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Garden & Gardening Tips

Alf

Alf

Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
I thought you might like to pass on tips that you may have gathered over the years old & new. As I have noticed a few good ones but they are scattered over other pages and I have to keep doing the Search.

This involves using part of a Tool which I'm sure most of us have used from time to time over the years. So here goes:)

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Alf thanks for that. Steve bought me a box of garden tools and one of those was in there. Pete has been weeding between the slabs at the van and he wouldn't be without one. Bye. Jean.
 
I guessed that Alf but mine was a gift along with many other time saving tools. The lot fell out last week and to get them back in their correct spots was a nightmare. I almost through them on the grass. Jean.
 
The most useful tool I have for the garden is the one bought for me as a retirement present:P
 
Point taken Mike remember I've seen the other half:D

I've seen all the lovely gardens on the Forum but nobody has got any Garden Tips strange
 
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Either get a couple of tortoises or goats they make mowing the lawn much easier. Easy maintenance too. Jean.:D
 
Alf said:
Point taken Mike remember I've seen the other half:D

I've seen all the lovely gardens on the Forum but nobody has got any Garden Tips strange
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My garden's a bit of tip, Alf.LOL

Tip.

If you are taken short in the garden it's acceptable to 'wee' into a watering can. It acts as a compost accelerator and is much better than relieving ones self in the front garden
 
For those with block paving. Here is the best piece of kit I have bought in years. This is a brush to get rid of the weeds and moss in block paving. It is so easy and doesn't break your back! I got mine from the local garden center about £10 worth every penny.
 
Coffee to get rid of your slugs, (heard it on the radio) apparently they like coffee once eaten it swells up inside them so food is the last thing on their minds, Which coffee.? i hear you say, (who knows,) i missed that bit, but obviously not one that has been made up into a drink. Myself, i would put a few granules down as a tester...Cat
 
Cat crushed Sea Shells for snails as well now that beer is so expensive:)

Mind you Sea Shells are about £25 per 15kg around here but the Beach is only about5 miles away
 
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As I've written elsewhere I've been remodelling my garden. I've enlarged the flower beds and borders, dug up and rearranged shrubs and perennials, layered a hedge and lots of other stuff. Every thing is done and after two days of rain I'm expecting movement from under ground and the emergence of new growth. Last Weekend I started to attend to a sunken patio. I've lifted 30 of the 60 slabs and barrowed round about 15 loads of sand.

The expected growth became apparent a few days ago. Mr. Mole has found the newly rotavated soil of my main flower bed. He's turned over more soil than the my hired mechanical device could and left me with about 60 mounds, which although quite pretty are not the effect I was after.
I posted this tip several years ago and do so again for those who have a similar problem with Moles. I tried several so called 'remedies' when Moles first came to my garden. I used smoke bombs, poison, traps and even tried flooding the runs.
I was happy for them to live beneath the hedges but when they burrowed under my garden pool and undermined the edging something had to be done. This morning using a copper tube I pushed through the mounds until the tube sank into the tunnel. Removing the tube and clearing the soil from within with a cane I replaced it and poured a small amount of diesel directly into the run. Like us, moles do not like the smell of diesel and should move elsewhere. With a bit of luck they'll find my neighbours garden is a better place for them to continue lives. A small amount of diesel does not do too much damage to the soil and plants compared to that of the Mole.
 
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I've always put petroleum jelly round the top of my plantpots to stop the slugs and snails getting at my plants.
I use toilet roll centres to start off my sweet peas and runner beans.
My grandad always put banana skins round the base of his roses,but I'm not sure why?
 
Langsrtaat, I designed a device to stop moles when an old friend in Wales was plagued with them. Take a plastic bottle and carefully cut three or even four if possible letter box type flaps. Cut them with the long cut lengthways and the two short cuts one near the bottom and the other near to the top. fold the flaps out so it makes a sort of inside out turbine type thing. Push a garden cane into the ground close to the moles tunnel. Cut the head off a two inch nail and fix it into the end of the cane with the point uppermost. Now place the plastic bottle over the cane upside down. Exert a little pressure so the nail makes an indent in the centre of the bottom of the bottle. Now as the breeze blows the bottle will spin and rattle against the cane which will annoy the moles. All being well, they will leave. The letter box flaps should only be on the straight part of the bottle. I/e start at the bottom and end before the neck.
If you have trouble with the instructions let me know. I will make one, photograph it and post the picture so you see it.
Trevor.
 
Nothing Works for myself only Traps, another one I have tried is cuttings from Rose branches in the runs no luck:)
 
Mind you gents the soil that form the mole hills makes perfect top soil if you have the time and patience to collect it. Ready made for your planters or flower beds. We do it down the van as the soil is clay on the banks so we take bags down the harbour and collect it. Jean.
 
Stitcher said:
Langsrtaat, I designed a device to stop moles when an old friend in Wales was plagued with them. Take a plastic bottle and carefully cut three or even four if possible letter box type flaps. Cut them with the long cut lengthways and the two short cuts one near the bottom and the other near to the top. fold the flaps out so it makes a sort of inside out turbine type thing. Push a garden cane into the ground close to the moles tunnel. Cut the head off a two inch nail and fix it into the end of the cane with the point uppermost. Now place the plastic bottle over the cane upside down. Exert a little pressure so the nail makes an indent in the centre of the bottom of the bottle. Now as the breeze blows the bottle will spin and rattle against the cane which will annoy the moles. All being well, they will leave. The letter box flaps should only be on the straight part of the bottle. I/e start at the bottom and end before the neck.
If you have trouble with the instructions let me know. I will make one, photograph it and post the picture so you see it.
Trevor.
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Stitcher,
A very ingenious device; it sounds like it would work like one of those large windmills from a garden centre.
I used my Diesel solution this morning, raked over the mounds and so far there have been no more Mole hills.
 
The only trouble with that Jean weed or other seeds may drop into the soil and you will spread them around.:)
 
Alf sorry I missed it last night been in and had a look and am going to join. Don't very often do that. It's funny the snails only appear to eat the varigated leafed hosta and leave the green leaved one alone. Jean.
 
Alf we were lucky with the mole soil with regards to weeds. The bank was so thick with clay it would have been impossible to dig into it. I have one of those pronged thing that you put in and twist and it would have taken an eternity. Thanks for your help with our problems. Jean.
 
Enjoying this thread Alf

Langy.....Re moles....This sounds crazy but I've read that someone put one of those non stop musical birthday cards into the run and Mr Mole miraculously disappeared :D

Florence :)
 
Hi Alf,
what I use to keep the weeds down among the block paving
is "Path Clear" just spray the area in September and you won't need that tool honest:greatbritainflag:
 
Hi Deniss and I bet you don't get the back aches that acompany Alf's tool. Pete uses it at the caravan too. Jean.
 
One of the best things I use is the reuseable velcro ties from the hardware store to secure the pea and bean sticks and tie tomatoes etc to canes - well for anything really....I used to use string, then the thin plastic ties which you can only use once. But the velcro ties are brilliant. Fixed in seconds and very secure. I've had mine for years.

Florence :)
 
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