Poppy McGee

Hello all!

I've been on a seemingly endless search and still come up with nothing concrete about how to grow a zucchini plant - bush variety (Black Beauty to be precise) vertically.

Came across many people who said it couldn't be done, then many others who said it could and had actually been doing it - successfully - for years. I got to see a few photos but nobody has posted a clear step by step guide showing HOW it's actually trained upwards like it is.

Most people had planted their zucchini next to a heavy duty stake and proceeded to tie it up as it grew. I've now made a similar setup - I've got a thick bamboo cane right at the stem and made a circular 'cage' type trellis surrounding my rapidly growing zucchini. However, the question is, what to actually do next? How is the zucchini tied onto the stake when there are so many tender new leaves coming out of the stem - am I meant to cut them off? There doesn't seem much space to tie it onto the support.

Thanks so much for any advice or tips in advance!

Hello everyone!

I've got what must seem like a very obvious question, but can't seem to figure it out myself (not even with Google's help!)

So I've got a blueberry plant and I'd like to plant it in the garden. My soil is pH7 (neutral) in the spot where I want to plant it. I know that blueberries need acidic soil. How do I go about making the soil in that one spot where the blueberry plant be planted, more acidic?

I've got some powered sulfur which I heard can help make soil more acidic. But the thing is, what do I actually do with it, and how much?! Do I dig a hole and sprinkle in some sulfur? Would that be enough, and would it then affect the surrounding plants? Would I need to add anything else later on, or just leave it as is?

Thanks in advance!!
Pru

Hello everyone!

I'm a total beginner in terms of gardening and permaculture (although I have been reading a lot about the latter). I've got some questions that nobody I've asked so far seems to be able to answer!! Here they are...

I've just got myself a little garden. It's wonderful; lots of plants, a grassy/mossy lawn, a little pond (with a resident frog), and a few big trees around. Here's what I'm wondering...

(1) LEAVES!!!
- Am I meant to rake them off the lawn?
- Am I meant to remove them from the plant / flower beds? Or allow them to rot down there? They're blocking the sunshine...
- Am I meant to remove fallen leaves from the pond?
- Is it a good thing to make a leaf cage to allow the leaves to rot down so I can use the leaves next year as compost?

(2) Compost bin
- I've got a big green compost bin in my garden, it's totally full already with moss, grass and raw kitchen scraps. What to do?? I lifted the flap at the bottom, and what came out looked like dry soil. I was expecting a more mulchy compost of sorts. Am I meant to do anything with it?
- Can I use this compost as soil, or is it just something to add nutrients?

(3) General plant care
All the plants are dying off now, as it's autumn. Am I meant to do anything to help them, like removing the dead leaves? Cutting down any totally rotten plants, etc?

Hmm, I think that's it for now!
Thanks in advance!
Pru