Gardening Thread

[Darksky]

No it’s not you Mrs.C. It won’t work for me either. Some cock up or other by yours truly. Anyway it’s just a tight cluster of buds that looks like it has no intention of opening. I’m losing lower leaves on it too. Something is getting at it. It looks more and more like a stalk. Monty??

My lupins are a sorry state, it’s finished flowering but those aphids have made a mess of it. I think I will cut it to ground level ready for next year. But more and more of my tomatoes are ripening so it’s not all bad.

[fishman65]

It won't open for me either Darksky. How tall is the hollyhock? There's no reason why it wouldn't flower if the plant is developing flower buds.

[fishman65]

OK just thinking. The flower buds Darksky, are they pale green, flattish and a circular disc shape?

[Darksky]

Yes. I tell you what they remind me of. You know those iced gems? Little biscuits with various colours of swirled hard icing on top? Theres a cluster at the top and little separate ones down the stem. Pale green. But it’s been weeks now and they are not opening. But the dying of the leaves starting at the bottom concerns me.

[fishman65]

Well that does describe hollyhock flower buds. And they 'should' be flowering by now. But then again I've got one at the top of the drive, that's not yet in flower. What makes it slightly more complicated is they're a short lived perennial. So its a case of which box to put them in, perennial or biennial.

I'd say leave it and see Darksky.

[Darksky]

That’s annoying…they were under the perennial label when I bought it. So it’s likely that they will only last 2 years then? Do you grow yours from seed?

[fishman65]

Mine tend to self seed Darksky. They are particularly good at sowing themselves in cracks in pavements/concrete.

Sellers are technically not lying to you. Hollyhocks live for 2 or 3 years, so they can get away with calling them perennial. But after two years they decline, so yes a perennial but short lived. However when I see foxgloves sold as perennial, that's out and out not true. They are biennial.

Other perennials considered short lived are aquilegia, lupin and delphinium. I suppose I could draw up a list but it would be long and we have google these days.

[fishman65]

Any flowers on tomato plants need snipping off now, so energy goes into existing fruit on the plant. Also make sure there's no side shoots that will divert precious energy away from ripening tomatoes.

[Darksky]

Oh I didn’t know that. I’d better check them. Although I don’t think there are any flowers left. Tomatoes are coming on a storm now and ripening at last.

[Carnation]

I didn't know about the pinching of new flowers fishman.
Lol I was hoping for an Indian summer.