[ajn]

I’m thinking of growing a sunflower in memory of anyone who sadly didn’t make it through the virus….

Thing is I have very little knowledge of doing so, is it to late in the year to early, I’ve got a pot, some compost no seed or flower yet..

would anyone else be interested and maybe have updates on our growing experience🌻.

Topic

[ajn]

🌻🌻🌸🌼UPDATE🌻🌻🌸🌼

The badly separated sunflowers are still upright.😳

Tomorrow if still upright hopefully they will go on to the next stage, I’ve already got a few takers for my left overs, all going well that is.

@Lou glad to hear you find the off topic a place to visit when maybe things get a bit much, tbh I think we all do or we simply wouldn’t I guess.

🌻

 

[Lou]

Yesss! So pleased yours have made it, there surprisingly hardy when it comes to the separation. The next stage is going to see them shoot up quite quickly I think, do you give yours any feed or just good ole water? Iv just been watering twice a day root upwards from the drip tray and draining the excess, still pretty impressed with the sunflowers progress. 🌻🌻🌻😊😊😊🌻🌻🌻

[ajn]

Morning Lou, no feed just water (I’m not very clued up on this sort of stuff tbh).
The compost used have got ready added goodies in there though.. 🍰🫖

I bought a 99p spray bottle and use that, a few squirts a day to the stem, with an understanding to keep sides a little drier not avoid over water..

Im not watering to the bottom 🥴 should I be, Father in Law chatting to my Wife on the phone mentioned that too.

Its great hearing why have Dad/Tony got sunflowers everywhere 🤣😂🤣, most unusual, well maybe shielding brings out our talents…😳

This forum, Bird feeders, birds, watching and feeding them, cooking, seeds and planting gathering info to plant, have passed the shielding period for me…

I guess in a way we’ve all helped eachother somehow..👍

🌻🌼🌸

[Tharg]

Seedlings galloping skywards now. About 2 to 3 inches altitude… will have to re-pot them soon, I reckon.

[joss]

@Tharg if you place your plant pot higher, you could claim higher altitude lol

Joss
***🌻🌻🌻 ***
Current car BMW X2 2.0i Sport sDrive Auto 2019 with Sport pack
Last car Ford Focus Titanium 1.5 TDCI
Builder of Gaming PC's

[Tharg]

🌻😁🌻 (Apols for delay in response – been busy; no idea what takes up the time but it does!)

[Lou]

It’s actually been really nice to chat about the smaller things that otherwise would of been taken for granted or not given a second thought about, and it’s definitely better than a covid chat/prince Phillip chat with it being quite in your face everyday. I’m glad it’s helped you in passing the shielding period 😊

The “correct” way for plant watering is from the bottom up because (not sure how to word this bit) the roots are what suck up or circulate the nutrients provided from being fed – hope Iv got that right & it makes sense! (Just remember they grow from the root not the leaves so that’s what you want to aim to feed) When you purchase a pot sometimes you may notice they come with a tray they sit on, the tray is for watering the plant. It doesn’t matter too much as long as there not over watered, you will know if this happens as the leaves will start to go yellow. Iv been watering my sunflowers and apple plants root up but my cress, sweet pea flowers, strawberry sticks & carrot balls from the top and they are all doing perfectly fine 😊 I think it’s personal preference really or whatever is easiest, I think yours have been doing incredibly and am enjoying seeing the photos! Love Joss’s comment there 😂

[ajn]

Watering top or bottom…yeah  I guessed I might’ve been doing the watering thing wrong, however the rain falls from above 🤣..

Joking aside watering from the top Mrs Ajn said can soften the stem, causing bending or snap too, the roots grow down in search of water, so maybe change my spray middle cycle into the from the bottom method..

I must admit thought these sort of flowers were rapid growth, bringing on lots of pics of the developing stages..

Not much happing daily.

So will be going more weekly updates, hopefully the thread continues to grow as so do the plants.

As mentioned busier times ahead now and Mrs ajn off work soon, also these forums (I’ve joined a few birds, recipe cooking ideas etc) are great passing time, now life will get busier forums may need too much attention, hence weekly updates.

I’ll get some pics on later, in the order of planned map of arrangement as the first update..

Happy growing, repotting, watering and daily living, isn’t it great spreading our wings again, stay safe, no over doing things as restrictions lift, for me it’s been a long time home…

🌻

[Tharg]

My little monsters continue to ascend apace. Watering from top, using one portion of H2O from a tiny shot glass for each plant. Seems to work. Think I’ll probably have to put them in bigger pots soon. Will post snaps when I can – why is it that the older and more crumbly we get and the less things we have to do, then everything seems to take much longer and we keep running out of time to do other things? To put it another way, why the hell is life so damn busy, when I have nothing to do?

[Lou]

Ajn it slipped my mind about the rain from the top, seeing them stems snap is gutting….I lost 1 plant.

My strawberry sticks have been doing a bit more growing over the last couple of days, the sunflowers & apples seemed to of slowed down slightly but the apples are on 3rd leaf and the sunflower is gradually getting its second.

Will look forward to the photos 😊 hope you & Mrs Ajn enjoy some quality time doing more when it’s safe.

Tharg I’m in my mid 30s but can relate, it still baffles me.

[Lou]

Thought I would add a little exciting update.

Last year just a few months after losing my partner I planted some Snow White strawberry bare root plants in our old (upwards of 30 yrs) brick round wishing well that’s been filled in with soil…..I was quite disappointed when no flowers or plants came of it but despite the cold long winter and no cover, the leaves remained strong and healthy.

I have just seen that they are finally flowering! A year later than I hoped for but itl be exciting to actually grow white strawbs 😊

On the carrot ball side of things, Iv got just 3 extremely fragile & delicate looking teeny sproutlings finally making an appearance after a long 3-4 week wait! They will be an interesting addition too.

[Tharg]

Mornin’, all. Finally managed to get a snap of my triffids…

Question is, do you reckon I should be repotting into bigger pots? Tall chap in back left is some 4/5cm high. Others about 2/3cm. May be some while before I get a chance to post back today. The lawn is calling!

[Lou]

looking good tharg, mine are a little taller than your top left and still in the flimsy eco pots 😂 I would think pots a little bigger would aid them in growing but worry they will grow massively fast – I’m not sure either about repotting 😕 I think they will need to stay behind a window for a little while longer tho.

My cress went floppy last night and I thought it was a goner however I still gave it some water (just in case)…..it’s lovely and upright today so maybe it was just having a down day 😂.

Hope your all well & enjoying the sunshine

[Tharg]

Thanks, Lou. Advice greatly appreciated. Mrs T’s tomato seeds have finally pushed their heads above the surface.

[Lou]

If this warm sunshine stays put, I think we are all going to see nice amounts of fruit/veg 🙂 what tomatoes are you growing tharg?

[ajn]

🌻🌼🌸UPDATE🌻🌼🌸

The Magnificent 7, & Magnificent 7 rides again…

Here is the whole lot I’ve managed to grow.

Will be away next week, so my Son will take charge 😳..

Been busy cooking again few pics,

[ajn]

Oh mix up with the pics, I’m sure you can work it out, hope all your plants are growing well and everyone keeping safe…

🌻🌸🌼  👍

[Lou]

They look so good & well kept ajn, good job on the repotting….I’m yet to do that but worried they are still too little for the outside,  your scones look amazing! 😋 hope you have a nice week away (if it’s a break).

[ajn]

Hello Lou, the plants go out in the sun for as long as possible, but brought in at night.

Im hoping for the large pot as follows…

One over a meter or more to the rear(yellow),🌻,middle two about a meter (reds)🌸🌸 and then the multi heads miniatures (yellow)🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼leading the way..

All sounds good just wonder if it works…

The pot might be a tight squeeze, but I’m sure they will over come it..

The others will be passed on, my Daughters friend’s were all out her car the other day placing orders on who’s having what with the left overs 😆..

[ajn]

@Tharg. Wow that big guy at the rear, he’s a proud chap isn’t he, that one is going to need a wheelie bin full of compost to grow in🤣..

Great stuff love it…

🌻🌸🌸🌼🌼🌼

[Tharg]

Hi, all. Sorry for silence. Had a staggeringly crap day. More later. Meantime, ajn, plants looking great. So do the bakery creations. Love cooking, particularly cakes and the like. Will try to catch up proper tomorrow.

[Lou]

Itl look brilliant once they have grown ajn, it’s going to be good to see the difference in them. What you explain with putting them outside for as long as poss is what I plan on doing but with the pots being larger I’m not sure where to keep them safely when there brought back inside (window ledge is already full 😂) will have to have a think. Love that you have been having orders for the left overs, I might do a few extra next year.

Hope your doing alright tharg

[Tharg]

Thanks, Lou. Getting better – much sadness because one of our tortoises died on Saturday. He had been a bit slow for a few days; we put him out in the garden and he was showing signs of recovering then, well, he just died. Was relatively young – only 20-something (have had some who went well north of 70 years.) Most un-tortoise-like. They normally give you a great deal of warning of illness. We were about to take him to specialist vet this week! So, had to make the funeral arrangements – he’s now buried in front garden, guarded by big stone Buddha. May seem silly to some that one can get upset about losing a reptile but we both have a great deal of respect and affection, for our shield-creatures. They’ve been around for millions of years – thousands of times longer than hom sap.

Back on the plant front, the tomatoes are leaping along now. At least ten of them peeking through. The types are piccolo cherry variety and some (alleged) Spanish ones of the big and beefy type. As ever with tom’s you never really know until they start to fruit.

[joss]

Oh my condolences regarding poor tortoise. Fantastic creatures that they are. I think buried near Buddha is fitting.

On an other note, I love popping in here to see the wonderful progress of your sunflowers.

Joss
***🌻🌻🌻 ***
Current car BMW X2 2.0i Sport sDrive Auto 2019 with Sport pack
Last car Ford Focus Titanium 1.5 TDCI
Builder of Gaming PC's

[Lou]

Oh tharg im sorry to hear that 🙁 I understand where your coming from….my sister had a lovely tortoise too and a nice age. Sadly her older dog mistook it for a toy and despite the specialist treatment (eye watering price) the tortoise was in too much shock – it did have an amputation….it’s also buried in there garden. My niece was distraught as was my sister.

I love them little piccolo toms, I grew some of them big Spanish ones into squares when I was a child by encasing them in a thin plastic box mould thing.

Iv repotted my sunflowers this afternoon as the stalk has become fluffy and too tall for the little starter pots. My sweet peas are coming along nicely too and I have about 5 carrot seedlings that have sprouted 🙂 the strawberry sticks have gone totally mad and the cress is being gradually consumed 😂

[Author]

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