I know what you mean @WAMS, although I'm not sure my coffee cups would be much better! The other advantage of the coffee cups is that you can write the name/date of sowing etc on the cups. Saves on labels. Tight Scot remember....
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I do so love this forum! I learn something new every day. Tea bags! Who’d’ve thought! So I’ve had mysterious deaths of two Daphne’s and a hydrangea and none of them were particularly cheap. Decided to never again buy anything that needed ericaceous soil. I’ve ditched the two daphnes but gonna rootle round in the very dead looking hydrangea to see if it succumbed to “death by tea bag”
Don't be put off by plants that need a more acidic soil though. Hydrangeas just have a different colour depending on the pH, but the white ones aren't affected by it at all. Daphnes don't need ericaceous soil - neutral to alkaline for them, and neutral is fine if it isn't too far in the other direction. There are loads of them around here and we don't have alkaline soil- it's largely neutral
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Well perhaps it's all our fault as our soil is not fertile enough. 😬 Wait before you all kill me, did anyone else hear about the citizen science project, about burying a pair of old cotton pants to then dig them up in 4 months time. The amount they have broken down , or not, is supposed to be a guide to how alive your soil is. I know I thought it was April the 1st too but apparently it is a real project to get kids outside and getting them involved. (They say you can just use an old square of cotton-it must be a natural fibre). How that helps with nylon mesh "teabags" I'm not sure though.
If you cut down the toilet roll tube before filling it up with compost then they still have enough strength, even more if you pack several into a tray, to hold together until the plants grow. It's then easy to just pull them off before planting and the tube can go on the compost heap.
I'm also tight, so use old plastic milk bottles for plant labels.
I sand mine [labels] @thevictorian so that I can re use them
I heard about that thing too @Allotment Boy. Sounded like a load of old sh*te... Especially if the pants haven't been washed first.... Sorry!
I'd like to know how they'd expect any child to stay interested if they had to wait four months for something to happen. Four minutes is hard enough! What are you meant to do with your plot in the meantime too?
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I heard about that thing too @Allotment Boy. Sounded like a load of old sh*te... Especially if the pants haven't been washed first.... Sorry!
What are you meant to do with your plot in the meantime too?
It's not just me then I thought it was a bit daft too. They said put a label in so you know where they are! Round here the squirrels would probably dig them up anyway😅
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The other advantage of the coffee cups is that you can write the name/date of sowing etc on the cups. Saves on labels. Tight Scot remember....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Don't be put off by plants that need a more acidic soil though. Hydrangeas just have a different colour depending on the pH, but the white ones aren't affected by it at all.
Daphnes don't need ericaceous soil - neutral to alkaline for them, and neutral is fine if it isn't too far in the other direction. There are loads of them around here and we don't have alkaline soil- it's largely neutral
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Now there's a thought - cannelloni. Definitely biodegradable🤔
I'm also tight, so use old plastic milk bottles for plant labels.
I heard about that thing too @Allotment Boy. Sounded like a load of old sh*te...
Especially if the pants haven't been washed first....
Sorry!
I'd like to know how they'd expect any child to stay interested if they had to wait four months for something to happen. Four minutes is hard enough!
What are you meant to do with your plot in the meantime too?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
They said put a label in so you know where they are! Round here the squirrels would probably dig them up anyway😅