Search found 5824 matches

by Johnboy
Tue Apr 26, 2022 10:20 pm
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: shade plants for a rockery under a holly tree
Replies: 6
Views: 5190

Re: shade plants for a rockery under a holly tree

Well as I see it so far no plants mentioned are alpines. Certainly there are plants that will thrive in a shade condition but I do not know any Alpines.
Johnson (I think)
by Johnboy
Thu Apr 21, 2022 10:55 am
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: shade plants for a rockery under a holly tree
Replies: 6
Views: 5190

Re: shade plants for a rockery under a holly tree

Daxtell71,
The word rockery and shade do not usually come in the same sentence but if you could give us more information I am sure somebody will be able to help you.
by Johnboy
Fri Apr 15, 2022 8:00 am
Forum: Weeds, Pests and Diseases
Topic: Pigeon damage
Replies: 6
Views: 5564

Re: Pigeon damage

Your maybe interested in an experiment we are doing on farm with Oil Seed Rape.We have a 10 acre field and half was grazed down by sheep and the other half untouched and we will measure what the difference is at harvest time. At present my unterstanding is that the grazed portion is or has nearly ca...
by Johnboy
Sat Apr 09, 2022 10:20 am
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Happy Birthday.
Replies: 11
Views: 1816

Re: Happy Birthday.

Well dear friends of many many years I thank you for my birthday wishes. I was discharched from hospital yesterday afternoon after what has turned out to be several months there. Sadly I have been classified "Feeble" and need a wheelchair to go anywhere other than the house.Because of the ...
by Johnboy
Thu Oct 21, 2021 11:37 am
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Tasty Garlic
Replies: 20
Views: 11147

Re: Tasty Garlic

IMHO the best tasting garlic is from the Albi area in France.We grow Rose Garlic produced in Trebas Du Tarn and we buy direct from the producer because I worked for them for several months during my gap year spent in France I will admit that this is a personal favour to me so I am not at liberty to ...
by Johnboy
Sat Aug 28, 2021 9:16 am
Forum: Harvesting Q&A
Topic: Romanesco as cut and come again..
Replies: 6
Views: 6928

Re: Romanesco as cut and come again..

Just to slightly dip out of the context of the thread but an answer to Primroses' mention of Sea Kale Beet which I grow and I sow many seeds in a row and then simply harvest them when the plants are about six inches high. Simply pull nip the roots off and was and cook by steaming. With the plants so...
by Johnboy
Sat Aug 28, 2021 8:53 am
Forum: Harvesting Q&A
Topic: Drying bay leaves
Replies: 3
Views: 8633

Re: Drying bay leaves

Well done Monika. My house has been heated by a solid fuel boiler which during the very cold snap just before last Christmas the boiler finally gave up the ghost. Now I have always dried my Bay Leaves simply on top of the boiler and now I have an oil boiler situated outside the house I have been won...
by Johnboy
Thu Aug 26, 2021 4:37 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: PROPAGATORS
Replies: 40
Views: 26045

Re: PROPAGATORS

Many vegetables simply need ambient temperature in a cold greenhouse where they get the light without any additional heat. Growing plants is not a race and they mainly give a far better plant if allowed to take their time doing so. Plants that are all foliage generally lack the root structure to sup...
by Johnboy
Thu Aug 19, 2021 11:22 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: PROPAGATORS
Replies: 40
Views: 26045

Re: PROPAGATORS

Dear Diarmuid, I am afraid that age has caught up with me and I cannot remember your previous name used. I remeber you having difficulties with Sweet Corn all those years ago and sending some seed that had just germinated well for me so should have done for you. Please PM me if you have the time. Si...
by Johnboy
Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:06 am
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Comfrey
Replies: 11
Views: 11999

Re: Comfrey

Dear Primrose,
Alkanet and Comfrey are both in the Borage Family. I would think that if it has very long roots as does Comfrey then it would be really useful in compost making.
JB.
by Johnboy
Sat Aug 14, 2021 8:51 am
Forum: Technical Data
Topic: Pricking out vs sowing individually in pots
Replies: 8
Views: 13752

Re: Pricking out vs sowing individually in pots

Being a propagator by profession for many years I observed what a local gardener did with his seeds. For cabbages he simply filled a bucket with a mixture of MPcompost and soil simply scattered an entire packet of seeds in the bucket and when I questioned this he said it will be the survival of the ...
by Johnboy
Fri Aug 13, 2021 6:49 am
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Comfrey
Replies: 11
Views: 11999

Re: Comfrey

Dear Daxtell (Debs maybe.) It has occurred to me that the Comfrey seeds that you have lovingly grow may not be Russian Comfrey at all. There is a Comfrey grown for the herbaceous border which if my memory has white flowers and is a dwarf plant compared to it's Russian counterpart. If you bought the ...
by Johnboy
Wed Aug 11, 2021 8:31 am
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Comfrey
Replies: 11
Views: 11999

Re: Comfrey

Dear Daxtell, Heart breaking as what I have to say my advice is to invest in some Bocking 14 Comfrey plants and destroy the Comfrey plants you have lovingly grown from seed. Blocking 14 was produced by Lawence Hills in the days of HDRA now under a different name. Blocking 14 does not set seed in UK ...
by Johnboy
Sat Jul 31, 2021 9:53 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Tips for Scab prevention on spuds
Replies: 8
Views: 6092

Re: Tips for Scab prevention on spuds

You should remember that the ideal soil condition for potatoes is in acidic soil and what Monika has said is so very true.
by Johnboy
Tue Jul 20, 2021 8:31 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Non peat based composts
Replies: 28
Views: 13879

Re: Non peat based composts

Dear Colin, I started growing vegatables way back in 1943 and was alloted my own allotment in the corner of my grandfathers orchard and in order to make my nursery bed for mainly brascas the ground was riddled one and a half spits down and I had to use pine litter which was a mile and a half away fr...