Sea Foam

[JR]

DISASTER!!! The missus looked at the plants this morning and they are covered in creepy crawlies and look quite sick. I think they are aphids like Si mentioned. Plants are now outside having been sprayed with bug killer. The infestation came on really quickly.
I think I will leave them a day or two for the bugs to be killed. Rinse them and then try to embalm some. I think they were almost at the preserving stage anyway.
Jim Thrower

Gott in himmel !!!!
Right , Jim.
After doing as you said do the following.
Remove the plants from the pot, leaving the roots intact for the moment.
Hang them up side down for a couple of days, then sit and removed the leaves carefully. Leaving then for that time will help reduce the leaf tearing at the steam join.
Having done that proceed with the method I mentioned on Thursday .
Any problems pm me.
John .

[Jim R]

Good morning fellow gardeners.
All bugs are now deceased bugs!!! :thumb2: I chose the most tree-like and they have been soaking as per Professor John's instructions. I have just hung them up to dry in the garage. The garage has a flat roof and gets very warm when the sun shines so hopefully they will dry. I have not removed all the leaves as being soggy wet they stuck to me, the scissors and the plant - I'll let them dry a bit and have another go.
The wife may be missing a few pegs :thinking:
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Jim

[JR]

Jim .
Looks ok .:thumb2:
John

[JR]

Afternoon green fingered friends, here in short meadows the first crop of seagrass has been hanging in the green house for 3 days.
Mix made and the plants prepared. The preparation was by shaking the plants in a bucket, seed collection time.:smiling3: Once this was done the seed were removed and popped into an envelope, maked up and stored.
Water added to the glycerine and the plants emersed. They can sit until Sunday/Monday .

I only used a small group for the first batch . The rest are maturing well and I would expect looking at the colour they will be ready this coming week. Still giving a little water, but as the temperature is so much lower been doing it every 3 days.

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From these 9 small plants came .
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Hazard a guess, 1000 or more, ready for next year !
The remaining plants are as you can see rapidly nearing harvest.
I love that pink/red tinge to the plant at this stage.

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Pleased with this years crop, the heat definitely caused the loose seed in the garden from old compost to germinate, seeing them appear after 2016 when they were harvested was exciting, esp considering the size of the seed.

Dzhon Throwersky

[Jim R]

Hi Mr Throwersky
Looking good. Mine are drying nicely in the garage. Nice and warm with the sun. A lot of the black seeds are still attached though.
Farmer Jim

[scottie3158]

John,
Some good looking plants and some great info on treating them with the glycerin

[Peter Gillson]

fascinating blog.

Peter

[JR]

Hi Mr Throwersky
Looking good. Mine are drying nicely in the garage. Nice and warm with the sun. A lot of the black seeds are still attached though.
Farmer Jim

Jim.
Fear not, the first time I treated them I had left the seeds on by mistake. Give them a gentle shake in a bucket, then turn them out onto a sheet of white paper. I suggest you do this inside as the slightest puff of wind will scatter the seeds over the garden ! Then keep in a paper bag/ envelope.
John.

[JR]

John,
Some good looking plants and some great info on treating them with the glycerin

Thanks Paul.

fascinating blog.

Peter

Hi Peter, thank you, glad you think so and are enjoying it .
John.

[Richard48]

Wonderful job you budding horticultarists.Mine would last long with x2 mad cats.They would trash any flora and fauna.
Richard

[JR]

Wonderful job you budding horticultarists.Mine would last long with x2 mad cats.They would trash any flora and fauna.
Richard

Embalming of cats could be arranged ! :sick:
No not really, we've had two cats, also had 2 dogs, rabbit, guinea pig, stick insects. ( Mass escape at one point when the lid was left off .) and fish in a pond, had one ghost Koi for over 35 years.
John.

[Jim R]

What-Ho fellow gardeners
My plants have been hanging/drying in the garage for a couple of weeks. Still a bit sticky though. Because they were attacked by creepy-crawlies I had to 'harvest' them a bit early and consequently a lot of leaves were still attached. Sat watching TV yesterday and picked off the leaves and stuck them right way up. I have 12 altogether. Not sure what gets done next? Professor John will enlighten me :smiling4:
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Jim

[JR]

What-Ho fellow gardeners
My plants have been hanging/drying in the garage for a couple of weeks. Still a bit sticky though. Because they were attacked by creepy-crawlies I had to 'harvest' them a bit early and consequently a lot of leaves were still attached. Sat watching TV yesterday and picked off the leaves and stuck them right way up. I have 12 altogether. Not sure what gets done next? Professor John will enlighten me :smiling4:
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Jim

Jim.
A lovely collection of specimens. Just let them carry on drying for a little longer, and then spray silver and green and you have all the Christmas decorations you need. :surprised::smiling4::smiling4::smiling4::smiling4 ::smiling4::smiling4:
No not really
Just let them dry a bit longer, then put in store. I use a plastic draw near the bench. As to the stickiness I looked at rinsing them, but could find nothing in any article suggesting th that. Just a matter of time I suppose. I've done one lot, the rest are now in. We could have done them when still green, but they still would have to hang and be de leaved. Did you save any seed ? Even seed that has been left on and has treatment seems to germinate. I've got about 1000 pus seeds, heaven knows what I'm going to do with them. !

John.

[rtfoe]

Thanks for the info on the glycerine guys. Will be experimenting soon.

The harvesting looks great...sooner or later you can do the Ardennes, John. :smiling6:

Cheers,
Richard

[Jim R]

Hi John
The stickiness was really only on the leaves, what I have now is pretty dry. I have not saved seeds as I have a lot left in the packet I bought to start with. When they are used do you airbrush them and add foliage?
Jim