NPR

Clematis Montana still a tangle of brown stems in mid April with almost no greenery. Should I cut it right down now or is it worth giving it another couple of weeks?

For horsetail and any weeds in fact a stirrup hoe is my go to implement. I have a massive strawberry patch on my Polish dzialka (dacha) with very pervasive horsetail rhizomes. This hoe is great to scrape off any shoots that come off without having to disturb any roots of the strawbs. They're also used by most of the vineyards down here in the Cape.

GogLais wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:15 am Clematis Montana still a tangle of brown stems in mid April with almost no greenery. Should I cut it right down now or is it worth giving it another couple of weeks?

Prune down to the base. Uncover a bit of the crown and check if there is any green phloem (scrape with a fingernail), if there is you have live cambium. If the roots are firm and not necrotic then it will send up shoots.

Grandpa wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 10:59 am

Line6 HXFX wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 10:26 am I am a simple gardener... big on roses, pansies, busy lizzies and fuccias.
Basically get the beans in at the end of May.
Doing carrots and broccoli in me veg patch and Rosies out the front.


Most of my job is cutting hedges and mowing the lawn. Cannot cut hedges anymore as it sets off back pain. Mowing the lawn hurts too, but not phone an ambulance, head swimming, type crippling pain.
Something about side to side action that hedge trimming invokes.
Me sat in the garden with cat, two days ago, just loving it.

That looks like the cat that terrorises our pond frogs. Do you live in Yorkshire?

hah..Nope South Wales. This cat is great, she was a rescue and loves the garden. She is more of a watcher than a terroriser.

Line6 HXFX wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:42 am

Grandpa wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 10:59 am

Line6 HXFX wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 10:26 am I am a simple gardener... big on roses, pansies, busy lizzies and fuccias.
Basically get the beans in at the end of May.
Doing carrots and broccoli in me veg patch and Rosies out the front.


Most of my job is cutting hedges and mowing the lawn. Cannot cut hedges anymore as it sets off back pain. Mowing the lawn hurts too, but not phone an ambulance, head swimming, type crippling pain.
Something about side to side action that hedge trimming invokes.
Me sat in the garden with cat, two days ago, just loving it.

That looks like the cat that terrorises our pond frogs. Do you live in Yorkshire?

hah..Nope South Wales. This cat is great, she was a rescue and loves the garden. She is more of a watcher than a terroriser.

Even the little wall she is sitting on looks like one of my patio walls.. I almost swore you were my neighbour for a second...

April/May my favourite time of year in the UK...

Grandpa wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:47 am

Line6 HXFX wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:42 am

Grandpa wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 10:59 am

That looks like the cat that terrorises our pond frogs. Do you live in Yorkshire?

hah..Nope South Wales. This cat is great, she was a rescue and loves the garden. She is more of a watcher than a terroriser.

Even the little wall she is sitting on looks like one of my patio walls.. I almost swore you were my neighbour for a second...

April/May my favourite time of year in the UK...

Needs more topiary. You should do a topiary Cliff Morgan with that cylindrical feature.

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:31 am

GogLais wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:15 am Clematis Montana still a tangle of brown stems in mid April with almost no greenery. Should I cut it right down now or is it worth giving it another couple of weeks?

Prune down to the base. Uncover a bit of the crown and check if there is any green phloem (scrape with a fingernail), if there is you have live cambium. If the roots are firm and not necrotic then it will send up shoots.

That's a bit much. Its quite normal for Clematis in the UK climate, especially with such a cold spring. It will be fine.

Blackmac wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:23 pm

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:31 am

GogLais wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:15 am Clematis Montana still a tangle of brown stems in mid April with almost no greenery. Should I cut it right down now or is it worth giving it another couple of weeks?

Prune down to the base. Uncover a bit of the crown and check if there is any green phloem (scrape with a fingernail), if there is you have live cambium. If the roots are firm and not necrotic then it will send up shoots.

That's a bit much. Its quite normal for Clematis in the UK climate, especially with such a cold spring. It will be fine.

Ta both. Will give it a couple of weeks although I’ve just seen one nearby in the same sort of setting that looks far better.

Blackmac wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:23 pm

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:31 am

GogLais wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:15 am Clematis Montana still a tangle of brown stems in mid April with almost no greenery. Should I cut it right down now or is it worth giving it another couple of weeks?

Prune down to the base. Uncover a bit of the crown and check if there is any green phloem (scrape with a fingernail), if there is you have live cambium. If the roots are firm and not necrotic then it will send up shoots.

That's a bit much. Its quite normal for Clematis in the UK climate, especially with such a cold spring. It will be fine.

Sorry, I'm a semi-retired horticulturalist. Overdoing it with the advice I know. But the best way to check whether a plant is irrecoverable is to check crown and root for viable ground tissue and crown health. Plants do eventually become moribund often due to fungal infection, nutrient depletion and many other factors.

Bit of both, give it a few weeks I'd say.

Some plants succumb to winter wet or frosts, others have a better microclimate for heat/frost hollow etc and start into growth earlier and others have said new spring growth bitten off by slugs.

Don't think Clematis fall under the latter category but there's a few reasons why your neighbour's might be ahead.

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:38 pm

Blackmac wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:23 pm

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:31 am
Prune down to the base. Uncover a bit of the crown and check if there is any green phloem (scrape with a fingernail), if there is you have live cambium. If the roots are firm and not necrotic then it will send up shoots.

That's a bit much. Its quite normal for Clematis in the UK climate, especially with such a cold spring. It will be fine.

Sorry, I'm a semi-retired horticulturalist. Overdoing it with the advice I know.

Not at all, all grist to the mill. I wonder about the nutrition thing. It’s growing where I’ve left out a slab in the patio although it’s been fine for years until now. I’ve given it a drink and a feed. Enjoying your Chenin Blanc btw.

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:22 am For horsetail and any weeds in fact a stirrup hoe is my go to implement. I have a massive strawberry patch on my Polish dzialka (dacha) with very pervasive horsetail rhizomes. This hoe is great to scrape off any shoots that come off without having to disturb any roots of the strawbs. They're also used by most of the vineyards down here in the Cape. download.jpg

Looks interesting.

Do they work on semi compacted ground?

Ymx wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 1:48 pm

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:22 am For horsetail and any weeds in fact a stirrup hoe is my go to implement. I have a massive strawberry patch on my Polish dzialka (dacha) with very pervasive horsetail rhizomes. This hoe is great to scrape off any shoots that come off without having to disturb any roots of the strawbs. They're also used by most of the vineyards down here in the Cape. download.jpg

Looks interesting.

Do they work on semi compacted ground?

Yes In fact they work best on harder ground. You're really just scraping the new growth off the top without worrying about the roots. During the dormant season you can cultivate and remove the rhizomes and other ground tissue. By knocking off the photosynthezing parts you're at least restricting nutrients to the roots.

Ymx wrote: Sun Apr 17, 2022 7:31 pm

TB63 wrote: Sun Apr 17, 2022 3:25 pm

Ymx wrote: Sun Apr 17, 2022 12:33 pm UK posters. Where can I find a decent garden hoe.

I grew up in NZ with ones which looked like this.



But can’t seem to find them, and instead stuck with these



And I have one of them, but they don’t actually work.


Any tips on where to get them, or a decent one as need to do some weeding over Easter. And sick of hand weeding.

Try a search on edging tool..

It’s not an edging tool. Those things are very different. And well, are for edging.

I think in the UK what you're looking for is called a paddle hoe or an onion hoe. If you try searching for that in Google you'll get something come up which might be closer to what you're looking for.


Spent a good few hours on my allotment today. Fucking thistles, fucking dandelions.

But my potatoes are coming through, onions are sprouting, spinach, lettuce and chard have broken the surface, my strawberries are all re potted or replaced as necessary, my Berry bushes have all been tidied up and my broccoli is in the ground.

Now I just need to get my beans started - decided to go overboard on them this year, three different types, green yellow and purple, six rows, see how they go. Oh, and I need to do a fuck ton of weeding

Oh they don’t cut from under the surface?

The NZ ones plough a small distance below the surface.

GogLais wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 1:05 pm

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:38 pm

Blackmac wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:23 pm

That's a bit much. Its quite normal for Clematis in the UK climate, especially with such a cold spring. It will be fine.

Sorry, I'm a semi-retired horticulturalist. Overdoing it with the advice I know.

Not at all, all grist to the mill. I wonder about the nutrition thing. It’s growing where I’ve left out a slab in the patio although it’s been fine for years until now. I’ve given it a drink and a feed. Enjoying your Chenin Blanc btw.

Oh I do enjoy a Chenin Blanc. I'm part of a garagiste club and we're doing a Cab Sauv/Shiraz this year. I have hundreds of litres of wine in my garage

Interesting thread. Just hard pruned a jasmine and bilberry, both of which looked like they were suffering from a fungal disease. Will give them a blast of fungicide tonight and see how they do.

In better news planted out my aubergines, chillies and tomatoes in the greenhouse, and potted on my pardons which will live in pots outside.

I think it’s been branded as a torpedo hoe.

Now to find a way to ship them

Dewit diamond headed hoe actually looks pretty close to the real deal.



https://www.waitrosegarden.com/product/ ... lsrc=aw.ds

Lemonhead, did you respond to a post because I have a notification, but can’t find your post.

Weird. Unless you deleted it??

I spent a few hours earlier cleaning the patios and raised stone beds.
Boring as shit but it willlast until next year. My fecking patio heater looksa bit worse for where so will have to give it a bit of TLC later after it blew over a few months ago. Not looking forward to staining the Summer house and fence panels it's a thank less job and takes ages.
Best get the gardener to do it I think.

Ymx wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 2:45 pm Lemonhead, did you respond to a post because I have a notification, but can’t find your post.

Weird. Unless you deleted it??

This one?
viewtopic.php?p=200404#p200404

It says 3.40pm, and must have quoted me. But not important.

Perhaps he was telling me where I can stick my NZ hoe, and deleted it

GogLais wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:27 pm

Blackmac wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:23 pm

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:31 am
Prune down to the base. Uncover a bit of the crown and check if there is any green phloem (scrape with a fingernail), if there is you have live cambium. If the roots are firm and not necrotic then it will send up shoots.

That's a bit much. Its quite normal for Clematis in the UK climate, especially with such a cold spring. It will be fine.

Ta both. Will give it a couple of weeks although I’ve just seen one nearby in the same sort of setting that looks far better.

I have three Montanas... In Yorkshire. And they budded about a month ago. One already has flowers... all have some leaves and new shoots already.

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:38 pm

Blackmac wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:23 pm

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:31 am
Prune down to the base. Uncover a bit of the crown and check if there is any green phloem (scrape with a fingernail), if there is you have live cambium. If the roots are firm and not necrotic then it will send up shoots.

That's a bit much. Its quite normal for Clematis in the UK climate, especially with such a cold spring. It will be fine.

Sorry, I'm a semi-retired horticulturalist. Overdoing it with the advice I know. But the best way to check whether a plant is irrecoverable is to check crown and root for viable ground tissue and crown health. Plants do eventually become moribund often due to fungal infection, nutrient depletion and many other factors.

No, I totally agree with you and you obviously know your stuff, but certainly in Scotland they have a habit of not looking their best until well into June.

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:22 am For horsetail and any weeds in fact a stirrup hoe is my go to implement. I have a massive strawberry patch on my Polish dzialka (dacha) with very pervasive horsetail rhizomes. This hoe is great to scrape off any shoots that come off without having to disturb any roots of the strawbs. They're also used by most of the vineyards down here in the Cape. download.jpg

Absolutely brilliant tool and very efficient to use. Re Standard Dutch hoes, most modern manufacturers seem to design them with a large deep head and quite an angle on them. I have about three or four ancient ones that are a nice neat size and far easier to use.

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 2:04 pm

GogLais wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 1:05 pm

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:38 pm
Sorry, I'm a semi-retired horticulturalist. Overdoing it with the advice I know.

Not at all, all grist to the mill. I wonder about the nutrition thing. It’s growing where I’ve left out a slab in the patio although it’s been fine for years until now. I’ve given it a drink and a feed. Enjoying your Chenin Blanc btw.

Oh I do enjoy a Chenin Blanc. I'm part of a garagiste club and we're doing a Cab Sauv/Shiraz this year. I have hundreds of litres of wine in my garage

That's not a garage, that's called a challenge..

Ymx wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 4:22 pm It says 3.40pm, and must have quoted me. But not important.

Perhaps he was telling me where I can stick my NZ hoe, and deleted it

Not quite that bad!

Just thought if you were considering a shuffle hoe there was a Suttons one reduced on sale. Then noticed the big 'Out of Stock' note. Not so helpful.

They are good though, used mine on heavy clay and takes about an inch of soil from the surface.

Blackmac wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 5:20 pm

FalseBayFC wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:38 pm

Blackmac wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:23 pm

That's a bit much. Its quite normal for Clematis in the UK climate, especially with such a cold spring. It will be fine.

Sorry, I'm a semi-retired horticulturalist. Overdoing it with the advice I know. But the best way to check whether a plant is irrecoverable is to check crown and root for viable ground tissue and crown health. Plants do eventually become moribund often due to fungal infection, nutrient depletion and many other factors.

No, I totally agree with you and you obviously know your stuff, but certainly in Scotland they have a habit of not looking their best until well into June.

It’s had its chance - coming down when the brown bin is empty. There are a couple of sprigs that are green and in flower but the remaining 6’ x 6’ is just a mass of brown sticks.

The clay soil is turning rock hard here (SE England ) after plenty of sunshine, dry weather and easterly winds. Tried removing a dandelion from a bed and couldn't get the fishtail weeder more than a 1/4 inch into the soil.

If you want dandelions gone a fork's your only real tool.

Soil hardening up here near Manchester too, we're in summer mode already.

Hoe problem sorted.

This thing is the bollocks



I bought it from Harrods but it’s Waitrose as well

https://www.waitrosegarden.com/product/ ... lsrc=aw.ds

Stealth hoe! Ultimate discretion guaranteed.

Nice looking piece of kit, opted for slightly fewer repeat weedings and dumped two ton quarry stone over every piece of soil not covered with grass, plant or slab. Neighbourhood cats looking confused as feck. Winning

Finished pricking out the Coleus seedlings, 5 bloody 24 trays.. Silver Ragwort cuttings doing well, seeing as they're £3 each in B&Q, happy with my 72 quids worth.. Runner beans in coldframe going mad, normally plant seeds on 6th of may, but gone for starting them off to prevent slug damage..Lavender cuttings next..

TB63 wrote: Sun May 08, 2022 12:41 pm Finished pricking out the Coleus seedlings, 5 bloody 24 trays.. Silver Ragwort cuttings doing well, seeing as they're £3 each in B&Q, happy with my 72 quids worth.. Runner beans in coldframe going mad, normally plant seeds on 6th of may, but gone for starting them off to prevent slug damage..Lavender cuttings next..

What's the deal there, softwood and leave a leaf or two on in sandy soil?

Have some rooting hormone somewhere too but wasn't sure whether to bother

lemonhead wrote: Sun May 08, 2022 12:49 pm

TB63 wrote: Sun May 08, 2022 12:41 pm Finished pricking out the Coleus seedlings, 5 bloody 24 trays.. Silver Ragwort cuttings doing well, seeing as they're £3 each in B&Q, happy with my 72 quids worth.. Runner beans in coldframe going mad, normally plant seeds on 6th of may, but gone for starting them off to prevent slug damage..Lavender cuttings next..

What's the deal there, softwood and leave a leaf or two on in sandy soil?

Have some rooting hormone somewhere too but wasn't sure whether to bother

Yup pretty much so, try to find non flowering shoots..

What plants/bushes would you fine folk suggest to border my garden fence? I have zero interest in gardening but have just had the patio extended and decking put in. It's a new build so the soil is shit although we've got someone coming in the next couple of weeks to do something to the soil/grass. Looking for something that will require minimal attention, covering the fence is a bonus.

How tall is the fence?

About 6ft

OK what I was going to suggest is too small then, need to think about it