Morning Light: The Fetchland Gardening Wire

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Columba Feb 2020 9:27pm, 5 Feb 2020 19,177 posts	0 Columba Interesting what you say about snowdrops, Hanneke. I have a big clump of them in the back garden which are doing brilliantly; but normally I also have at least two clumps in the front garden, and one clump has not appeared at all while the other is just a few rather miserable leaves.
sallykate Feb 2020 10:38pm, 5 Feb 2020 6,341 posts	0 sallykate I have a huge roll of scaffold netting to use as anti-insect mesh at the allotment. Seeds for me have been mainly Lidl and Wilko this year as I'm not earning at the moment. For specific varieties of squash I've gone to sowseeds.co.uk . I'm going to try growing smaller squash up wigwams to save space. Crown Prince was great but I'm still looking at the 5kg monster wondering how to use it given that it's just for me and I have no space in the freezer. Wilko's also been a source of random perennials for the front garden: dahlias (I had good results with their dahlias last year), echinops, gladioli, dicentra, hollyhocks.
Hanneke Feb 2020 11:37pm, 5 Feb 2020 70,490 posts	0 Hanneke I recommend Munchkin pumpkins and Jack be Little. I have them climbing. I also had climbing courgettes this year. Not as prolific as the normal ones, but taking up a lot less space. Those pumpkins are dinky, orange size, and perfect for single people. You can eat the skin and they store well.
sallykate Feb 2020 9:04am, 6 Feb 2020 6,342 posts	0 sallykate Jack be little is one of the ones I had to have - I'm looking forward to see it climbing up whatever structure I manage to make. I have some stout hazel branches left over from coppicing the hazels last year so I should be able to do something with those once I tidy them up a bit. The others are Crown Prince (again), uchiki kuri (climbing), Delicata, rolet (another climbing one), and some ornamental gourds.
Hanneke Feb 2020 8:29pm, 6 Feb 2020 70,491 posts	0 Hanneke Uchiki Kuri is good, not too large either. Bliddy slugs had my plants this year
MDrewett Feb 2020 8:15am, 7 Feb 2020 192 posts	0 MDrewett Thanks for the suggestions, I'll be browsing all weekend :D and the squash recommendations are great!
Flatlander Feb 2020 8:03pm, 7 Feb 2020 1,567 posts	0 Flatlander I spent an hour or so in the garden in this afternoon's nice weather. Amongst other things I took down one of my tall veggiemesh "tents" (see picture on previous page) because I don't think Ciara will treat it at all kindly on Sunday For the same reason I have weighted down anything I can't put away!
Fizz :-) Feb 2020 1:20pm, 9 Feb 2020 3,521 posts	0 Fizz :-) No doubt this isn’t news to all you seasoned gardeners, but a Gardeners’ World tip for February “check if old seed packets are worth keeping by sowing a few seeds on damp kitchen paper, to see if they germinate” I have dozens of old seed packets. And I can never bear to just throw them away. I’ll let you know how I get on.
Dvorak Feb 2020 1:58pm, 9 Feb 2020 18,893 posts	0 Dvorak I'd never heard of that. Might try it, but will probably fail to label correctly and be subsequently baffled Actually, i did wonder if i was getting sometimes indifferent results by buying only cheap seeds (Lidl, Wilko). So last year I bought some Suttons seeds (admittedly marked right down, but still in date). Results were ... absolutely rubbish. Of course, it could well be me.
Hanneke Feb 2020 5:41pm, 9 Feb 2020 70,492 posts	0 Hanneke Nah, I find Suttons hit and miss! I am going to try the damp paper thing. I have a HUGE box full of old seed packets and after a lecture on seed saving now know they have been kept apallingly badly and are probably a dead loss. So rather than just throwing them all out, I think I shall test them and sow what is still viable Storm Ciara doesn't seem to have done any damage so far, apart from having blown over all standing seed heads and grasses. But they need cutting down anyway this month... I have been studying the principles of Biodynamics today. Hmmmm... bit impenetrable if you ask me, but it can't do any harm for the beginner to use their lunar calendar for sowing and transplanting and start using their preparations. I don't see myself making cow horn stuff but the herbal tea type preparations are easy for me, as I am growing all these anyway. I will keep you all posted! Now off to look for a suitable stirring pot and a copper sprayer as plastic is a total no go! Just as well, as I have been getting rid of all things plastic anyway... Mind, I do have an un-used plastic sprayer if anyone wants it? You can use them for biodynamics but it is not advised as it weakens the preparations...