The "Grow Your Own" Thread

[Wolf Hunting]

Any of you clever gardeners got a bit of advice on my wisteria?
It's in a very large pot. climbs up a pole about 6 feet then starts to get all leafy along string I put up along the top of our garden room. But when it gets to the corner I can't get it to grow along the front so I've just got this medium sized clump of foliage near the corner and nothing else. This is its 3rd year and hasn't done much at this year...
Not sure if I should take it out of the big pot and put it into the ground...
Any suggestions?

 

[lemonjelly]

yes, you need to take it out of the pot. Putting plants in pots restricts their roots and therefore their growth.
We had a wisteria in a large pot, and it grew for 2-3 years similar to how you outline. But, it would only grow so far. It needs to be able to send roots down for water and stability to grow larger.
Most large plants have a root system that is a mirror of what they look like above ground - especially trees.

Be carefull moving/transplanting it. Most wisteria are grafted onto a root system, so if you have something quite tall, and it will move as you take it out of the pot, it is very likely to be damaged where it is grafted.

 

[Wolf Hunting]

Ah shite!
The big pot is a big ROUND pot, so impossible to upside down slide it out, so ill have to dig around it with a trowel until I have a root ball small enough to fit the opening... Tricky, but thanks for that answer.
When would be the best time to do this?
In fact Mr Jelly, the 2nd part of the question is I have 12" of soil before I hit clay.
Am I to dig a deep hole and put farmyard manure and peat free compost on top before planting it out?

 

[lemonjelly]

Ours was in a big round pot. It took 2 of us to upturn it and get the plant and roots out. We did cause some damage to where the graft was, but it didn't totally break, and we taped it up and the plant is doing fine, and we are hoping it has regrafted, hence my warning.
I'd probably suggest digging a deep hole as you suggest, as that'll help the roots establish themselves. Water it well and regularly for the first year. After that it should look after itself.

 

[Wolf Hunting]

Sorry Lemon, dig it and replant over the winter or leave it to the Spring? Its relatively sheltered where it is.

 

[Boozad]

Balls, deep holes, 12" and not a fnarrr to be found. Can. Not. Compute.

 

[lemonjelly]

Sorry Lemon, dig it and replant over the winter or leave it to the Spring? Its relatively sheltered where it is.

It likes sheltered places. Leave it till spring mate.

 

[lemonjelly]

had a little wander round the garden to check out the state of it, as haven't been doing anything in it other than raking leaves, or picking up rubbish for a while.
my mom gave me a cutting of some kind of evergreen climber/bush. noticed it has blue flowers open on it!
checked a few clematis cuttings which we planted out last summer. hoping there is some initial new year growth on them. difficult to tell tho.
there is a different one I bought that is up the pergola thing we built that is definitely developing new growth though, and that had a lovely big flower on, so hoping that beds in well this year.
I believe there are buds on the wisteria we moved. it got damaged in moving it, so that will be a huge relief! @Wolf Hunting , I reckon you want to plan to move yours in about 5-6 weeks. If frosts have ended by then, and the first leaves are opening, it should e good to go.
we bought a camelia years ago. it has always struggled. we put it in a pot last year, and for the first time ever, it has flower buds! this is super, as we were given a bigger pot last year, which long term we intend to move it into. It's definitely happier being in a pot, for now at least...
our rhododendron is covered in flower buds. definitely a good idea to water this thoroughly once a week through oct/nov, as it helps it set the buds.
there are daffs sprouting in various spots. the snowdrops are up - i did move our clump of these last year and split them, I am unsure whether we have lost one clump though.
the first tulips are sprouting.
our lilies are in big tubs, and these were a mess of weeds, so I cleared out the top layer of soil.
what we call the fire tree has blossom coming (someone did tell me the actual name for it, but i can't remember. however it is apparently nicknamed a fire tree)
it has been a dry winter, there are a few things in the greenhouse that I have watered very occasionally, and the water butt is half empty. that is very unusual!
speaking of the greenhouse, the irises, which were bulbs I bought in april/may 2022 are properly sprouting, and that feels early to me!
still a month away from getting the pots back out, or sowing any seeds I reckon. although i tried sowing some sweet pea seeds in november for the first time and they seem to be ok.

 

[Wolf Hunting]

Thanks for your advice and updates.
Very helpful and nice to read too!

 

[Wolf Hunting]

In fact, do you have a rockery?

 

[b3h]

Homed in on what flowers last longest and look good last year so know what to grow this year. Will start some off in the porch soon and then again in a few weeks in case it's too frosty and the first lot are a bit early/don't start off

Pots and few in border: Godetia, Livingstone Daisy, Phlox, Aster, Lupin, Sweet Pea plus good old Pansy/Petunia

Planters and try and trail them over edge: Alyssum, Lobelia plus Livingstone Daisy as managed to get them to hang/trail over the edge last year



Would love another couple of peony bushes (one been in border since we moved in and it has tonnes of massive flowers each year) but think they're done from tubers and take a year or 2 to get going. Future me will regret not getting some going

 

[lemonjelly]

In fact, do you have a rockery?

no mate. involves too much weeding imo!

 

[lemonjelly]

Would love another couple of peony bushes (one been in border since we moved in and it has tonnes of massive flowers each year) but think they're done from tubers and take a year or 2 to get going. Future me will regret not getting some going

what is stopping you? It's good to have some things sown/planted that'll come good in a couple of years. If not sooner.

 

[lemonjelly]

a march and early april update, prior to me doing some seed planting over the weekend;
I had hoped to do a little planting/seed sowing in march. The weather started to brighten up, but then at the last minute we had warnings of “arctic air” and the like. So I paused.

I have however pottered around the garden, mainly sorting weeds and stuff to go into the composter.
I lifted, split and moved some hostas last year. I walked by where I moved them to, and initially thought they were sprouting. However, I have since realised what is sprouting looks different to what hostas look like in spring, so I currently have no idea what is there!
I noticed in early march there were buds on the raspberry plants, and also on the blackcurrants. I took several blackcurrant cuttings last year, and they all seem to have taken. Thankfully over winter they have been ok, and all these so far have buds again. In April or may I will plant these out somewhere.
I have been observing a lot of frog activity in the pond. It’s spawning season, so they become quite visible for a while. The pond now has a lot of spawn in it. Downside, is it has encouraged the heron to return.
The garden has seen a noticeable upturn in bird activity in march, which is another reason to be looking forwards.
The Asian lilies (all in pots) have started sprouting. Thankfully it seems none desperately need splitting, as I am low on pots big enough!
The Fritillaries that were in pots in the greenhouse have all sprouted, and some are in flower. The spare bulbs I put in the lawn, and these have started to sprout also.
In mid march I moved most of the big bulb pots out of the greenhouse, to get them accustomed to the temperatures. Most have stuff sprouting, so they’re ok. The main idea was to make room to sow some seeds, however as above decided to postpone this.
I did however make time to scarify the lawn. Always feel better once this is done. As winter has been dry wondered about it, however waited til the day after a downpour for the best results.
The big clematis we have has buds on it. We took cuttings from other plants for variety, and I noticed that 4 of the 5 cuttings have new buds on them thankfully. We also bought a different late flowering one that has huge flowers, and I planted that next to our pergola, and noticed that also has a lot of buds, which I am very happy about.
We have 2 remaining fuscias in big pots, as the fuscias have dwindled each year. I started thinking they’d died over winter, however noticed on the 26th both have some greenery on them!

At the first weekend of April I brought the spring onions out from the greenhouse. They’re oddly at various stages, but some are ready to eat, and they’re right outside the kitchen window so we can see them and are therefore reminded!
I noticed that a number of the balloon plants from last year have little sprouts. I need to give their pots a tidy, weed, and feed.
I sowed the first lot of lettuce.
I have sown another packet of perennial sweet peas. I tried sowing another packet in November to give them a head start and they’re going great guns. I will plant them out later in April. This should mean the 2 lots flower at different times.
I have sown snapdragon seeds, the first lot of spring onions for this year, rudbeckia (finishing off some old seeds from last year), verbena (ditto), and I then sat there shelling seed pods from last years sweet peas which are annuals. Ended up with loads. Sown a lot, have a few left over which I am gonna give my folks.

All the above is observations and activities that happened in the last 2 weeks of march. The following is observations/activities from the first 2 weeks of April;

I took some rose cuttings 18 months ago. All of them seem to have taken, so I am potting them up, and trying to find homes for them. Co-incidentally, the plant I took the cuttings from has zero new growth this year, and by ow I would expect to see signs of life.

I spotted the first bluebell flower appearing around 2 april. I have seen a couple of friends joining it since.

We bought a camelia several years ago (pre-covid). We planted it in the garden and it struggled (my initial thought was too much direct sun). We moved it and it did a little better, but no flowers. I then realised it needs ericaceous compost, so bought some and moved it into it’s own pot last year. Surprise – give a plant the right conditions and good stuff happens! So it has grown, and we saw flower buds on for the first time in 5-6 years! And the flowers truly are beautiful!

I spotted the first buds on the Iris bulbs I sowed last year.

The 1st lot of lettuce is sprouting. I am ready with more seeds for a regular supply… I have also sown the first lot of thyme.

The calla lilies had been moved indoors for their safety. They have started sprouting again, so am watering and feeding.

There is a lot of weeding happening, combined with even more me making big plans. It’s just a question of how much I will actually do. I intend spending the weekend of 15 & 16 april doing a lot more seed planting, as well as getting some stuff out of the greenhouse. The dahlias are also under cover still, but I might give them an additional week or 2 before getting them out.

 

[Loki]

With regards your Camelia story. My blueberry, also in a pot, was going great guns. The fruit had formed and I was eagerly looking forward to them ripening, when all of a sudden the leaves stared dropping along with the fruit. I never realised that the soil loses it`s acidity after a while so i had to treat it. It has come back this year but i will be keeping a close eye on it this year.

 

[lemonjelly]

interesting! my blueberry is in the ground. it is larger, but is pretty swamped by a raspberry tbh. we find we get loads of raspberries, a fair few blackcurrants (hence me taking cuttings), and a small number of blueberries.

 

[Loki]

Sulphate of iron seems to have done the trick for me.

 

[lemonjelly]

On the weekend of the 15th/16th I put some solid feed on some dahlia pots.
I sowed the 2nd lot of lettuce.
I pinched out the sweet peas sown last autumn (cos monty don said so)
I looked at the volume of forget-me-nots that are appearing everywhere. I never weed these plants out because they look so pleasant
Equally, I noticed that a few late daffodils are the only ones left. The early ones are all gone.
I sowed cucumbers, and 2 types of tomato (moneymaker, and gardeners delight).
Also, Lavatera (hot pink twins), chocolate soldiers, fruit punch poppies, cosmos, petunias, foxgloves, marigolds and finally started harvesting spring onions before they flower!

 

[Wolf Hunting]

On the weekend of the 15th/16th I put some solid feed on some dahlia pots.
I sowed the 2nd lot of lettuce.
I pinched out the sweet peas sown last autumn (cos monty don said so)
I looked at the volume of forget-me-nots that are appearing everywhere. I never weed these plants out because they look so pleasant
Equally, I noticed that a few late daffodils are the only ones left. The early ones are all gone.
I sowed cucumbers, and 2 types of tomato (moneymaker, and gardeners delight).
Also, Lavatera (hot pink twins), chocolate soldiers, fruit punch poppies, cosmos, petunias, foxgloves, marigolds and finally started harvesting spring onions before they flower!

Very busy Mr Jelly, have you by any chance got any spare seeds for those Giant California Poppies like the ones you gave me a few years ago? We've moved stuff around and they've gone....

 

[lemonjelly]

Very busy Mr Jelly, have you by any chance got any spare seeds for those Giant California Poppies like the ones you gave me a few years ago? We've moved stuff around and they've gone....

Sowed them all I'm afraid mate. Happy to try and save you some of the seed heads though.