Idea for lifecycling (?!) in the garden

[jenniferalan]

I was thinking it could be a good idea for JTers near one another to get together and life cycle things from the garden. For example: giving away seedings, seeds or unwanted plants that could be dug up with minimal damage to the roots. It would be great for people with a small/big garden on a small budget. What do u think?

[bluecurlygirl]

Great idea.

[chakes]

Brilliant...and wouldn't it be just nice to meet up and have a chat and share some thoughts and ideas...and advise...and more importantly a laugh!

I volunteer my house near Ballinasloe for a JTers Life Cycle day.

We could meet and greet and share items with one another

[jenniferalan]

I volunteer my house near Ballinasloe for a JTers Life Cycle day.We could meet and greet and share items with one another

Great idea. I have loads here that I would be willing to bring clippings of. Lots of JTers in the area should be interested too

[minnie pal]

would love to know JTers around dun laoghaire/shankill/bray who would be interested in doing just this.
I would be so interested. it would be fun too.
xminnie pal

[minnie pal]

i am now in my concrete jungle and if anyone around my area as mentioned around dun laoghaire has any clippings etc and would like to recycle this way, I am certainly keen.
xxminnie pal

[Only]

I'd like to take part in this too ... but would need a bit of guidance as to what plants can be grown from clippings ?? ... Have quite a few but am a bit clueless :o

[minnie pal]

Only, I am clueless too, so we can be clueless together.
I dont know how to propogate from clippings but willing to learn and share and will try as well if i get 'the knowledge' on anything i will share!
xminnie pal.

[Only]

Phew, am not the only one then :-)
I've done cuttings from indoor plants and soaked them in water to get the roots going but haven't a clue how to go about outdoor plants! I know theres a rooting powder you can buy but not sure how good it is etc. ... anyone want to enlighten me and minnie? :D
Thanks all

[Mandolin]

Hello there, cuttings are really easy, i've done loads this summer and all are looking ok(not dead anyway!). Just cut a few inches off the top of something u fancy, take off all but 3 or 4 leaves, stick it into compost, keep it moist & it shd grow. I didn't do the plastic bag over mine & they took. Didn't use rooting powder either but I read on gardenplansireland.com that if you scrape the bark from any willow & soak it in water, this 'juice' works as a rooting hormone. I might try it but so far I haven't needed it and most of my stuff is fine (honeysuckle, hebe, dog rose,fuchsia). I'll do a few more to-day and you're welcome to them when they take(I'm in Sandycove some thursdays, cd drop up to d'laoghaire en route)

[minnie pal]

didnt quite get what you meant by your last bracketed sentence, but if i am included in being a 'receiver' i can meet up for a clip or two.
just wasnt sure thats why i ask so wont be presumptuous that i am included in this.
xminnie pal

[Mandolin]

Minni Pal, that's exactly what I meant! I see from an earlier post your in d'laoghaire so it'd be no prob whenever i'm up your way to meet up. I'll post here when the cuttings have taken root (a week or two with a bit of luck, if they don't all go wonky on me now!). I'll take a good few more to spread around if anyone else wants some.
cheerio
M.

[Only]

Thanks for the advice on the cuttings Mandolin, unfortunately I'm all the way down here in the West so won't be able to do any swapping with you :-). I have a couple more questions for you if you don't mind :-)
Is there a 'best' time of year to do this? Better to take them if they're Flowering / not flowering??
And finally, do you cut the top off the cutting too? Someone told me to do this once before but I remember taking lilac cuttings and they all failed :-( ... wonder if this was the reason?
Thanks
Only

[Mandolin]

Hi Only, 'fraid i'm no expert but I think while they're in full growth is a good time, so summer is good. And mine were in flower but I took the non-flowering shoots. I didn't cut the tops off but I did cut most of the leaves from the bottom up and only left 3 or 4 at the top. Never tried lilac though, maybe it's one of those difficult ones(like hawthorn which didn't work for me).
If it's a hard and woody stem then maybe autumn is better, i did fuchshia hard woody stems about a foot long last oct and all of them rooted and survived the cold winter outside so maybe that'd work with lilac.
Best of luck with them
M.

[minnie pal]

Thanks for answering mandolin! i look forward to hearing from you.
would it be ok if you PM me on this? I am not sure STILL how to work this site but one thing for sure, i seem to get notified when a pm is sent so that way I really, really know a quest, question, prob, request has been seen and answered!!!!!
xminnie pal

[Only]

Hi Only, 'fraid i'm no expert but I think while they're in full growth is a good time, so summer is good. And mine were in flower but I took the non-flowering shoots. I didn't cut the tops off but I did cut most of the leaves from the bottom up and only left 3 or 4 at the top. Never tried lilac though, maybe it's one of those difficult ones(like hawthorn which didn't work for me).
If it's a hard and woody stem then maybe autumn is better, i did fuchshia hard woody stems about a foot long last oct and all of them rooted and survived the cold winter outside so maybe that'd work with lilac.
Best of luck with them
M.

Thanks a million for the advice Mandolin! It was early summer when I tried the lavender so I think I'll try it again later in the Autumn this year ... fingers crossed!
Only

[Mandolin]

I've some seeds from last year that I won't be using, they're still good though: Brussel sprouts; Tom Thumb lettuce; Super Roma tomato (for making sauces with, very fleshy) - if anyone's interested.
mandolin

[dee1]

Would like to take you up on the offer,if I can sae.

[Mandolin]

dee1, I have only a few left now but you might as well have them, pm me your address & i'll stick them in the post this week. Mandolin

[SLCB]

Just read this posting and thread, I'll follow it for all the advise. I moved to West Limerick last year and now have a garden or what will become one! I brought loads of potted plants with me and sadly they are still in pots, loads to be done and learnt before I can try flowerbeds. I have a window box planted with small lily bulbs (divided bulbs last year) if anyone would like them. Obviously they cannot be posted. I forgot to put that in when I first posted the thread.

[dee1]

yes please i'd like some if possible,pm your postage details.

[gardengirl]

Can anyone advise where to get cheap fast growing trees for a very windy large garden area in the West of Ireland as everything I plant has no shelter at the moment. I would appreciate knowing the growth rate expected in a year and the best time to plant etc. if possible.

[knockduff]

Hi Gardengirl

The lealand conifer is very fast growing. It is not native to this country. If you go onto www.gardenhedgingonline.co.uk you can read all about the different varieties, their height and growing rate. You can get them in any of the garden centres and the cost depends on the maturity of the plant.

Hope this helps

Cheers
Knockduff

[sarah_ryan]

Hi,
Garden plants is a fertile and beautiful region provided with open areas and greenery, so it is very much essential to take proper care of it.

[Tribesman06]

There is an organisation called GIY (Grow it yourself) and they have groups all over the country. Locations can be found on their website. They have very informative meetings, which do not assume a phd in horticulture. They also have a system of swopping plants, seeds, cuttings etc. I know there is one in Oranmore or are very open to people starting their own. Meetings are usually once a month.

[SLCB]

The GYO group sounds really good, I moved to West Limerick two years ago and havent really gotten to know anyone yet so having people to share advise about trying to get my garden the way I'd like would be great. I'm going to try found out if there is a group in this area. Thanks for the idea.

[castlereagirl]

oooohhh im in, my gardens nearly an acre + i can only manage to keep the front of it respectable at moment, back bits like a field, would like to plant some hedgeing that will disguise the back bit until i can organise it a bit better

[Eibhlin ni Sheambrai]

Thanks for answering mandolin! i look forward to hearing from you.
would it be ok if you PM me on this? I am not sure STILL how to work this site but one thing for sure, i seem to get notified when a pm is sent so that way I really, really know a quest, question, prob, request has been seen and answered!!!!!
xminnie pal
Hi Minniepal, have been reading this blog and have seen your lovely garden photos. Woodies have usually a couple of trollies in their garden centre with plants reduced. Once it comes to the end of a season the plants have to go. I got loads of herbs for 10c each--a bit pot bound and straggly but cheered up when planted with room to stretch their toes, sorry roots!! The other day I called in and got trays of winter flowering pansies and violas with 10 plants in each for 50c, also an ornamental grass which was pot bound and had lots of 'babies' growing out of the original. took it out of the pot and split it-got 20 mini plants but they will grow. They have chrysanthemums too 6 for 50c. These are good as they come back every year. You can get a lot of plants for a few €. Cheers, Eibhlin.