Garden Pictures Chat Corner

Question for everyone who also has such a [Blumenfeld]: you’re supposed to scythe it around mid to late August. I have to honestly say that I hesitate. Now the sunflowers are coming up, which I would also cut down then. Does that really make sense?

Question to everyone who also has such a flower field: you’re supposed to scythe it around mid to late August. I have to be honest, I hesitate. Now the sunflowers are coming, and I would also mow them down then. Does that really make sense?

I follow Rieger Hoffmann’s approach: rieger-hofmann.de/alles-ueber-rieger-hoffmann/wissen/nutzung-pflege/maehzeitpunkt-und-frequenz.html

Sunflowers normally don’t belong in a flower meadow either – better to sow them at the edge next year. Of course, it hurts to scythe when it’s blooming. It depends on what you want: for plant biodiversity it’s better to cut 2-3 times, for insects of course only once. Although specialized insects depend on specialized plants... it’s all not so simple ;) I usually cut the first time in mid-June, this year a bit later because everything only got going so late. I only cut about half. The second time I go around late September/mid-October and cut the second half. By then the first half has grown back enough so that insects can escape to there.

Oh yes, and leave the hay lying around for a while so it can seed. Then rake it up so it doesn’t decompose and fertilize, which is usually not desired.

Last year a sunflower sneaked in and it seeded itself - which I quite like; so it is allowed to stay. In the mixture that I sowed, it was certainly not listed.

I like the idea of mowing only one half - I think that's what I'll do!
Thank you.

Since our garden is not yet established, but we do have a number of large fruit trees, the 15m high mirabelle was due yesterday…. Or at least the part we could more or less reach ;)

9.5 hours for about 80 kilos from the lower third of the tree. How we are supposed to get to the rest… no idea.

- Just under 15 kilos are already jam
- Just under 25 are puree (frozen to become jam later once we have jars again)
- Just under 40 kilos have been distributed among the neighbors :D

Nice to look at, but with something like this I always ask myself: "What do I want with so much jam and mush"

This is distributed among friends and family, there’s no other choice. They all have to pretend it tastes good ;)

As fruit, it only lasts a few days before it goes bad, you can’t get rid of it that fast. I also have a big tub with a "free to take" sign on the street so that the stuff gets used somehow before I have to throw it away.