Get your garden out

[foxfish]

They are very popular and desirable stump bonsai material, I am always on the look out for Privet and Box stumps!
They can sell in raw form, with plenty of white root, for £50-100 + but a well tended stump say after 10 years of training can sell for big money !
Here is a picture I just picked up on line as an example.….

 

[Karmicnull]

It's box, so non-toxic from what I've read. It would have to be left for a year or so to dry out. And I'd need a crane to actually lift it into the tank. Details, details.

a well tended stump say after 10 years of training can sell for big money !

Well, damn. I thought you were joking! I'm not surprised it's £100+ - took us about 15-20 hours in total to dig up. We were going to chop it up for firewood. Suspect there's an inadequate amount of root on it, though 🙁 .

 

[foxfish]

Yes you really want the tiny little feeder roots and it is a bad time of year too, best dug up in Feb March time.
Many of the most spectacular bonsai derive from what Is termed as (in the UK) ‘Field grown‘ and collected as a tree rather than grown from seed.
I have many trees in waiting, trees and shrubs that I have found or planted and earmarked for collection.
I tend to them several times a year by trimming branches and sprinkling fertiliser around the base and when the time is right did them up. Some I have been preparing for 15 years.
I dug up a 37 year old turkey oak (i counted the rings) two years ago after preparing it for 5 years, it was looking good last year showing a few new leaves but died this year … normally they survive.
Of course you cant go digging up any tree that is not on your land without permission and killing any tree should never be taken lightly especially if you are a tree hugger!
I always have a few wild collected field grown trees in the making … and some nicely growing ones too…
The first one was the oak that died the second to last was collected by me around 20 years ago, I am not exactly sure what it is ? I think a hybrid leading up to the Leylandii development ?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I dug up a 37 year old turkey oak (i counted the rings) two years ago after preparing it for 5 years, it was looking good last year showing a few new leaves but died this year … normally they survive.

Probably because it was an Oak (Q. cerris), they famously transplant really poorly, even when they are small. When I worked on the nursery (on the open ground), digging up trees in the winter they were one of the few deciduous trees which <"were always root balled">.

............Root balls are particularly useful with species which are known to be difficult to transplant. Such species include Betula, Carpinus, Fagus, Liquidamber, Pyrus, Quercus and Robinia...........

cheers Darrel

 

[Gavin3171]

The garden is a really sore subject for me after i had to get rid of the pond. Lost all but one Koi over a winter a few years back. Now the raised pond is a sociable seating area for BBQ’s and gatherings.

 

[foxfish]

Good season for mushrooms but this is the first time I have actually found giant puffballs in my garden!

 

[foxfish]

Waste not want not….

 

[Wolf6]

Waste not want not….
View attachment 174678

What is this we are seeing? 🙂 looks tasty

 

[Guest]

Definitely looks very tasty 🙂

 

[foxfish]

Yes a real seasonal treat with a soft texture and delicate flavour with the added bonus of being the safest to collect of all the wild mushrooms.

 

[Chrispowell]

Morning all, started getting these mounds pop up in the lawn?!

according to Google they are nor moles as no center hole or uniformity?! Any ideas?

Thanks

Chris

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

according to Google they are not moles

I think Google is probably mistaken.

cheers Darrel

 

[Chrispowell]

Oh no! Assuming they will clear off and not make a home under my garden?

Thanks

Chris

 

[Wolf6]

Actea cimifuga, beautiful flowers round this time of year and clearly very loved by the butterflies.

 

[not called Bob]

Drowning in squashes and marrows in among the runner beans and raspberries at the moment, so much so I donated a few very heavy bags worth to the local cancer coffee morning this week

 

[Wolf6]

I have some confused lupine it seems.

 

[mort]

Did you cut the lupins back after the first flush of flowers Wolf? If you tidy them up after they first flowered, removing the seed heads, you can get a smaller second flush of flowers. The slugs tend to prune mine long before they even get their first flowers unfortunately.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

The slugs tend to prune mine long before they even get their first flowers unfortunately.

Snails for me and the large <"Lupin Aphids">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Wolf6]

Did you cut the lupins back after the first flush of flowers Wolf? If you tidy them up after they first flowered, removing the seed heads, you can get a smaller second flush of flowers. The slugs tend to prune mine long before they even get their first flowers unfortunately.

It had a terrible spring with one tiny flower which I did cut off. Snails kept eating it and didnt let of until recently. I suppose this combination is why its flowering now 🙂

 

[Wolf6]

Hi all,

Snails for me and the large <"Lupin Aphids">.

cheers Darrel

I got rid of the lupin aphids last year by cutting my lupins back to the ground and inspecting every single new leaf emerging for weeks on end. Hope to never see them again. Disgusting things 🙁