bk1
I'm settling in nicely
Posts: 123
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Post by bk1 on Sept 23, 2012 10:49:43 GMT 1
hi all , I am pretty much a novice at gardening but am keen to improve. I have a few very basic questions which I am sure you can help me with.
GERANIUMS I would love to improve my displays next year and am keen to save the ones which although not great are still flowering in troughs in back garden. How do I manage to keep them over winter and egt them bigger and better for next year ?
GIANT SUNFLOWERS. I had a little packet of seeds this year and had good success with lovely cheerful sunflowers this summer , should I cut the heads now to harvest seeds or let them stay on stalks ?
HOLLYHOCKS, a lovely friend gave me seeds from her garden last week, should I sow them now or save them to Spring ?
Many thanks for any advice offered
BK
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Post by Ali on Sept 23, 2012 14:42:36 GMT 1
Ok, since everyone is waiting for everyone else to answer then I'll stick my pennithworth in This is what I do (not necessarily right) GERANIUMNS I always over-winter mine in the greenhouse which is heated so that it doesn't drop below 1 deg c. However, they can be over-wintered in a light place that doesn't freeze. Minimal watering otherwise they get rot/mildew. My mom buried hers in the garden! They were sort of ok the following spring. How to get them bigger and better, more flowers etc. Geranium food is sold here everywhere even supermarkets and they do really well with a light feeding. Also taking off the dead flowers makes them flower even more. Don't let them dry completely out (although they do stand it) because it seems to exhaust the flowering. SUNFLOWERS Have a look also at reply 26 on this thread: www.brittanywi.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=photo&action=display&thread=6981 This is a Californian sunflower and is outstanding. I have seeds here if you'd like some. I think its great to leave the seed heads up for the birdies so you could, on a dry day (lol) take a gathering of seeds directly from the heads leaving the rest there as is. Put them in an envelope or something paper and store in a cool dry place. HOLLYHOCKS Grew some one year from seed but they got a lot of rust. Just found this link and it suggests sowing now or Feb March. Here's the link I found: www.brittanywi.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=photo&action=display&thread=6981Now everyone else - your turns
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bk1
I'm settling in nicely
Posts: 123
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Post by bk1 on Sept 23, 2012 15:11:40 GMT 1
super advice Ali and just what I was hoping for. Always open to suggestions and am thinking of putting my geraniums in an unheated bedroom as out buildings get very cold.
Keep the advice coming gardeners , Dahlias do you dig up at end of flowering or leave in soil over Winter ?
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Post by Ali on Sept 23, 2012 15:39:44 GMT 1
I'm on a rollllllllllllll I bring the smaller tubers in to the dry over-winter. The large ones stay put (They're in quite a dry spot anyway so shouldnt rot) but I do cover them over with whatever is to hand - straw, bark ........ Lost around 20 plants last year that I had originally grown from seed coz I'd left them in the ground in an exposed spot and last years winter was cccccold at times. Come on you lot
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2012 19:22:06 GMT 1
bk1! Funny name, but let not that prevent me from welcoming you to this forum. We're blessed with a Fearful Leader.... ....who is all-seeing, all-knowing, particularly in matters horticultural... She has a slightly irritating habit of releasing information in dribs and drabs, but let that not blind us to her omnipotence... I have nothing to add to her wise words.... indeed, I'm grateful for them
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2012 19:27:54 GMT 1
bk1! Funny name, but let not that prevent me from welcoming you to this forum. We're blessed with a Fearful Leader.... ....who is all-seeing, all-knowing, particularly in matters horticultural... She has a slightly irritating habit of releasing information in dribs and drabs, but let that not blind us to her omnipotence... I have nothing to add to her wise words.... indeed, I'm grateful for them
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bk1
I'm settling in nicely
Posts: 123
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Post by bk1 on Sept 23, 2012 19:50:34 GMT 1
Annon I have yet to see a forum user name which makes a lot of sense but if you ask me nicely I will decode mine for you. Ali seems to know what she is talking about and I am delighted to have found such a good source of information.
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Post by <-Rinky-Dink-> on Sept 24, 2012 0:46:54 GMT 1
Hi bk1 .... ali seems to have already made all the points I was going to, so the only thing I can add, is not to forget to cut all the foliage off the dalias before you store the tubers. This seems obvious to experienced gardeners, but to novices like you and me, it might not be so.
Good luck and good on you for trying.......
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bk1
I'm settling in nicely
Posts: 123
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Post by bk1 on Sept 24, 2012 7:31:49 GMT 1
quick update, I am continuing to dehead the dahlias as they are still blooming away nicely, sunflowers have stopped flowering and the largest of them have developed giant seed heads so im going to leave well alone for another few weeks and then collect enough seeds to give as little tokens to the neighbours or friends at xmas with a nice pic of the variety of flower on the envelope. The rest I will sow again next Spring in hope for even taller ones this year. My geraniums at front are just all foliage now and I think the lady I bought them from said they were annuals (they have a more spidery flower and are used a lot in town displays and balconies )I guess I will just compost those. The others are still flowering but never really put on any growth so I shall separate them, re pot with some new compost and leave in an unoccupied bedroom to go dormant. Hollyhocks I have taken the plunge and planted directly in two locations and a few in pots on my little experimental table so as I can see more easily if germination takes place . fingers crossed tehy will take
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Post by Fli on Sept 24, 2012 8:28:07 GMT 1
BK - I am an expert Horticultural genius and have a wealth of experience but I find giving ones expertise might go over ones head. I will leave it to other less informative but adequate members of the forum to pass on information to realise your dream garden.
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