Just Pootling about in the Greenhouse 🌿

  I had strict orders not to do too much today . So I thought I'd just pootle about in the greenhouse . Make a start on getting it ready for the winter months .

The cucumbers are still coming but I need the space to get the Agaves under the bench .

I cut them down and dragged out the pot/bags . Tipped all the spent compost into the wheelbarrow . Folded up all the pot/bags ready for next year .

On top of the compost pile you can see one of my Epiphyllums .

                                       Epiphyllum "Lollipop"

             I needed to sort it out it has a touch of the mealybugs .

It is a healthy looking plant and has amazing flowers , so I don't want to lose it .

                 I think I have got to it just in time .

Took down all the paracord strings . Tied them into neat bundles ready to use again next year .

I repotted that Tumeric into the next size up pot .

I tidied up this Agave americana  . I noticed it had an offshoot / pup growing out of a tiny hole in the bottom of the pot . So I tipped it out . In fact I had to cut the pot to get it out !

 

            And this is what I found ! Lots of offshoots !  

I gently pulled them all off and I have set them aside to callous over any roots that I might have damaged in doing so . I'll pot them up in a couple of days .

                                          💚 Agave salmiana ferox 💚

Look at this beauty ! Shiny , dark green , bitey sharks teeth ! 🦈🌿

The thing with Agaves is as soon as you pot them up into a bigger pot , they very quickly grow and fill it . Small pot/small Agave .

                                         Here's one I grew earlier !

                                I think it might flower next year !

Anyway, back in the greenhouse I'm still pootling about ....

           Look ! The Sweet Peppers are producing a few more fruits ! 

   I will leave these for a bit longer . Very pleased , Ricardo loves them !

Epie pollinating and propagating update - 

                                      Almost ready !

                  Also almost ready . Need to colour up a bit more .

I will take the seeds from these in a couple of months time and start them off on the heated propagator on my windowsill . It will be fun to see what we get .

I was saddened to see this Rhipsalidopsis rosea was falling to pieces at the back of the greenhouse bench . I hadn't realised it was so close to an open window .

It's going to be o.k. though.....I can save it !

                 Some of the pieces have already put out roots ! 

I had just started to pot them up when there was an unearthly scream from the garden .....also ...I noticed the sound of the strimmer had stopped . ...memories of my neighbour Sue telling me how she had strimmed the top of her finger off came flooding back 😱.......I ran as fast as I could .....  so there he was sitting in the middle of a huge thicket of brambles , arms ripped and bleeding (but thankfully with all his fingers ) , completley trapped and unable to get out . Said he'd fallen down a hole .

  Now knowing he was o.k .....

I asked if I might take a picture for Facebook .....I always ask first ....

       he said " No ! "

 "Go and get the loppers !"  

He was stuck sitting in there and it took me ages to snip and lop all the brambles to free him .

 I managed to get him to roll out onto his side , I couldn't lift him no matter how I tried .

  It was only with the help of that garden kneeler contraption he finally got himself up  !

Now up and laughing and nothing more than a bit of TCP couldn't sort out .....cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit !  

 

                                     Just look at that crater !  🤣

                                        Peace and Love 🕊️🤍

                                            love Debbie 💐x

                                                            

 

Banana Plant Number Two - Winter protection - Cornwall

                           Musa enseti maurelii
                    O.k. Banana number two I'm coming to get you !

                 Being careful not to damage the beautiful leaves .

I carefully loosen the earth around the roots . It is mostly soft compost that I planted it in with back in the early summer time and it had the fresh compost that I gave it to over-winter in last autumn .

I get the wheelbarrow as close as I can to the rootball . I try to get as much of the earth and rootball as I can without damaging the roots if possible .

                                Done !   😜     That was one heavy beast ! 

I plant it up into a nice mix of fresh good quality compost and perlite and watered it in .

   This will give it a boost and it can be getting it's roots down and settling into it before the cold weather starts . 

I have old polystyrene packaging under and around the tubs . If we get an Arctic Blast or snow warning I will lash more polystyrene around the front . 

  There is light above through the clear plastic corrugated roof.

                                     Mission complete 🌴🐒💚

                               Musa basjoo - survived Storm Gorretti !

    Musa basjoo is staying out - I have a cloche to put over it , if need be .

                                       🍌🐒🌴

So then feeling very pleased with myself ..... I got a bit carried away with pruning overgrown bushes  .......and this is as far as I got !

                I'll come back to it tomorrow !

      Other news -  My Everlasting Onions arrived 🤩

                                       Beautifully packed !

    

                    Good root system .

I got them potted up into a better pot and clearly labelled them so no one will take them for spring onions . I want to build up a nice colony of these Everlasting Onions before we start taking them .

My Red Welsh Onion seeds also arrived and I have sown a first batch  . 

  These are also useful in that they clump up . I hope these will be successful . 

Tomorrow I must sort out some more Winter Lettuce seeds and get them started . 

 Lettuce Vailan didn't germinate.....very disappointed . Oh well ...If at first you don't succeed ...try again tomorrow . 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

Off for our afternoon walk and a picnic now . I'll probably fall asleep in the car !

                                           Peace and Love 🕊️🤍

                                     See you tomorrow !

                                               love Debbie  💐x

Banana Plant Number one - Winter Protection - Cornwall

 

A few more pics of our morning walk after a good breakfast .

            Didn't need a coat . Didn't need a jumper .  It was foggy but warm .

It is forecast to be warm all week  . Starting to get that Autumnal look with blackberries and silvery cobwebs glistening in the hedgerow 

.

    It soon cleared and after playing with other people's dogs ,chatting with friends and visitors along the way , we came home pleasantly tired .

 Soon revived with cups of tea , toast and orange marmalade .

  I decided to make a start bringing some of my more tender plants into their Winter shelter zones .

  Banoonaah number one - Musa ensete maurellii -  🐒🏝️🍌

 The one up on the bank .

                                    Bish ! Bash ! Bosh !

                              ......and into the wheelbarrow !

                       Then away to the woodshed ......

Where I pot it up in it's very large tub with some new compost mixed with perlite .

It is both standing on and surounded with polystyrene packaging and there is light coming in through the clear plastic corrugated roof .

  I just need to water it to settle it in . It now has some time to get it's roots down into the nice new compost before we go into Winter . 

 I don't cut leaves off , nor do I trim the roots . As we go into the colder months I hardly water it at all . I just keep it ticking over in a dormant state until late Spring .

                                    That just leaves these two .

       Musa basjoo - stays outside and I can throw a cloche over it if need be .

        

 ⭐ If you live up country , then you will have to bring this one under cover too .

   Best to see what people are doing where you are , but here in the far south west of Cornwall , Musa basjoo is fairly hardy .  It will get pretty tatty but it should recover .⭐  

This one will be next , but I just need to pace myself really and so I'll wait a few days to get my strength up again  .  Maybe tomorrow ..... see how I feel .

⭐ I forgot to say - useful tip ....after digging up your banana...dig out the hole nicely and put a bucket or large empty pot into the hole to keep it open . So it is an easier job to re-plant next year !   ⭐

             Off now for walk number two and a picnic .

                         " Everyday is a picnic day !"

                          Peace and love 🕊️🤍

                                          love Debbie 💐x