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Cheers Nick
I had read that if galvanised steel has been weathered it will accept a paint onto its surface
Any truth or just best to go for the etch prime? How evil is it on a scale of 1-10?

Any colour recommendations ?

I have an old galvanised trough from when the previous owners had a horse/sheep. It's sitting around doing nothing so I thought it would make a great herb container, to put on the patio outside the kitchen - to look nice and easy access It's 9 foot long and only has a small hole at either end I don'...

My sugar snap peas and a blueberry plant were covered in pink and green aphids. I was really hacked off. I saw a pesticide certified for organic use made from rapeseed oil. It's Bug Clear for Fruit & Veg from Scotts and I made it up into a squirt gun and shot the aphids and they are clear 1 week...

Help!! My shallotts seem to be going to seed and it seems a little early They went really bulky at the base implying there was a lot of growth in the shallots but I'm not supposed to harvest til July Is it because we had a real dry spell? I have quite a light soil I have probably put them closer tog...

I was wandering round the bookshops in Hay checking out the gardening sections and came across this book. Instantly it grabbed my attention as it was full of great pictures for projects to do with kids in and around the garden, and things you'd happily have on display after. Some ideas are planting ...

that's one more!
Good luck

Come on everyone, one text equals one vote, let's get an Isher in the European Parliament
That's gonna be one long bike ride from Scotland to Brussels

All very well, but will it produce avocadoes??

It depends on consistency. If its not had much bedding it can be very thick and oily almost and may be best mixed in. Not really sure about tomatoes, the main thing they neek is Potassium when they fruit Things that will do well in pure manure are potatoes, pumpkins and other squash (?and courgette ...

I had an avocado tree in the garden where I stayed in India, it was massive, almost as big as a horse chestnut tree. The fruits got bruised as they fell from so high The crucial question is, does it ever produce fruit, otherwise I'll get a normal tree, and how do you find a pot for a tree like that!...

How about a largish olive tree I think you can get all shapes / sizes and ages... Only thing that puts me off is they're just not British and therefore in keeping I see your point but it really has to be something foreign to go in the conservatory. Its nice to stick to "local" plants but ...

Just frost free but double glazed and next to the house so I hope it will stay reasonably warm You're not supposed to heat conservatories as they are included as outside space and the idea is it reduce our heating costs! Citrus trees in pots tend to be quite small I think, I wanted to make use of th...

After 6 months of renovations, we will be moving into our new home in May. We have a double height conservatory which faces south (to let in heat and light to the house :sunny: ) and I'd love to hear your ideas/ experience of growing one or two exciting things in such a space Ideas so far: Banana tr...

Well I had a great crop of spinach beet (perpetual spinach) up until November, then I cut them back to the ground as suggested in the hope that they may regrow in spring Well, I'm fairly confident its spring now and have seen no signs yet. Did anyone else get a spring crop? Did they all due to the v...

Pumpkin seeds? I have just opened and cooked a pumpkin (invincible) from last year with good seeds. If I take a seed and plant it straight off without drying it, will it germinate, or is the drying essential prior to germination? I know the see will probably not produce the same fruit, especially as...

Wahoo! It's time to but seeds and start planting. Had a good while away from the site but its nice to get excited again after the winter Here is my problem: I've seen peat harvesting and it ruins the landscape, it aint gonna come back in a hurry either Last year I bought peat-free compost and it was...