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om15

Haven't used Creosote for years so hadn't noticed.

But I can well believe it.

We thought creosote was banned in Europe due to carcinogenic properties. Are you sure it was 'real' creosote? It can be bought here. Always get myself covered in the stuff when I use it.

I don't think it was "real" creosote, it didn't burn on contact with the skin, also seemed to leave a sticky film after application, it was called creosole or something like that.
A 50% 50% mix with old engine oil used to produce a pretty good preservative, unfortunately it tended to kill all surrounding vegetation.

Creosote isn't creosote any more. Nor does it work like the old stuff did, sadly.

The fence I creosoted with the last of the "illicit" batch is still fine. The one I did two years later with the "new" stuff looks as if it had never been done.

Nor can I buy sodium chlorate weedkiller (I think the IRA bought up the entire world stock), nor the various fungicides that would kill the stuff that's wrecking my lawn.

nor the various fungicides that would kill the stuff that's wrecking my lawn.

Have you tried 'Verdone'?

Verdone is a weedkiller rather than a fungicide, I think.
We have a firm that comes in to do all the clever stuff on the lawn - they have access to stuff that we, as ordinary citizens, aren't allowed by the EU to have. The lawn is immaculate - no weeds, no red thread, no nothing nasty ... except for these pesky fairy rings for which there is no longer (apparently) a legal cure.

The "official" advice is to dig out the infected area to a depth of 18 inches, burn the old soil, then add fresh clean soil, and re-seed. We would need many tons of soil to do that, and I would bet a new crop would appear the following spring. We've worked through all the "folk remedies", none of which has made the slightest difference.

Verdone successfully cleared a nasty outbreak of PennyWort and does not touch grass.

We now have three 9m long cloches covered with shade netting. All seedlings were doing well crickets can't get in Now we have ants destroying some of the pepper plants. Sprayed the little b@stards with insecticide this evening. Will go for ant poison in the morning. Got a new system for the sweet potatoes to keep the spring hares off also involving shade netting.

The marigold seedlings are planted out and thriving. It just seems to be the veg seedlings which come under attack.

A neighbour has asked to keep a fuchsia bush in my green-house over winter. It's in a pot and neighbour doesn't think it's a hardy variety. It looks like it has already been got at by an early frost and is looking quite sad - branches a bit droopy and the leaves are withered. I intend to prune it back quite a bit and then cover it with a cloche and bubble-wrap to keep any more frosts off it. Any more tips you good folks could add? TVM.

keef fairy rings are just a fungus spreading as it flowers each season.
why don't you try using another fungus to combat it?

in oz we can buy card boxes full of manure, mulch and mushroom spores.
they grow wonderfully under the bathroom cabinet.
spread out on the lawn you get an impressive mushroom crop the next year.

Our marigolds are thriving, huge, but not a single flower. I am wondering if I over fertilised?

4mastacker wrote:A neighbour has asked to keep a fuchsia bush in my green-house over winter. It's in a pot and neighbour doesn't think it's a hardy variety. It looks like it has already been got at by an early frost and is looking quite sad - branches a bit droopy and the leaves are withered. I intend to prune it back quite a bit and then cover it with a cloche and bubble-wrap to keep any more frosts off it. Any more tips you good folks could add? TVM.

How big is it ?

You say the Fuchsia is droopy, they normally turn to wood bar the end piece / growing bit.

I have found Fuchsias to suck up a lot of water so like to be kept moist, otherwise they shrivel.
Because they flower so profusely, they need feeding as well, of course more at the start of
spring / growing season than anything else.

I think the owner hasn't been feeding/watering it. The plant is in a 15 inch pot and I suspect may be a bit root bound - I've suggested to it's owner that she needs to re-pot it. I've kept the compost moist (but not-over watered) and the plant is under the cover of a cloche and bubble-wrap in my greenhouse. I've cut back last-year's growth so I'm waiting to see if any new growth appears when (if) it gets warmer. At the moment, it's bloody cold, so i'm not disturbing the plant.

4ma

4ma

If it's root bound, it's very hard for the water to get to the roots they are that tight, unless it sits in water.

If it's a Fuchsia, then with the cuttings you could see if you can get any to strike / grow roots and then
give her back some young plants as well.

Anyway, good luck.

Thanks. I'll try taking cuttings - if it's not too late.

4ma

Marigolds are now two feet high and still no flowers.

Just bought a lorry load of stuff from this place,

http://www.vanmeuwen.com/flowers/flower ... et=&page=2

I will advise on quality on receipt, but the price is right, forgive the plug, (forgive the pun)

So what do you think of lavender now, Ex? It's great stuff. Amazon delivers me a liter every three months and I consider it among my most essential staples.

As for sweet potatoes: My mom used to put a whole sweet potato into a glass, poked four toothpicks into it for suspension, filled the glass with water, and set it on top of the refrigerator in the kitchen. The thing always sprouted, the profuse trailing leaves gave us an ivy, and provided a life-force effect in the kitchen, and the plants were robust and healthy. They also grew on minimal, indirect incandescent light. I don't recall her ever putting the plants in the garden, though, as I think she grew them strictly for the foliage.

Great idea, Ben. I'll try it, they really look lovely, but one somehow wouldn't think about 'just a potato' as something decorating a room .

Ben I have now unfortunately resorted to chemicals. We did both sweet pots in a glass to sprout and directly into the ground. I tried to get them going at the top end of the estate but some bugga was eating the leaves. The concensus was spring hare. The gardeners planted a bunch between row of toms and sweet peppers. They seem to be doing well now but a restricted location. Being nibbled by crickets I think but now sprayed. First peppers and toms have appeared. 100 marigold plants 8 flowers! They are 3' tall, just measured. Theory is unseasonal temperatures. Cabbages only producing leaves. Same theory. An old boy in the village said take off all the outer leaves and a centre will form. Our chaps have done this so we will see. They were very happy with their big bags of cabbage leaves.