WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2021

@Tinkerbelle61 An ideal mix for the Japanese maple would be around 60 % JI3 and 40% ericaceous compost ( multi purpose will do but ericaceous provides better foliage colour especially in autumn ) . I wouldn't worry to much about drainage as long as the pot is on pot stands or anything that will get it off the floor over winter and the drainage holes aren't blocked crocks / gravel in the base will do to keep the drainage holes clear and keep the soil in . I wouldn't bother with any fertiliser at the moment feed later on in the year when its growing well.

The reason to not add more drainage is acer love moist free draining soil but hate drying out the leaves will burn round the edges , they do hate waterlogging as well which isn't usually a problem in pots as long as the holes aren't blocked . They dislike a cold wind and south facing postion but sometimes it can't be helped, I've seen plenty in these kinds of conditions more mature the better they cope.

 

Thanks for your reply @Sheal We have three labradors, the oldest is finally past her naughty stage (at 14 years old) but is still very partial to a meal of fresh compost, the other two are 10 and 2 1/2 so in their prime stage for chewing and playing. They are all soooo lovable and great dogs but just cannot resist anything plant or soil/compost smelling. The minute they hear the front door close they are on the sniff for anything to play with that’s not a dog toy! We have cameras in the garden and have seen them, we would not even have gotten into the car before they start snooping around. That’s after a long walk in the woods!

We have artificial grass in the back garden specifically for the dogs, it’s works great for keeping clean and hygienic after the dogs, but maybe that is why they get so crazed with actual plants and compost?

We would be so cross if they got to the maple. Equally we would be so cross with ourselves if it doesn’t survive after our repotting today. :(

 

Thanks for all the advice @Perki really, really helpful. We will repot as recommended (haven’t any ericaceous but do have mpc and grit), will break up some old clay pots for the bottom. Have decided on not siting it in the middle of the front lawn but back close to the fence, front facing North with protection from the wind by the 8’ bamboo hedging along the fence. We have a few pot feet but might use bricks to stand it on as it is a heavy pot and a heavy maple.

We have two nights of -2 forecast Tuesday and Wednesday next week so will see if we can protect it with fleece on those nights. Maybe also wrap up the pot with bubble wrap if I have enough to go around it.

Expecting back ache by bedtime!

 

Did the daily plant excursions to the greenhouse....takes an age . Did a spot of weeding as and when I spotted the little devils daring to show themselves in my quite recently weeded borders. Planted some bulbs my sister off loaded to me ,I sure they won't come to anything as they were a bit too old and manky....but hope springs eternal!!

Just having our coffee out here before the seedlings have to start their return trip back indoors.

 

Tipped shreddings and grass cuttings onto compost heap, dug some strawberry plants and repotted them for a colleague. worked over a new bed and removed more weeds. Picked sprouting broccoli.
Today scatter fertiliser around fruit bushes and some of the flower beds. Check watering of potted plants in and out of greenhouse. thorn out some seedlings and finally bring tomato and pepper plants inside to protest from the potential frost tonight and tomorrow night.

 

We did it!

Here is the maple when it arrived...


The new pot. Changed our minds again and put it in front of the house to get some weather protection and possible heat from the walls..


Used a grinder to cut off the barrel rings, scrapped out some of the old compost & bricks wedged in between the mass of thick roots. Had to cut with a scissors a carpet of what looked like dead roots that had become the old base of the barrel. Gave her a good soaking in the bath...



Added crocks and rubble to the bottom of the pot...



And here she is...


She faces west and gets sunshine until about 2pm this time of year, will be later as we get into summer. As she had a soaking in the bath and the weather was predicted to change for the worse overnight, we only gave her a light sprinkling of water to tap down the top of the compost. The 60/40 mix @Perki recommended (with some grit) worked so well, we topped up the bays with what was left. We have never seemed to get on that well with JI no3 on its own and stupidly never thought to mix it.

We enjoyed a celebratory drink on the bench in the sunshine admiring our work and hoping and praying she will survive the shock of being repotted, moved and the next few days freezing weather. Thank you all at GC, we couldn’t have done it without your support and advice.

 

@Tinkerbelle61 wow! Great job. I'm sure it will be very happy

 

Looking fab @Tinkerbelle61 .

 

It looks great Tinkerbell it much bigger than I thought , do you know what variety it is ? Its quite a tall pot and acer just keep an eye on it blowing over. I did the same with JInnes first time I used it thinking how does anything grow in this, it weighs a ton and goes as hard as a brick when dry.

 

Thank you @Jasmine star @Upsydaisy and @Perki we are so very happy with her (we have called her Cally after the nephew Callum who’s garden it came from). We have no idea what variety it is but remember it was a purple colour when we saw it before the first lockdown.

The pot is tall but it weighs an absolute tonne when empty, so now it’s full it will take quite a strong wind to knock that over. We will be mindful though as the pot was very expensive - £130 !! we got it half price but still £65 is the most expensive pot we have ever bought.... or ever will...!

 

I went out this morning with the best intentions of putting some plants into the border as the sun was shining. Not on your nelly! Bitterly cold wind so quickly watered the pots and battened down the hatches in the greenhouse ready for the overnight frost.

 

I only managed to figure out why some of the fans in the greenhouses weren't operating as they should when supposed to run off batteries at night. So in order to do that and because these same fans are run directly from solar panels during the day, I had to get out there early and before the sun rose enough to directly power anything. Found the problems, fixed them and was a bit frozen when I got back inside for a cuppa. In my jammies still, as it was 6 a.m.

I now have about an hour after work to get back out there and do some levelling on one of the raised beds to have it ready to plant in the onions. They are sitting out there on top of that bed with the cold frame.

 

Bonfire today. It was only snowing slightly (!) so we all headed outside. I had a load of stuff cut down to burn, plus 4 dead half-height fence panels. My son and my partner decided to add to this by doing a load of clearance of brambles, ivy, honeysuckle and bamboo overrunning a couple of places. Those spots are now much more clear, which is good, and the debris is now a large pile of ash.

 

Potted up some Dahlias and Sweet Peppers. Wanted to continue with the mulching, but ended up having a few beers with my neighbour.

Rusty

 

We had a very productive long weekend starting on the raised beds for the veg patch. The three on the fence side are filled and pretty much ready now, the three on the hedge side are laid out but need staking and boarding up still; turned out there was a concrete path buried just under the turf on that side which needed lifting before we could get the beds in place, so that delayed us somewhat Still, pleased with them so far!