Mary, Mary, quite contrary...

[HareBrain]

Aha, a timely resurrection.

I've heard you shouldn't compost citrus fruit. I'm getting through a lot of melons and pineapples at the moment. Is it OK to put the leftover bits of them in compost, anyone know?

[Vertigo]

I always have done and the potato peelings - never had a problem yet.

I just spent the day in the garden. Pollarding the Willow and hacking back everything else. Huge pile of brush now to burn and I'm totally trashed!

[springs]

@Mouse, potatoes do okay in bags, 4 tubers per bag and fill it up as they grow.

@HB, yes, all fine, in moderation. they are a bit acidic, but provided you're sticking in plenty of other stuff, accelerators (grass) some cardboard/paper etc it should be okay.

@Vertigo, our willow will get it's annual cut this week, and then I make the canes into obelisks (not very good looking ones I grant....) and grow beans and peas up them.

I got the first seeds planted today, the front garden cleared, and then on wed we're having a bit allotment day and clearing the fruit bush section. I'm hoping to put my tubs amongst them this year and make use of the space between them. I have onions and all to come up fully in the main beds, and the spring stuff to clear. (although the puple sprouting broccolli is starting to sprout. Yay.)

I have also, this is so bad of me, nicked my kids huge sandpit - they're getting a bit big for it, and we've been filling it with any compost emptied from baskets. It's nearly ready to go, with the contents of our compost bin over it, as a pumpkin bed. Never had any luck with them so far, so I'm hoping this might work.

[Vertigo]

See, now I do the same (but rows instead of obelisks) I also let seven or eight shoots grow fro 3-4 years and cut them down as poles (all sorts of uses for those). Of course this way the year I had to cut them down too so altogether a real heavy job.

The only thing I plant this early up here are tatties - probably a couple of weeks into April for them - anything else tends to get zapped by frosts. I can't get peas and beans etc. out until we are into June and even then it's chancing it. Losts them all to a heave frost late in June last year.

[springs]

Not much different here vertigo - I watch gardeners world and then do it all 4 weeks later! I'll get away with peas start of may but beans not until june.
I'd love to coppice but just don't have the space, even with the allotment. I generally manage to be nearly self sufficient in veg july- sept and we eat seasonally anyway.and all our jams etc come from the plot.

[Vertigo]

I'm pollarding (sp?) really as I cut them off at about 2 metres. that way I can still grown stuff underneath them.

I reckon to be self sufficient for about the same period in fresh veg. I then store tatties and carrots and freeze peas and beans. So I keep going for a fair bit longer. Depending on how well my tatties and carrots keep (not very well with my current lot) I usually almost last out the year. Probably could do if I had a cool cellar or something to keep them in so they don't start shooting.

I've given up watching gardener's world. Too depressing. How come all their lawns have grass in them instead of moss Actually I think I used to do everything a lot later than 4 weeks after GW. Even for this far North the village I live in has a reputation for being a frost pocket. A typical garden centre conversation:

"Can you recommend a good hardy one of these?"

"Where's the garden?"

"Garve."

Sharp hissing intake of breath. "Ooooh, you've got a bit of a problem there!"

[Mouse]

Anybody know anything about African violets? I've just realised that I had two plants growing in one very small pot, so I split them today. Only, the only compost I had was this weird stuff with white flecks in it - I think it's something I had for my tiny strawberries. I'm guessing it's got feed in it or something. That'd be ok for violets, right?

[springs]

Mouse, sounds like moisture retaining pellets. Are they kind of translucent? They could, on the other hand be slow release fertiliser. Either shouldn't do any harm

Vertigo, I guess your garden centres do well with horticultural fleece?

[Mouse]

It's more like white sand.

[springs]

I planted some seeds yesterday and they seem to have something like that in them. It's probably some mad thing they've added to the compost. Should be okay. What about the house? Any joy?

[Mouse]

Nope. That's why I'm gardening, looks like we're stuck here.

[springs]

pooh. dig for victory. We had one fell through at the start of the recession, and I still drive past it and think, if only. (it did have 3 bathrooms, though, and I get bored cleaning one....)

[Vertigo]

Originally Posted by springs1971

Vertigo, I guess your garden centres do well with horticultural fleece?

Well possibly, but not from me. I'm afraid if my plants can't take it then that's it for them. Simply too much bother trying to wrap everything in fleece. I used to do it but then I thought what's the point having your garden look like some weird modern sculpture for half the year.

Mouse: There's some stuff on African Violets here: http://www.theplantexpert.com/africanviolets

However the relevant bit from potting is:

Or, if you already have some ordinary potting soil, you can make your own "African violet soil". Mix the potting soil with peat moss and vermiculite or perlite, as follows: 1/3/ potting soil, 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite or perlite.

As Springs said I'm guessing the 'bits' in your existing soil will probably be vermiculite or pearlite:

Soilless growing media: exfoliated vermiculite is combined with other materials such as peat or composted pine bark compost to produce soilless growing media for the professional horticulturalist and for the home gardener. These mixes promote faster root growth and gives quick anchorage to young roots. The mixture helps retain air, plant food and moisture, releasing them as the plant requires them.

[Ursa major]

With a name like (exfoliated) vermiculite, Mouse, the less geologically minded amongst us could be forgiven in thinking that your plants are being supported by a cast of thousands.

(And for a very tenuous pun.)

[Mouse]

Originally Posted by springs1971

pooh. dig for victory. We had one fell through at the start of the recession, and I still drive past it and think, if only. (it did have 3 bathrooms, though, and I get bored cleaning one....)

This is our second one to fall through though. The universe hates me!

Originally Posted by Vertigo

Mouse: There's some stuff on African Violets here: http://www.theplantexpert.com/africanviolets

I've actually seen that site before. I'm a bit of a granny in that I love my African violets!

Thanks, Vertigo.

Originally Posted by Ursa major

With a name like (exfoliated) vermiculite, Mouse, the less geologically minded amongst us could be forgiven in thinking that your plants are being supported by a cast of thousands.

(And for a very tenuous pun.)

So tenuous that I don't get it.