What have you done in the garden today? Part 8

[Jimmyneutronsforehead]

A continuation thread.

Thank you to MereDintOfPandiculation for threads 1 through 6. We wouldn't have built this lovely gardening community without you.

No gardening job is too small or too big to tell us about.

Spring is springing into action, let's get mucky.

Judy contemplating when to start my dahlias off. They’ll also go in pots indoors the garage for a bit. Last year most of mine didn’t make it due to slugs but I’m always optimistic.

If you are in the UK it is about 2 months too early for tomatoes outside.

And about a month too early for nasturtiums outside. Unless they are self seeded.

Has anyone tried the frozen poppy seeds trick I'm currently seeing all over my sm? I don't have much luck with poppies so thought I might give it a go ...

I was just going off the seed packet which said to plant out from April.

Might leave it until may then.

Yes but the sun was out last week!!!!! And alongside it came hope!

I've now emptied three spring containers that have finished, I reuse the compost and mix it with a bit of blood, fish and bone for when I get round to reusing it.

I've binned some of the daffodils and crocus that were in the pots, they didn't really do that well and I've decided that next year I will cut down drastically, the number of pots and containers that I fill with bulbs.

My best ones this year were some scented ones that not only looked gorgeous but really did have a lovely fragrance. They will live to be brought out next year but as for the rest, I've put some cyclamen and some primroses into the garden that look ok and hope that they get established enough to flower well next year.

Tulips so far have done pretty well, really pleased with the Flaming Flag ones that are pink and white stripey ones. They are looking really good and have been in flower for nearly two weeks.

I only buy Triumph or Darwin tulips now, they seem to withstand the strong winds we now get and stay upright when the daffs are all drooping.

Just got back from the garden centre with a lovely little berberis with pink & yellow variegated leaves. So pretty.

Also just got back from the garden centre and actually remembered to get everything I went in for, which is a first!

I have some new (to me) tomato seeds, Jimmy Improved F1 and the packet says they will be happy in a patio pot so I’m going to give that a try as it will be nice to pick a handful of tomatoes without going down to the greenhouse (which is only about 10m away, but still…😄)

Also have a healthy looking Sungold and a Black Opal to grow in the greenhouse. They will be happy on the kitchen windowsill until I get DH to pick up a growbag for them. He can grab one next time he goes to the supermarket as I’m not up to heaving those about yet.

Sowed sunflower seeds (Little Dorrit and some kind of giant ones), planted put some lavenders to replace the ones that had reached a natural end at the end of last summer, planted a few mixed lettuce seeds in pots in greenhouse, potted on loads of sweet peas, general weeding etc.

I haven’t managed to get out at all, it’s so cold and very windy. I had some Gaura and Nepeta delivered yesterday and was hoping to get them put in but it’s now raining as well so will wait for another day.

It is still March.

Even when they say plant out from April that means, once the last frost date in your area is gone, and the plants are hardened off properly.

I meant about planting them out next week. I realise my seedlings that I started inside were too early but that's because the instructions didn't make sense. They said to start inside in February and then move out after 6 weeks which took me to mid March.
And obviously they aren't too happy. So was going to plant them straight out next week which is in April but am now thinking I should leave until later.

What is the last frost date in your area? Add a fortnight and then plant out after hardening off for 2 weeks.

FYI I am now in the South West of France. I don't put tomatoes outside until around mid May. I would only put them out earlier if there was a 10 day temp at night of over 10 degrees and even then, if they were not in a polytunnel id put a cloche over them at night.

In the UK in Derbyshire, id put my tomatoes outside in June.

I just checked my 2021 tomato photos. They went into the polytunnel mid may, and at night I remember putting fleece over them for the first week.

It's a hurricane here in Edinburgh today so the cat and I stayed firmly indoors.

Gave my cactii and airplants their first feed of the season.

Sleety snow further north. But I've managed to put more compost at the base of the climbers and feed them. Rhubarb browns are growing nicely

Don’t pay too much attention to the seed packet instructions.

As other posters have said you need to be guided by your local weather conditions.

Many plants won’t survive cold/frost so you must wait for that risk to pass.

I always start off sowing seeds too early and this year I’m waiting until closer to the end of April before starting anything off and then planting out in June.

I aim to time things so that strong plants are planted out.

Accidentally, but successfully chitted some potatoes... in my boots.

I'm never taking advice from my great granny about stretching my boots to fit ever again.

😂😂😂

It’s beautifully sunny here but the north wind is far too cold and brisk for me so I am doing some indoor gardening and cleaning my houseplants.

Managed to pot up the sweet peas I bought last week into a large tub, will put the canes in later once they get going - if they do, I'm not that good with sweet peas usually but time will tell.

I also potted up a pretty pink double fuchsia bought in Morrisons, El Camino. Haven't had that one before so looking forward to seeing it once it settles in and the weather gets much better so it can go out, probably around May time.

I've managed to hurt my back moving a large pot in front of the shed to stop the door swinging about on Saturday. It's really painful and made the potting up rather slow, it's only down the left side though. I've had this before so you would think I would be more careful but I will do some stretching back exercises I was given when it happened before and hope that it will fade away over the next couple of days. 😫

Anyone, am I too late to plant potatoes? Not too bothered about the crop, but they keep being recommended to me as a way of improving badly compacted soil, which I have in spades...

Loads of time to plant them!

If you want to use the space to grow other things it’s probably best to grow the early varieties which will be ready in 10 to 12 weeks after planting out (probably be quicker if chitted first).

Dig them up in June and then the space will be ready for planting other crop if that’s what you want to do.

Thank you! Can I ask if you, or anyone else on here, have found them effective for breaking up bad, compacted soil?

Yes. I have used potatoes for that. Also any legumes, like field beans can be grown and then dug in. Very effective