This section

This is a section both for those new to gardening and for those who are venturing into new experiences in their gardens. Hopefully it will become a sort of 'reference library'.

Great idea

And can I be first off the rank - don't know the first thing about bulbs and bought a copy of Burke's Backyard today - attached was a pack of ranunculus bulbs - didn't realize they would be so small. Directions tell me to soak overnight and plant pointy side down. Sounds simple but is it - any more to it ?

I think I'll plant them in a pot - how many to 30cm pot do you think - about - looks to be about 18 - 20 in the packet.

Ordinary potting mix - extras? - feed ?

Thanks

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RANUNCULI

One Ranunculi corm can produce more than 20 flowers. To keep blooms coming for a longer period, regularly cut off any dead and dying blooms. These little bulbs will keep your garden and house in flowers for many weeks. Anemones and Ranunculi have wonderful rich and bright colours, and for picking as a cut flower they are hard to beat. They prefer to be massed in a sunny position and as they grow, water with some liquid fertiliser such as Aquasol as they are heavy feeders. It is probably best to treat them like an annual plant and start off with new bulbs every year.

Watering - Water well after planting. Soak weekly until shoots appear, then only to supplement rainfall.

Fertilising - Light organic or chemical fertiliser at planting time. Liquid fertilise after 10 weeks.

Lifting and storage - Best treated as Bi-annuals and replanted every 2 years.

Pests - Bait snails when buds appear.

Tips - Place claws facing downwards.

I have never soaked my ??? I plant mine about 2 - 3 inches apart for mass colour If they are really tiny some may not flower this year, but you can leave them in the pot till next year after they die back

Blossom..like your idea regards "This Section"...

Okay Thee - corms - forgot to display my ignorance behind your back

Shall follow your advice to the letter - have seen your garden in all it's glory and will tell my ranunculus what they have to live up to

Will bung some of my home brewed compost and cooked horse patties into the pots and keep you amazed with their progress.

Hard to believe I will get 20 or so flowers from a single corm - wouldn't have thought it. So I will need at least 2 pots.

Haven't a clue about the soaking Thee. They look very dry though - like the star anise you buy in a packet Says soak in warm water overnight. Plant point ends down. PLant in clumps 15cm apart, 5cm deep. That's pretty deep isn't it - for something that size ?

Come from G E.

I need a wheelbarrow

Thanks again Thee

they remind me of a dried up huntsman and yes it does amaze me from very strange looking bulbs great flowers bloom, if they say soak it would not hurt, people say to soak sweetpeas, I didn't this year and have put them into my barrow and they are all popping up everywhere , Mmmm if I leave now with a barrow , how long would it take me walking

Hi All,
I have been trying to graft some cuttings from a lime tree onto a Lemonade lemon tree I found a good grafting tuition video on youtude grafting search took me to the right video.Also I found a citrus growers forum which has an excellent tuition on Bark grafting citrus.So far my first 2 attempts failed so I am hoping my 3rd try will be a go
it has been 3 weeks since this attempt began nothing showing any growth yet though I guess I must be more patient.(any tips please)
cheers J.

Hi all,
I got this tip from watching a Kiwi guy on youtube grafting video he reckons that to make a good striking starter is to make a willow tea using willow tree leaves etc and this tea will produce a good striking hormone just dip in the cutting and plant in growing medium.Anyone heard of this one before ?
Cheers J.

Willow is good. There was an extremely funny thread a few years back on one of the US gardening forums. I think it was Garden web - propogating forum. So many people kept asking, on this very long thread "would (name of willow variety) willow" be OK. And the answer was repeatedly "Any willow" until people started asking "what type of willow" just to be funny.
The active ingredient is salycilate, same as in aspirin. I use aspirin tablets in the water of my vases when i cut my irises for the show, as it helps keep them. Willo water is excellent for striking cuttings, and you can also get some plants to produce roots in water if there is a piece of willow in there with it.
Cheers, Jan

Wow - what a good idea - just shows you are never too old to learn! I'll write that one in my notebook!