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🌱 What're you doing in the garden?

That’s impressive about the strawberry plant — mine didn’t make it past winter last year. I’ve been keeping a few survivor herbs indoors too, and they’ve done better than expected. Having a little corner for houseplants made it easier to keep track of them, and seeing them push new growth always feels rewarding.
 
MigraineMan said:
First few days of double figure temps and last freeze of the year due soon here so I've been pottering around trying to make the most of it. Mowing and raking, filling some troughs with soil and amendments ready for some plants in a few weeks or so. Sown a few things indoors in trays and pots, 2 types of strawberries, some chillis, sunflowers, edible flowers (must remember to either label the hell out of these or put in their own trough so don't get confused with the japanese carpet flowers!) dill, basil, parsley.

I assume everyone else is ahead of me as the season starts later this far north, so what have you all been up to so I know what I have to look forward to :)

Who needs an almanack?
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Watching mad squirrels frolicking best year for a decade for butterflies and other insects spiders now setting cobweb traps for the unweary.Keep up natures work I and my partner try to create food and enviromentally friendly space in our garden.Wiish I had youre energy .Well done.
 
It's always exciting to get started once the weather finally begins to warm up. It sounds like you and your partner have created a wonderful wildlife-friendly garden too. Seeing more butterflies, insects, and birds is one of the best rewards for all the effort. Hopefully we'll both have a great growing season this year!
 
What's everyone been up to in the indoor garden?

My Philodendron melanochrysum setup is currently evolving into a striking vertical display, with two specimens now climbing a combined 140cm structure formed by three interconnected Biobased Climbing Planks. By maintaining the environment LILO (Locked In, Locked On) and ensuring consistent moisture LVL (Level) across the entire 140cm span, I have created the ideal conditions for their aerial roots to thrive and anchor securely. This project is a perfect demonstration of the **SoH™** philosophy—using precise, intentional structural adjustments to allow these plants to reach their full, lush potential.

Tweek don't freek!
 
StationeryWilbury said:
I touched a plant I shouldn't have, now I have blistered fingers.
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I wouldn't wait if the blisters get worse or start to hurt a lot. Next time, if you're not sure what kind of plant it is, try to identify it first. I've used https://lens.google/ and https://botanapp.com/ a few times when I've found unfamiliar plants in my yard or while out for a walk cause sometimes it helps avoid unpleasant surprises like this. I hope your fingers heal soon;)
 
StationeryWilbury said:
I touched a plant I shouldn't have, now I have blistered fingers.
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Hopefully not Giant Hogweed. If so, you need to use sun cream on the affected area going forward.

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www.idealhome.co.uk

7 plants you should never touch – steer clear of these garden culprits to avoid rashes, irritation and injuries

Keep an eye out for these harmful plants
www.idealhome.co.uk www.idealhome.co.uk



I have all sorts growing. Broad beans, french beans, runner beans, cucumbers, courgettes and tomatoes. Also a ton of bloody nasturtiums that grow like weeds. I thought i had loads of courgette plants and it turns out I actually have six cucumber plants and only one courgette plant. i dislike cucumber, but courgette is a good veg. oh and a single pumpkin plant, of which any pumpkins will be donated to my sister. Totally hate the taste of them.
 
Gregorys said:
I wouldn't wait if the blisters get worse or start to hurt a lot. Next time, if you're not sure what kind of plant it is, try to identify it first. I've used https://lens.google/ and https://botanapp.com/ a few times when I've found unfamiliar plants in my yard or while out for a walk cause sometimes it helps avoid unpleasant surprises like this. I hope your fingers heal soon;)
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I just noticed they have now completely healed, it was a Giant Hogweed @Hazy-Haze !
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You are going to have problems with the sun in a major way for at least the next couple of years. Where you got it on you, factor 50 suncream, every day. It makes the skin super sensitive to light and you will get blisters if exposed. If you find it in your garden, best thing is to carefully, while wearing a disposable jumpsuit, chop it down and double bag it in black bags, dispose of the jumpsuit, gloves and dust mask you wore too. Goggles can get washed down. Then ask your council how to dispose of it safely. It is super toxic and requires specific disposal, possibly incineration.

It likes water and more specifically stagnant water, so increase drainage, change the soil to more of a sandy loam with good drainage properties, unless you live in a clay area, then it will be super hard to get rid of. Personally, i'd use a flame thrower on it and incinerate it, but it's still dangerous to handle if you burn it. As much as you might hate to do it, Roundup is a requirement for this sort of thing and should be applied neat for maximum elimination.

I hope it doesn't inconvenience you too much @StationeryWilbury .
 
Anyone grow peppers? So I have somehow managed to grow a load of chilli peppers this year. No idea when to pick them (and no i don't have the packaging to check since I expected them to fail like every year for the last six). I have several plants that were cheapo home bargains 'grow in a pail' type kits, that are now growing in hanging baskets, with many chilli's on each plant and some purple ones I got from B&Q that looked nice on the picture.

So i read the general advice of if they are soft, then pick them and most of these are not. Some are shrivelling up. Should I just pick when soft or pick now or ignore until the greeny/yellow ones go red?

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Hazy-Haze said:
Anyone grow peppers? So I have somehow managed to grow a load of chilli peppers this year. No idea when to pick them (and no i don't have the packaging to check since I expected them to fail like every year for the last six). I have several plants that were cheapo home bargains 'grow in a pail' type kits, that are now growing in hanging baskets, with many chilli's on each plant and some purple ones I got from B&Q that looked nice on the picture.

So i read the general advice of if they are soft, then pick them and most of these are not. Some are shrivelling up. Should I just pick when soft or pick now or ignore until the greeny/yellow ones go red?

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Hot Red Chilli Peppers
 
No idea of heat level. i guess the green ones will be regular 20,000 Scoville level chillis, but the purple ones might be the stronger cayenne version which could be up to 50,000. My uncle tried a puple one last week and said it's got a bit more kick on the end of the taste, but it's not like burn your mouth with a sustained burn for 30 mins or more. As much as I would like to plant ghost or reapers, i'd never use them, so seems pointless to grow them, but I guess there might be a market to sell them locally to restaurants for making melt your face hot sauces.
 
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