I have a couple of questions, can anyone help please:


Maurgerittes, I have some in huge pots, I don't want to lose them, the
temps here are savage in Winter with snow and ice, we are at altitude
in the Massif Central, France.

Pendula begonia in hanging pots, any advice, do I take them out of the
pots or just bring in the pots?

I have massive Surfina in hanging pots, can I overwinter these in any
way, by cutting back to just above root level? I have tried to see if
I can collect seed, for some reason the flower dies off but seeds do
not form as they do with Petunia, odd that.

Finally if anyone would like seeds from Pure White Datura, the low
growing variety, very winter resistant, please email me and I would
be pleased to send you as many as you want. I have some pics I could
post if you want to see before you try?

Judith

On Sep 24, 3:11 pm, Judith in France
wrote:
I have a couple of questions, can anyone help please:

Maurgerittes, I have some in huge pots, I don't want to lose them, the
temps here are savage in Winter with snow and ice, we are at altitude
in the Massif Central, France.

Pendula begonia in hanging pots, any advice, do I take them out of the
pots or just bring in the pots?

I have massive Surfina in hanging pots, can I overwinter these in any
way, by cutting back to just above root level? I have tried to see if
I can collect seed, for some reason the flower dies off but seeds do
not form as they do with Petunia, odd that.

Finally if anyone would like seeds from Pure White Datura, the low
growing variety, very winter resistant, please email me and I would
be pleased to send you as many as you want. I have some pics I could
post if you want to see before you try?

Judith

I Got emails requesting seeds, I will send in November, but no help
with my queries, Charlie, I know your climate is different but what
would you do, Rusty you are in Cold Norfolk what would you do? Help
anyone please??

Judith getting worried now as it is getting very cold in the late
evenings.

Judith

On Sep 26, 11:49 am, AriesVal
wrote:
On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:11:38 -0700 (PDT), Judith in France wrote:
I have a couple of questions, can anyone help please:

Maurgerittes, I have some in huge pots, I don't want to lose them, the
temps here are savage in Winter with snow and ice, we are at altitude
in the Massif Central, France.

Pendula begonia in hanging pots, any advice, do I take them out of the
pots or just bring in the pots?

I have massive Surfina in hanging pots, can I overwinter these in any
way, by cutting back to just above root level? I have tried to see if
I can collect seed, for some reason the flower dies off but seeds do
not form as they do with Petunia, odd that.

Finally if anyone would like seeds from Pure White Datura, the low
growing variety, very winter resistant, please email me and I would
be pleased to send you as many as you want. I have some pics I could
post if you want to see before you try?

Judith

I'm no expert but I would bring in the pots. Do you have a greenhouse?
--
Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent
of throwing it at someone else;
you are the one who gets burned.http://aries-val.livejournal.com/

Thanks Val, no I don't have a proper greenhouse yet, I have a makedo
one. I could bring them into the stables where it is frost free,
would you water, just a little or not?

Judith

On 24/9/08 15:11, in article
, "Judith in
France" wrote:

I have a couple of questions, can anyone help please:


Maurgerittes, I have some in huge pots, I don't want to lose them, the
temps here are savage in Winter with snow and ice, we are at altitude
in the Massif Central, France.

Pendula begonia in hanging pots, any advice, do I take them out of the
pots or just bring in the pots?

Just bring all of them in, in their pots.

I have massive Surfina in hanging pots, can I overwinter these in any
way, by cutting back to just above root level? I have tried to see if
I can collect seed, for some reason the flower dies off but seeds do
not form as they do with Petunia, odd that.

snip

Try taking cuttings of all your favourites Judith and keep their parents in
a frost free environment, letting them die back naturally and keeping them
very much on the dry side so that their roots aren't sitting around in cold
wet, compost.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

On Sep 26, 9:04 pm, Sacha wrote:
On 24/9/08 15:11, in article
, "Judith in

France" wrote:
I have a couple of questions, can anyone help please:

Maurgerittes, I have some in huge pots, I don't want to lose them, the
temps here are savage in Winter with snow and ice, we are at altitude
in the Massif Central, France.

Pendula begonia in hanging pots, any advice, do I take them out of the
pots or just bring in the pots?

Just bring all of them in, in their pots.

I have massive Surfina in hanging pots, can I overwinter these in any
way, by cutting back to just above root level? I have tried to see if
I can collect seed, for some reason the flower dies off but seeds do
not form as they do with Petunia, odd that.

snip

Try taking cuttings of all your favourites Judith and keep their parents in
a frost free environment, letting them die back naturally and keeping them
very much on the dry side so that their roots aren't sitting around in cold
wet, compost.

--
Sachahttp://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

Bless, you are back. Take cuttings now? How? Merci.

Judith

On 26/9/08 21:47, in article
, "Judith
in France" wrote:

On Sep 26, 9:04 pm, Sacha wrote:
On 24/9/08 15:11, in article
, "Judith in

France" wrote:
I have a couple of questions, can anyone help please:

Maurgerittes, I have some in huge pots, I don't want to lose them, the
temps here are savage in Winter with snow and ice, we are at altitude
in the Massif Central, France.

Pendula begonia in hanging pots, any advice, do I take them out of the
pots or just bring in the pots?

Just bring all of them in, in their pots.

I have massive Surfina in hanging pots, can I overwinter these in any
way, by cutting back to just above root level? I have tried to see if
I can collect seed, for some reason the flower dies off but seeds do
not form as they do with Petunia, odd that.

snip

Try taking cuttings of all your favourites Judith and keep their parents in
a frost free environment, letting them die back naturally and keeping them
very much on the dry side so that their roots aren't sitting around in cold
wet, compost.

--
Sachahttp://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

Bless, you are back. Take cuttings now? How? Merci.

Judith

Your personal gardener, Raymond, says, it's really not too difficult with
any of these, bar the Surfinias but really, and ideally, you should take
these Begonia and Marguerite cuttings in August because of light levels
helping root growth. Take 2" cuttings from non-flowering shoots of the
Begonias and Marguerites now (remove a bud, if necessary) cutting them off
just below a node, take off most of the leaves, leaving a couple at the top
and put them 5 round the edge of 1 litre pots filled with a compost for
seeds and cuttings. But he does emphasise, Do this now, because it's
already quite late and in your climate might or might not work. Because
you'll be doing this quite late he suggests you leave them in this 1 litre
pot for quite some time and then pot them on in spring.
For Surfinias he says 'buy seed' and start from scratch.
What we would like very much to hear from you is how your cuttings develop
because although temps are brutally low, light levels might be higher? This
is pure supposition/guesswork/curiosity on my part but I'd like to hear how
your cuttings do.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

On 27/9/08 08:26, in article ,
"AriesVal" wrote:

On Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:24:03 +0100, Sacha wrote:

Your personal gardener, Raymond, says, it's really not too difficult with
any of these, bar the Surfinias but really, and ideally, you should take
these Begonia and Marguerite cuttings in August because of light levels
helping root growth. Take 2" cuttings from non-flowering shoots of the
Begonias and Marguerites now (remove a bud, if necessary) cutting them off
just below a node, take off most of the leaves, leaving a couple at the top
and put them 5 round the edge of 1 litre pots filled with a compost for
seeds and cuttings. But he does emphasise, Do this now, because it's
already quite late and in your climate might or might not work. Because
you'll be doing this quite late he suggests you leave them in this 1 litre
pot for quite some time and then pot them on in spring.
For Surfinias he says 'buy seed' and start from scratch.
What we would like very much to hear from you is how your cuttings develop
because although temps are brutally low, light levels might be higher? This
is pure supposition/guesswork/curiosity on my part but I'd like to hear how
your cuttings do.

thanks from me too Sacha - useful information. Today I will be taking
cuttings to root from my soft fruit bushes. Hope I'm not too late that
that?

I'll ask himself when I go out there, Val but we don't propagate fruit here.
We buy them in, so I can't help you myself - never grown the stuff! ;-)

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

On Sep 26, 11:24 pm, Sacha wrote:
On 26/9/08 21:47, in article
, "Judith



in France" wrote:
On Sep 26, 9:04 pm, Sacha wrote:
On 24/9/08 15:11, in article
, "Judith in

France" wrote:
I have a couple of questions, can anyone help please:

Maurgerittes, I have some in huge pots, I don't want to lose them, the
temps here are savage in Winter with snow and ice, we are at altitude
in the Massif Central, France.

Pendula begonia in hanging pots, any advice, do I take them out of the
pots or just bring in the pots?

Just bring all of them in, in their pots.

I have massive Surfina in hanging pots, can I overwinter these in any
way, by cutting back to just above root level? I have tried to see if
I can collect seed, for some reason the flower dies off but seeds do
not form as they do with Petunia, odd that.

snip

Try taking cuttings of all your favourites Judith and keep their parents in
a frost free environment, letting them die back naturally and keeping them
very much on the dry side so that their roots aren't sitting around in cold
wet, compost.

--
Sachahttp://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

Bless, you are back. Take cuttings now? How? Merci.

Judith

Your personal gardener, Raymond, says, it's really not too difficult with
any of these, bar the Surfinias but really, and ideally, you should take
these Begonia and Marguerite cuttings in August because of light levels
helping root growth. Take 2" cuttings from non-flowering shoots of the
Begonias and Marguerites now (remove a bud, if necessary) cutting them off
just below a node, take off most of the leaves, leaving a couple at the top
and put them 5 round the edge of 1 litre pots filled with a compost for
seeds and cuttings. But he does emphasise, Do this now, because it's
already quite late and in your climate might or might not work. Because
you'll be doing this quite late he suggests you leave them in this 1 litre
pot for quite some time and then pot them on in spring.
For Surfinias he says 'buy seed' and start from scratch.
What we would like very much to hear from you is how your cuttings develop
because although temps are brutally low, light levels might be higher? This
is pure supposition/guesswork/curiosity on my part but I'd like to hear how
your cuttings do.
--
Sachahttp://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

Tell my very favourite gardener that I have done as he advised today.
Now what, I have an unheated greenhouse aka a plastic thing until I
get a proper one?

Judith

On 27/9/08 18:02, in article ,
"AriesVal" wrote:

On Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:02:53 +0100, Sacha wrote:

thanks from me too Sacha - useful information. Today I will be taking
cuttings to root from my soft fruit bushes. Hope I'm not too late that
that?

I'll ask himself when I go out there, Val but we don't propagate fruit here.
We buy them in, so I can't help you myself - never grown the stuff! ;-)

Sacha

Sacha I couldn't wait, so taken the plunge and propagated gooseberry and
blackcurrant cuttings this afternoon, plus planted garlic bulbs.

Sorry, Val, it's been quite a busy couple of days. Ray says take the
cuttings but put them straight into the ground, not the greenhouse. Does
that make sense to you?

Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to take down the runner bean plants and make an
Autumn sowing of broad beans into pots.

I've also pruned apple trees, and taken cuttings of our Mallow shrub - not
sure if they will take or not but worth a try I reckon.

Phew, feet up time now me thinks - glass of chilled white wine anyone ?

On my way..... ;-))



--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

On 27/9/08 17:45, in article
, "Judith
in France" wrote:

On Sep 26, 11:24 pm, Sacha wrote:
snip
What we would like very much to hear from you is how your cuttings develop
because although temps are brutally low, light levels might be higher? This
is pure supposition/guesswork/curiosity on my part but I'd like to hear how
your cuttings do.


Tell my very favourite gardener that I have done as he advised today.
Now what, I have an unheated greenhouse aka a plastic thing until I
get a proper one?

Judith

Unheated won't do in your winter. Can you get an electrician to run a
*safe* connection out to the tunnel so that you can plug in one of those
little 'frost beater' heaters. These are on a thermostat to keep the temp
above freezing but not to force the plants.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

On Sep 28, 3:19 pm, Sacha wrote:
On 27/9/08 18:02, in article ,

"AriesVal" wrote:
On Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:02:53 +0100, Sacha wrote:

thanks from me too Sacha - useful information. Today I will be taking
cuttings to root from my soft fruit bushes. Hope I'm not too late that
that?

I'll ask himself when I go out there, Val but we don't propagate fruit here.
We buy them in, so I can't help you myself - never grown the stuff! ;-)

Sacha

Sacha I couldn't wait, so taken the plunge and propagated gooseberry and
blackcurrant cuttings this afternoon, plus planted garlic bulbs.

Sorry, Val, it's been quite a busy couple of days. Ray says take the
cuttings but put them straight into the ground, not the greenhouse. Does
that make sense to you?



Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to take down the runner bean plants and make an
Autumn sowing of broad beans into pots.

I've also pruned apple trees, and taken cuttings of our Mallow shrub - not
sure if they will take or not but worth a try I reckon.

Phew, feet up time now me thinks - glass of chilled white wine anyone ?

On my way..... ;-))

--
Sachahttp://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

En route here first though to pick me up?

Judith

On Sep 28, 3:24 pm, Sacha wrote:
On 27/9/08 17:45, in article
, "Judith



in France" wrote:
On Sep 26, 11:24 pm, Sacha wrote:
snip
What we would like very much to hear from you is how your cuttings develop
because although temps are brutally low, light levels might be higher? This
is pure supposition/guesswork/curiosity on my part but I'd like to hear how
your cuttings do.

Tell my very favourite gardener that I have done as he advised today.
Now what, I have an unheated greenhouse aka a plastic thing until I
get a proper one?

Judith

Unheated won't do in your winter. Can you get an electrician to run a
*safe* connection out to the tunnel so that you can plug in one of those
little 'frost beater' heaters. These are on a thermostat to keep the temp
above freezing but not to force the plants.

--
Sachahttp://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

I have just been talking with Edward about this and we think we will
buy a new large poly tunnel thing with heating as you describe. Now
where to buy a reasonably priced one of a size to overwinter about 15
hanging baskets and bring them on again in the Spring, grow tomatoes,
cucumber and other soft stuff, my melons were a total failure.

Judith

On 28/9/08 15:40, in article
, "Judith
in France" wrote:

On Sep 28, 3:19 pm, Sacha wrote:
On 27/9/08 18:02, in article ,

"AriesVal" wrote:
snip

Phew, feet up time now me thinks - glass of chilled white wine anyone ?

On my way..... ;-))

--
Sachahttp://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

En route here first though to pick me up?

Judith

Golly, I've heard of roundabout the houses but from South Devon to North
Devon via France is a goody!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

On 28/9/08 15:42, in article
, "Judith in
France" wrote:
snip

I have just been talking with Edward about this and we think we will
buy a new large poly tunnel thing with heating as you describe. Now
where to buy a reasonably priced one of a size to overwinter about 15
hanging baskets and bring them on again in the Spring, grow tomatoes,
cucumber and other soft stuff, my melons were a total failure.

Judith

Apart from Googling, I'd look in local free ad type papers, though you'd
probably have to replace the polythene. But asking local farmers and
growers for advice would be a good start. Bearing in mind that you don't
get vents in poly tunnels, make sure yours opens at both ends because in hot
weather you'll need that.


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

On 28/9/08 16:46, in article ,
"AriesVal" wrote:

On Sun, 28 Sep 2008 15:24:08 +0100, Sacha wrote:

Unheated won't do in your winter. Can you get an electrician to run a
*safe* connection out to the tunnel so that you can plug in one of those
little 'frost beater' heaters. These are on a thermostat to keep the temp
above freezing but not to force the plants.

Do you know where I can get one of those Sacha? We used to have one years
ago but have never replaced it. I reckon a quarter kilowatt should keep a
small (8 x 6) greenhouse frost free ?

I haven't had one for years, Val and then I used it in an attic cupboard to
keep water pipes happy. But I was under the impression - perhaps wrongly -
that they're not hard to find at e.g. B&Q or an electrical supplier. In
fact, any heater would do as long as it has a thermostat that is sensitive
enough.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)