manure. However, much more needs to be done but not possessing a car makes life somewhat awkward as gardening on any scale seems to require motorised transport to be able to get more than a packet of seeds from a garden centre. Your Acer may be better planted in a pot in a protected site (until it matures a bit) if your garden is at all exposed; they are woodland plants and therefore enjoy the protection of a (light) woodland canopy. Having read a lot of posts recently about Acers I've decided to wait. I need to really think about where to place them re the wind scorching issue. I also need to have thought carefully about soil and drainage issues. Almost all the acers in garden centres are also defoliated now and it's hard for me as a novice to tell if the plant in the pot is healthy or not. Most bulbs prefer good drainage, so dig a relatively big hole and put some grit in the bottom. If you just make a planting hole in heavy clay without any improvement, your bulbs will rot in a cold, wet sump. I have got some grit to be able to do this. Bulbs left over from previous residents seem to do fine so I'm going to chance my arm. Slugs can be a problem, too. I've stopped buying bulbous irises because they are always ruined or killed by slugs. Ah - this may explain why irises did not do awfully well this year despite quite having been left my previous residents. I am certainly plagued by snails and slugs. If you are keen to plant bulbs but want time to improve your clay, plant your bulb selection in pots so that you can plant them out in late winter/spring when you've had a chance to work on your clay. I don't possess any decent pots because they are difficult to carry if you are reliant on public transport. If Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are on your bulb list, don't buy them dry but "in the green". Look in the ads at the back of gardening magazines, where you can buy them more cheaply "in the green". This simply means while they are still in growth after flowering. You'll get much better results, even if you do have to wait till Feb '07 to see the flowers. (Snowdrops do not grow well from dry bulbs. Also dry bulbs may even be illegal imports). I am aware of these issues with snowdrops. They are not a particular favourite of mine. Grasses are a mixed bunch; some prefer drier soil, some prefer moist. None like to sit in solid anaerobic clay - or none that I know of. Well there is not a huge choice for sale at present so again these are going to have to wait until spring time. I suspect I'm going to spending a lot of time digging to improve the soil. Oh and trying to learn plant names and what they look like so I have some clue as to what to buy next year. Having a very small garden does not make life easy if you like too many plants and garden styles and want to have a bit of everything :-( -- Paul C |
#9
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Beginners question
Paul Corfield wrote in message ... On Thu, 20 Oct 2005 14:34:20 +0100, "Spider" wrote: Paul Corfield wrote in message .. . I am finally getting round to getting my small back garden into some sort of shape. I have even planted something [1] which was rather fun. My beginners question is - is it actually a good time to order new plants (e.g. perennials or an Acer) and stick them in the ground now or should I really wait until next year? The J Parkers catalogue [2] suggests it is a good time to plant before dormancy sets in. I'm just a bit dubious as to whether "baby" plants will root in time and not die over winter - especially in quite heavy London clay soils. [1] some grasses and hellebores. Bulbs go in soon providing the soil doesn't become horrendously wet. [2] free with gardeners world magazine. Hi Paul, hello - thanks for the response. If your heavy London clay gets quite sticky, it might be better to wait until spring before planting anything other than really hardy plants and shrubs. Your Hellebores should be okay, but improve the soil when you plant them. I'm on heavy London (SE) clay which has been much improved, but I still get some winter casualties. I have tried to get rid of as much old plant debris and root systems as possible. I have also dug in some limited quantities of rotted down farmyard manure. However, much more needs to be done but not possessing a car makes life somewhat awkward as gardening on any scale seems to require motorised transport to be able to get more than a packet of seeds from a garden centre. Your Acer may be better planted in a pot in a protected site (until it matures a bit) if your garden is at all exposed; they are woodland plants and therefore enjoy the protection of a (light) woodland canopy. Having read a lot of posts recently about Acers I've decided to wait. I need to really think about where to place them re the wind scorching issue. I also need to have thought carefully about soil and drainage issues. Almost all the acers in garden centres are also defoliated now and it's hard for me as a novice to tell if the plant in the pot is healthy or not. **You are very wise to wait. Another reason for choosing an Acer in Spring (especially as a novice) is being able to see the many different foliage patterns and colours. I have a couple of young plants of Acer palmatum (bought at £2.99 from a supermarket chain) and these would be a very good starting point for a novice who needs a cheap learning curve. They came in small, light plastic pots so were easy to get home. ** Most bulbs prefer good drainage, so dig a relatively big hole and put some grit in the bottom. If you just make a planting hole in heavy clay without any improvement, your bulbs will rot in a cold, wet sump. I have got some grit to be able to do this. Bulbs left over from previous residents seem to do fine so I'm going to chance my arm. Slugs can be a problem, too. I've stopped buying bulbous irises because they are always ruined or killed by slugs. Ah - this may explain why irises did not do awfully well this year despite quite having been left my previous residents. I am certainly plagued by snails and slugs. **There is another reason why dwarf bulbous irises 'disappear'. Most reticulata and danfordiae types break up into tiny bulblets after flowering ... this is obviously their way of 'bulking up' and self-propagating, but it can be maddening for gardeners who expect them to 'bulk up' in the manner of other bulbs. No doubt if they were left, they would grow to be flowering-size bulbs again, but I suspect they succumb to the digging process of an impatient/ignorant gardener long before they reach maturity ...... and that's only if the slugs leave them alone. Fat chance. Fat slug, more than likely!** If you are keen to plant bulbs but want time to improve your clay, plant your bulb selection in pots so that you can plant them out in late winter/spring when you've had a chance to work on your clay. I don't possess any decent pots because they are difficult to carry if you are reliant on public transport. **Plastic pots are much easier to carry, and are suitable for the majority of gardening jobs. Get to know your gardening neighbours. Many will have stacks of plastic pots lying around (guilty!) and would be only too pleased to give some away. You may have to scrub them clean, of course, but you may feel it's worth the trouble.** If Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are on your bulb list, don't buy them dry but "in the green". Look in the ads at the back of gardening magazines, where you can buy them more cheaply "in the green". This simply means while they are still in growth after flowering. You'll get much better results, even if you do have to wait till Feb '07 to see the flowers. (Snowdrops do not grow well from dry bulbs. Also dry bulbs may even be illegal imports). I am aware of these issues with snowdrops. They are not a particular favourite of mine. Grasses are a mixed bunch; some prefer drier soil, some prefer moist. None like to sit in solid anaerobic clay - or none that I know of. Well there is not a huge choice for sale at present so again these are going to have to wait until spring time. I suspect I'm going to spending a lot of time digging to improve the soil. Oh and trying to learn plant names and what they look like so I have some clue as to what to buy next year. Having a very small garden does not make life easy if you like too many plants and garden styles and want to have a bit of everything :-( -- Paul C **Whilst improving the soil and creating different areas/soil types for different types of plants, consider building some raised beds as these are much easier to control. Apart from weeding and planting without bending, you can create dry, well-drained beds (usually in sun); a small bog garden by employing a liner; a pond, similarly; a moist but freer draining (than clay) bed for woodland plants (in shade); an ericaceous (acid) bed for rhododendrons and camellias or - conversely - an alkaline bed for lime lovers, such as pinks, clematis and so on. I'm sure you can see how this would allow you to "have a bit of everything" )) ** Spider |
#10
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Beginners question
On Wed, 26 Oct 2005 19:30:17 +0100, "Spider" wrote:
Paul Corfield wrote in message .. . Ah - this may explain why irises did not do awfully well this year despite quite having been left my previous residents. I am certainly plagued by snails and slugs. **There is another reason why dwarf bulbous irises 'disappear'. Most reticulata and danfordiae types break up into tiny bulblets after flowering .. this is obviously their way of 'bulking up' and self-propagating, but it can be maddening for gardeners who expect them to 'bulk up' in the manner of other bulbs. No doubt if they were left, they would grow to be flowering-size bulbs again, but I suspect they succumb to the digging process of an impatient/ignorant gardener long before they reach maturity ..... and that's only if the slugs leave them alone. Fat chance. Fat slug, more than likely!** I am aware that bulbous types of plants propagate in lots of different ways. I think the succumbing to the digging process has arisen in my garden! There are all sorts of strange looking offshoots in the soil - small bulblets as well as longish, white mini marrow shaped items which I think may well be to do with bluebells that did rather well this with no assistance from me. Well there is not a huge choice for sale at present so again these are going to have to wait until spring time. I suspect I'm going to spending a lot of time digging to improve the soil. Oh and trying to learn plant names and what they look like so I have some clue as to what to buy next year. Having a very small garden does not make life easy if you like too many plants and garden styles and want to have a bit of everything :-( **Whilst improving the soil and creating different areas/soil types for different types of plants, consider building some raised beds as these are much easier to control. Apart from weeding and planting without bending, you can create dry, well-drained beds (usually in sun); a small bog garden by employing a liner; a pond, similarly; a moist but freer draining (than clay) bed for woodland plants (in shade); an ericaceous (acid) bed for rhododendrons and camellias or - conversely - an alkaline bed for lime lovers, such as pinks, clematis and so on. I'm sure you can see how this would allow you to "have a bit of everything" )) ** You aren't helping very much ;-)) I have an old handbasin in the garden which may well be incorporated into a small rockery area for alpines. I also have embryonic ideas about a woodland / bog garden area too. However I think I need to learn to crawl first before I try to do the gardening version of the 100m sprint. I'm not too keen on ponds as neighbours have small ones and none of them seem to work properly or to sustain animal or plantlife. -- Paul C |
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