Gardening: Hints and Help!

Hi Brue, do you think I have started them off too soon ?

great to see the daffodils all around breaking out 

I like Jetfires Brue👍 Like how the petals end up pointing backwards😁

I start my dahlias off in pots late Spring as well. We are due a week of very low overnight temps here, I have had to wrap some stuff up in fleece😱

I'm sure Hosta's early dahlias will do well with a head start just a bit more work involved but same results. 

We have lost quite a few plants this year so yes, more wrapping this week by the sound of it! 

My Dahlia starting to open 

It will need some TLC from now on HH😁 Don’t keep it too warm, or it will end up “leggy”, long spindly growth that has trouble supporting flower heads, but not too cold either🤔 I haven’t even planted mine yet in greenhouse.

My bargains from MSE offer arrived yesterday. Agapanthus, begonias and something else🤔 Postage cost more, a proper bargain.

Thanks for the reply TTDA, see now what you mean . I only have a cold greenhouse which especially now with the snow coming will be too cold . House possibly too warm ,so I’ll try to find somewhere cooler.

what’s the best time/month to start them off in a cold greenhouse ?

My Dahlia plant is approx 9” tall now with two sets of stalks. I’ve moved it now to my cold greenhouse ( which in last couple of days as been 60/65 deg ) fingers crossed 

Sorry, I missed this HH. Up here in Yorkshire, I usually put a few in pots late March, April. I can use fleece wrap if needed, we actually have some that survive in the ground each year, and come back, it’s a bit hit and miss to be honest. 

Ideally, you are in a bit of a battle to stop it getting too “leggy”. You need it to have strong stems to support the flowers. Watch out for slugs as well👍

My Dahlia is now about 9” tall with leaves and two stalks. I have now moved it to my cold greenhouse which over the last couple of days as been around 60deg . Now fingers crossed 

H E L P !!!!

I have discovered we have 3 cornered leek, the following taken from an online search.

 Three-Cornered Leek can be found in dappled shade, grass verges, waste ground and gardens. It is a native of Southern Europe and has naturalised in the UK. It is a non-native invasive and listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Last year I thought it was wild garlic, ransoms plant, this year I know better.

I have a huge patch in one area, by an established hedge. Which last year i dug over and remived what i thought were wild garlic bulbs.Plus other areas in the garden. In the smaller areas I have attacked it with a hot weed burner and will continue to any time I see a hint of it! My dilemma is the large patch. I'm not a weedkiller user unless in dire circumstances and I fear this may be a justified case to use it.

What do there think? Recommend? I attach a photo of the worst affected area.

This, new to us house, can't offer up many more surprises!