Kitchen Garden Forum

On 4th April I sowed various brassicas into small module propagation trays.

By 9th & 10th Broccoli Summer Sprouting, Brussel Sprouts Bedford and Montgomery, Cauliflower and Calabrese had all germinated.
All were watered using bottle mist sprayer.
In theory this keeps the growing medium moist but not soaking wet.

On morning of the 14th the lot had succumbed to either 'damping off' or maybe because they were In the highest part of the greenhouse had turned over due to heat that day.

Got to re-sow all those, everything else in greenhouse coming along fine in same medium and watered in same way.

Oh dear I am so sorry to hear about that. Hoping you next batch will have a much longer and happier life!

Thanks Oscar
Re-sown today.

Silly me today! Sowed some catnip for the furry ones so today thought I would pot it on. There was one in the pot that had a similar leaf but was a bit hairy. Noted the hair but ignored the plant - until I thought I'd have a big sniff of the mint to see how pungent it was! The hairy one was a nettle!

Very stinging nose for a while & no idea how a nettle got in that pot.

Westi

Westi

I'm sorry, your plight should not have made me laugh but I confess it did.

One of my daughters dogs has been suffering really bad open sores on her nose recently, at first it was thought to be being caused because of spider nests in garden that she kept sniffing around. Few weeks and a number of costly injections and antihistamine tablets later it was found she is allergic to stinging nettles.
Gundogs have a habit of searching through brambles & nettles when out.

I hope to goodness your nose does not end up looking like hers.

Oh dear...

I bought my cats some cat mint a couple of weeks ago... Hadn't appreciated the reaction. It was raining so had left the plant inside, by the back door ready to take out. I found the plant rubbed into the carpet and a cat looking slightly stoned surrounded with soil.... Lesson learnt....

I've stopped trying to grow cat mint as it always gets chewed to the ground despite me making various covers and barriers to keep them off. Another plant with similar sedative properties is valerian the true valerian not the red centranthus. All the local cats come and rub their necks and faces on it and have worn the soil smooth round it. They like bog bean too but find that more difficult to reach.

Why are cats junkies?

Pa Snip wrote:Westi

I'm sorry, your plight should not have made me laugh but I confess it did.

One of my daughters dogs has been suffering really bad open sores on her nose recently, at first it was thought to be being caused because of spider nests in garden that she kept sniffing around. Few weeks and a number of costly injections and antihistamine tablets later it was found she is allergic to stinging nettles.
Gundogs have a habit of searching through brambles & nettles when out.

I hope to goodness your nose does not end up looking like hers.

I am increasingly allergic to nettles; each time I get stung it becomes a deep nerve pain that lasts many days.Avoidance is the key but not easy with a dog. My old collie ( died last year) used to EAT nettles;we think it was a natural pain relief as she had been semi feral before we took her in. Wee dog used to watch her, try to copy and cringe! Hope it can be managed more easily now

PLUMPUDDING wrote:I've stopped trying to grow cat mint as it always gets chewed to the ground despite me making various covers and barriers to keep them off. Another plant with similar sedative properties is valerian the true valerian not the red centranthus. All the local cats come and rub their necks and faces on it and have worn the soil smooth round it. They like bog bean too but find that more difficult to reach.

Why are cats junkies?

Because they can be! Trying to imagine my latest rescue who is wired to the moon already .... do have a bad of dried catnip I was using to make toys for the stall...

All my peas and broad bean seedling trays are outside! More set; cannot find the rest of my saved Carlin pea seeds so this years crop will get saved in total... MAY yet plant out some broad beans...