Author Topic: Second Flush! (Read 4574 times)

Wicker · « **on:** September 22, 2004, 17:27:14 »

I'm learning again :D Hollyhocks and delphiniums are both sputting up new growth from the ground - surely they won't flower? this is my first year with both these perennial flowers so am a bit ignorant and this is the best palce to ask isn't it? ::)

Palustris · « **Reply #1 on:** September 22, 2004, 18:27:07 »

It depends on where you live, how severe the weather is and whether you want the new shoots to flower. In most years, in most places this new growth will die back in late Autumn or early Winter in the same way as any hebaceous perennial plant does. Just keep an eye on it for any fungus diseases and chop it back to ground level if any appears.
The seasons are all very mixed up at present, we have various things in flower which normally appear in Spring and new growth on a wide range of stuff.

Doris_Pinks · « **Reply #2 on:** September 22, 2004, 18:49:31 »

My Mum's Delphs are ready to do a second flowering! I cut back the flowers when they had finished, it is see if the frost gets there before the bloom or not! DP

Wicker · « **Reply #3 on:** September 22, 2004, 19:13:15 »

thanks both. they put on a lovely show earlier in the year and I had cut the flower stems down after they were finished. Will keep an eye out for fungus, Eric. Think the autumn/winter will be too cold in Edinburgh for them to last long!

Spurdie · « **Reply #4 on:** September 22, 2004, 20:44:09 »

;D Wicker,
I cut my delphineums down to ground level last month, and now they are 3 feet tall, with one flowerspike (they were about 8 ft tall first time round). I cut back my hardy pink geraniums and they are flowering all over the plant again. Same goes for violas and SA daisies. Even roses are on second flowering!

Wicker · « **Reply #5 on:** September 22, 2004, 21:47:09 »

More I think about it Spurdie it must be as Eric says mixed up seasons - the lavendar I thought was finasihed is flowering again, and the strawberries are flowering even tho they have been "pruned" - the lsit goes on ...

Spurdie · « **Reply #6 on:** September 24, 2004, 19:54:40 »

Have you been at the toddy, Wicker? ??? Or have you got your fingers on the wrong feet!

Wicker · « **Reply #7 on:** September 24, 2004, 20:41:12 »

Must be something in the water! Even a Caithness accent would say feenished and listie. Apologies - mind quicker than the fingers or something like that ....

Spurdie · « **Reply #8 on:** September 24, 2004, 20:53:23 »

That's a' richt! I thocht ye'd maybe hid a sair throat an hid tae gargle wi alcohol (o some kind!). Did ye see the Beechgrove Gairden last nicht? There wis an awfy interestin bittie aboot rock dust bein a gran' fertiliser. This wifie hid grown tatties and ither veg in the same bit grun for 8 years an' hid only pit on this rock dust eence. It soonds rail dear, bit if ye've only tae pit it on eence very 8 years, ye canna grumble at that! Hiv you iver heard o' it?

Palustris · « **Reply #9 on:** September 24, 2004, 21:07:58 »

Well just to prove that Sassenachs can understand what you were on about, I have heard of it, but never seen it on sale though.
And as for second flushes, there are Clematis montana and alpinas in flower and Pulsatill vulgaris and Primroses. It is getting very silly!

Wicker · « **Reply #10 on:** September 24, 2004, 22:33:26 »

Yup, the primroses in the lottie are flourishing and the dahlias which had been blown down by the winds are putting on lots of new growth - as you say it is getting a bit silly now.

As for the rock dust, Spurdie, I did put a post on this site some time ago with a link to a place in Perthshire where they had been trialling rock dust as a fertiliser - thought the whole idea really interesting- first saw it mentioned in Landward.

Spurdie · « **Reply #11 on:** September 25, 2004, 14:20:43 »

Wouldn't it be great to do a trial of this rock dust on poor soil, eg in areas of South America where they are chopping down the rainforest to get land for farming, using the land until it is impoverished and barren, then felling another batch of rainforest. It COULD save more trees from being cut down, and therefore save endangered species. I wonder if anyone on A-4-A is trying out this rock dust. It would be interesting to see if they have had similar success with it.
Our local shop delivers compost to our door. I wonder what they'd say if I asked them if they'd deliver rock dust! They'd probably think I was feel a' the gither!
Eric, re clematis montana: ours is out again too, first flowered in May. Consider yersel an honorary sassanach!

Wicker · « **Reply #12 on:** September 25, 2004, 17:45:35 »

Spurdie, this is the place in Perthshire the SEER Centre - see it mentions Beechgrove now.

http://www.seercentre.org.uk/press-cutting_independent_feb2004.html

Too logical for the powers to be to try something like that to renew exhausted soil in impoverished areas, Spurde!

Palustris · « **Reply #13 on:** September 25, 2004, 19:01:41 »

A thought strikes, that Rock dust has to be quarried in the same way as any other mineral resource (and yes I did read the American book about it, where they used a byproduct from the local quarry, as they are doing elsewhere). Now there are many environmental concerns about quarrying already, both in terms of ecological damage and in the use of oil resources in production. Also we are already removing and spreading elsewhere an incredible amount of material from various quarries round Britain now.
To see the huge impact quarrying has, just look at the pictures of the massive open cast iron mines in Tom Price in Australia, or the bauxite mines in South America. Everything comes with a price tag!

Spurdie · « **Reply #14 on:** September 25, 2004, 19:53:49 »

Hi Wicker, have just had a look at the SEER Centre website. Very interesting reading! ;D When you consider people have always farmed on the sides and at the bottom of volcanoes, what they are saying makes alot of sense!
No point in me phoning up our local quarry (less than a mile away) and asking them to deliver a tonne of rock dust though - as far as I know we are not at the bottom of an extinct volcano, although there are a few dotted around. There's one HUGE won about 40 miles away that would make ALOT of rock dust, and seeing as I spotted it first IT'S MINE!
Eric, when you think of mining for things like gold and diamonds, you think of excavating a HUGE amount of ore, for a very small end product. I would think that if a volcano were to be harvested for its mineral rich dust, then there wouldn't be much waste, don't you think? Yes, you need to burn fuel of a sort to get the product, but if it helps "stablise the climate change by drawing harmful carbons from the atmosphere" AND feed barren soil for 8 years, then surely large trials ought to be carried out in both temperate climates AND drought ridden countries such as Ethopia. This is only my opinion and I will now climb down off my soapbox.

Wicker · « **Reply #15 on:** September 25, 2004, 20:24:13 »

Hey, I look out on an extinct volcano from my windows - Arthurs Seat and there has already been lots of "excavating" at the foot of A's Seat what with the new Scottish Parliament Building ! ... now I wonder how I could ?????

Not being flippant really - I do know there are pros and cons to every new development. ;)

Spurdie · « **Reply #16 on:** September 25, 2004, 20:41:09 »

Wicker, ask Jack McConnell to help push your wheelbarrow. I'm sure he would be glad of a photo opportunity! ;) I wonder how deep down you would have to dig in order to get some of this miraculous dust and whether they have already sold off the topsoil before they dug the foundations. Whoever bought it will have a smashing garden!
Have you been in to see the new parliament building yet? I don't think much of the main chamber (or whatever it's called). It looks like a set from Star Trek. :(

Wicker · « **Reply #17 on:** September 25, 2004, 20:59:13 »

Haven't ventured in yet but do intend to go and hope to be impressed! If not I am sure they could do a "Changing Rooms" programme - imagine what Anna Ryder whatshername and Llewelyn Bowes (?) could do! Be grateful for what we have got I say ..

Spurdie · « **Reply #18 on:** September 25, 2004, 21:25:59 »

Take a few flour bombs and chuck them at whoever's closest! :o Watch and nae hit the Queen or she'll not be amused. I see they caught an intruder at Holyrood Palace. These folk that think it great fun to break into someone else's home won't think it so funny when they themselves are burgled! :P You're nae thinking of putting on your catwoman outfit and disrupting the state opening of parliament are you? :o :o :o

Palustris · « **Reply #19 on:** September 26, 2004, 14:44:31 »

Don't know about all that, but had a lovely mental image of someone quarrying into the side of Vesuvius. But not for long methinks.
The dust from Mt St Helens went a fair distance, wonder if the gardens down wind of that are any better for the deposit of rock dust they received when it exploded.
We have our own extince volcanic plug about 20 miles away from here. Bet trying to dig that up would cause something of a fuss.
By the way it is not a new discovery, the good old Romans were using volacanic dust as fertiliser a long time ago, as well as adding it to cement to make a waterproof concrete. Is there anything new?

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Author Topic: Second Flush! (Read 4574 times)