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[Help] Gardeners Question Time.



The Grockle

Formally Croydon Seagull
Sep 26, 2008
5,781
Dorset
It's been a very wet spring in dorset with a big downpour today. Has anyone else's garden seen big growth this year? Our Acers and Hakonechloa Macras have been particularly vigorous.
 

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Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 25, 2011
69,898
Withdean area
@WATFORD zero I glanced past security into your private road, to see if your meadow had survived the BHCC sit-on mower scalping. Looks good, well done for putting in the stakes :bowdown: .

For some reason, all the rain?, my verge meadow is advanced compared to this time last year. Already Cornflowers and Yellow Rattle. So beautiful.
 


WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
27,946
@WATFORD zero I glanced past security into your private road, to see if your meadow had survived the BHCC sit-on mower scalping. Looks good, well done for putting in the stakes :bowdown: .

For some reason, all the rain?, my verge meadow is advanced compared to this time last year. Already Cornflowers and Yellow Rattle. So beautiful.

The BHCC bloke got me once a few weeks ago, so I took your lead and added loads more posts to the four big white ones he somehow managed to mow around :facepalm:
I think I've lost some of the early stuff as a result, but there's bits coming through now :thumbsup:
 


Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 25, 2011
69,898
Withdean area
The BHCC bloke got me once a few weeks ago, so I took your lead and added loads more posts to the four big white ones he somehow managed to mow around :facepalm:
I think I've lost some of the early stuff as a result, but there's bits coming through now :thumbsup:

I was caught by his Feb butchery, didn’t realise they started in winter! You should be fine as meadow wildflowers are inherently slow starters.

Two other things I do are to gently remove Dandelions with their entire tap root as they can smother, also with bare patches I planted small specimens of eg Achillea Terracotta.
 






The Grockle

Formally Croydon Seagull
Sep 26, 2008
5,781
Dorset
















Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 25, 2011
69,898
Withdean area
Well done…did you sow yellow rattle seed or use plugs?

Seeds. Fairly expensive, I know the owner of Sussex Prairie Gardens who wants to turn an adjacent field into a meadow, he’s deterred from buying Yellow-rattle due to this.

I bought too much as I’d planned to turn our top lawn (former perfect ‘football pitch’) into another meadow, but last autumn didn’t find the time to scalp it back to near bare soil. On the to-do list!
 


LamieRobertson

Not awoke
Feb 3, 2008
48,688
SHOREHAM BY SEA
Seeds. Fairly expensive, I know the owner of Sussex Prairie Gardens who wants to turn an adjacent field into a meadow, he’s deterred from buying Yellow-rattle due to this.

I bought too much as I’d planned to turn our top lawn (former perfect ‘football pitch’) into another meadow, but last autumn didn’t find the time to scalp it back to near bare soil. On the to-do list!
I tried some seeds last year on a small area of lawn I cut ..without success…I’ve just ordered some meadow plant plugs for the front to add to the area I’ve left uncut
 


WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
27,946
I tried some seeds last year on a small area of lawn I cut ..without success…I’ve just ordered some meadow plant plugs for the front to add to the area I’ve left uncut

Where did you get the plugs ? My unmown front verge could do with some help :thumbsup:
 




Mr Bridger

Sound of the suburbs
Feb 25, 2013
4,802
Earth
I think I’ve got box blight (the hedge not me personally) any tips of how to get rid of this???
Apologies if covered in the thread previously.
 




Jack Straw

I look nothing like him!
Jul 7, 2003
7,143
Brighton. NOT KEMPTOWN!
There is no cure unfortunately. There's various chemicals that you could try, but I wouldn't waste the money. They'll never be the same again. If they've had it, dig out and replace with dwarf holly, dwarf Euonymus, Photinia "Little Red Robin", or other short growing evergreen.
Just seen a "Garden Rescue Visited", and all the Box hedging in one garden had to be replaced. I don't know why anyone would use it in the first place, knowing you're on a hiding to nothing.
 
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Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 25, 2011
69,898
Withdean area
I tried some seeds last year on a small area of lawn I cut ..without success…I’ve just ordered some meadow plant plugs for the front to add to the area I’ve left uncut

Without teaching you to suck eggs :lolol: . Did you take that lawn down to soil level and remove the cuttings away. You have to be brutal.

I find it takes a few cuts for the mower to cope with that.

For the final mow then seeding, I waited until October when forecast rain was a cert.

I’m confident I can tun the @LamieRobertson and @WATFORD zero patches into mini meadows :smile:.

I have bought plugs before to add biodiversity eg Primula vulgaris and Primula veris, otherwise Oxeye Daises can dominate.
 






Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 25, 2011
69,898
Withdean area
There is no cure unfortunately. There's various chemicals that you could try, but I wouldn't waste the money. They'll never be the same again. If they've had it, dig out and replace with dwarf holly, dwarf Euonymus, Photinia "Little Red Robin, or other short growing evergreen.
Just seen a "Garden Rescue Visited", and all the Box hedging in one garden had to be replaced. I don't know why anyone would use it in the first place, knowing you're on a hiding to nothing.

I planted Box hedge cubes in 2021. I’ve never grown Box, none of our direct neighbours have Box. Within a year Box Moth caterpillars had decimated them.

Not wanting to embark on a lifetime of managing Pheromone traps to fight them, I dug them out, replacing with Yew.
 


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