I agree with your comment that you can't really garden with gloves on. You aren't able to feel what you are doing properly so I only use them for pruning roses usually. Having said that, my hands are full of tiny scratches at the moment from moving spiky succulents out of the greenhouses the other day!
Haha yes Alan, my arms are usually scratched up after a day in the garden too. To be fair the thinner gloves are a bit better but I'd rather do without unless I'm moving lumps of stone or ripping out nettles, both of which seem to be done quite a bit at the minute! I'm sure your spiky succulents will appreciate the spring sun and fresh air outside, hopefully we both have a good spring!
Thank you very much, I don’t know about that! Over time you find that a lot of these fleshier plants are very resilient and divide well. As long as you do it at a sensible time of year and don’t let them dry out they’re usually fine 😊
The Gunnera invasion.... You faced it the right way! But, maybe Mother Nature didn't want you to separate the two babies from the mother??(sending rain, and strong winds)... By the way, it looks like the mother plant seems to be leaning to the right a bit, and that could be the reason why it produced babies are on the left side. Take care George! 🌱🌧
Thanks as always Bernard and I hope you're enjoying some spring weather! Yes, the weather potentially was an omen haha but all three plants are doing well now. I suspect the mother plant was growing towards the evening sun more but it definitely made for two easy divisions. I hope they grow well in their new homes!
Great video again, George, with good advice on the time of year when to split the plants . I can see there has been plenty of activity going on further down the garden with that path mate 😂it's like a swamp. A sure sign that some heavy work is getting done . I can't wait to see that bottom end of your garden once it's finished and planted up, it's going to look awesome .
Cheers Shane, hopefully it does look good when it's done, just in the hard graft phase currently (when I can!). I got a couple of tonnes of horticultural grit down and the same amount of subsoil back out on Friday. Nothing exciting but all the ground work (to use a pun) that will set things up well long term. I'm not worried how the paths etc look until the carnage at that end of the garden is done haha!
Hello george . Ive watched , ive learned, ive realised that you are a total enjoyment to watch ! Ive just moved a gunny into a different location, im looking to getting a few more soon as they are the perfect partner for the tree ferns👍 . Cheers george , love to you and your family . Regards from steve.❤
Hi Steve and cheers, pleased you enjoyed the video which was basically me hacking a plant up! Gunnera do go great with tree ferns, you're right. They certainly capture that Jurassic vibe! Thanks and all the best to you too Steve.
Goodman George, another crazy man out in that weather, its like gardening in Ireland all year round 😂 I've a baby manicata planted last year to hide my dumping ground, hopefully it'll put on some amazing growth this year. And yeah mate get the big patio reveal done 😬
Haha yes, I bet it is Hugh! Worth the perseverance for the 2 days of sun you get a year though! I imagine your manicata will do really well in your climate though. As for the patio, there's no big reveal yet haha, I've only had 3 days on it since the last video but getting tidied up ready to start the progress vids again. I'm jealous of your progress, you're doing a fantastic job with your place!
Gunnera emerging really are like some alien plant! I’m gutted mine turned out to be Tinctoria, but it seems this is the case with a lot of garden centres misidentifying plants.
Sorry to hear that, it is a real problem in the trade and it's very hard to definitively identify younger plants, especially before they flower. Hopefully you manage to track the real deal down sooner or later, maybe join the Gunnera Facebook group to see if there's any coming up for sale on there?
Hats off to you for finishing this video in the storm 😂 Thanks for sharing your tips! The owners of the nursery where I work have a Gunnera on their pond. I might see if we can take some divisions to sell on. I would love one myself but just don’t have the space for that beautiful beast.
Haha yes, it got pretty crazy just after I’d finished so (nearly!) perfect timing! Interesting, if its a proper ‘manicata’ (potentially a bit of a tricky subject currently with the classification of a hybrid) but a big plant you can ID with the help of googling ‘Gunnera Manicata: how to recognize the real one’ then there’ll definitely be a lot of demand for them! Yes, they’re definitely thirsty plants and get huge, I wish I had your practically and restraint at times…
Hi to you both and thank you very much! Yes, it didn't start off too cold but I was determined to get the video finished haha! Hopefully loads more vids on the way this spring and some of them might even feature sunnier weather if we're lucky...
Been snowing in Snowdonia again today George. I have loads of gunnera away ....only forgetting to bring some with us for the garden we moved too two years ago!!
Thank you very much! Mine has only been in the ground for a few years this year so I suspect you might be right if yours is significantly smaller. It'll likely be an availability of water issue or it'll unfortunately be a G. tinctoria that was missold as manicata...
Thank you very much! Hopefully it's a good growing year for us all. I'm not planting much of a summer display here this year but I'm excited to see everything that's in the ground hopefully come back and put on some size this year! Exciting times...
Haha yes Kris, you know what it's like when you have a timeslot to get a video done and are determined to sort it! There were a couple of heavy showers between the different sections so by the time the third one came I just thought I'd stick with it! The camera is OK thanks, it can take a bit of rain but the mic & little lens were a bit of a gamble that luckily didn't go wrong. Yes, hopefully the divided Gunneras grow well in their new homes!
perfekt video 🤗👍🏼😃thank you for this information of gunnera ❤this plant is great !! I hop my one comes this spring 😊thank you George 🙌🏽☀️great wish at Max 🐶😊
Thank you very much Pascal! They're amazing plants indeed and I hope yours grows well for you! Max is enjoying life on the sunny windowsill! All the best and happy growing to you too.
@@cake-diver8991 It'll soon be a big plant I'm sure! I just have to make the most of the time I get haha, most of which ends up on the videos anyway! It's quite a long garden but not unmanageable and a lot of it will be planted with permanent structural plants which need very little care / maintenance through the year anyway. Building it all is definitely taking the time but passion and working towards something power you through!
Fire pit! Excited to see the progress. Thanks very much for your super helpful and enjoyable videos as always. I learn so much from you. Unfortunately I bought what I thought was a manicata but now realise was tinctoria. It’s still very beautiful and becoming a monster already. Quick question in case you see this. My T-Rex that is still young (now in leaf nearly 1 m tall) is being eaten by slugs. I think it’s slugs because I see trails. Do you have methods to protect young tetrapanax from this? I think the plant might grow faster than the slugs can eat but it’s a close race! Thanks for your wonderful channel. Keep going strong - your channel is such a reliable source of info!
Thanks Ronan, got a couple more days work to do on it then I'll be able to start videoing the progress again between my other vids! Great to hear you Gunnera is growing well and tinctoria are still cool plants! As for your Tetrapanax, if it's that height then yes, I imagine it will win the race against slugs but is it an option to use a mulch of grit sand or something around the base just while it gets established? You can get wool pellets and all sorts, just something they won't like going over to get to the trunk for the next few weeks. Once we're in mid-June they shouldn't stand a chance! Thanks, I appreciate your kind words. I've got a lot of vids planned for this year and will try to make as many happen as I can!
I still have two to plant this year. But I need to prepare the area first and the weathers not looking great the next couple of weeks. There goes more of the lawn, just don't tell the missus.
Nice one, yeah no point rushing, you might as well wait until things are a bit drier at the back end of next week hopefully. Haha yes, I'm sure lots of partners of exotic plant growers are used to rapidly disappearing lawns, good luck with it!
Cheers Steve! It's the same quick wood chip I put down a couple of years ago but starting to work at the far end of the garden is paddling it down a bit haha, it'll be time for a top up soon!
They're definitely not the best plant choice for small spaces Iris, you're right there! Yes, just getting it all tidied up and some of the boring prep work out of the way then I can hopefully get some planting and landscaping together early next month. Nope, not a fan of the gloves haha!
Interesting what you said about standing in water during winter, i stupidly did that now not sure what’s died or not. Have some leaves coming through on my big plant but my smaller ones aren’t looking good. Looking to get them in the ground
They're definitely a plant that can cope with growing close to or in water but sometimes a bit of drainage can help borderline fully hardy plants come through winter better. Hopefully your smaller plants come through, there's time yet and I'm sure longer term they'll be happier in the ground. I uploaded a video earlier this week uncovering mine for this year and talking about some spring care tips if it helps you.
I have watched a few videos of yours! Very inspired! Question: with those flowers, how do you collect seeds? I would like to try seedlings out. thank you!
Nice one, thanks! To be honest I've never had success growing from seed and some people believe this particular plant to be sterile unfortunately. They'll be removing plants labelled as manicata from sale soon (check out my last vid from last year) so it might be worth shopping around for a plant while you can!
I bought a baby one (in a 10cm pot) a few weeks ago at The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, and have just planted it out in a large-ish pot on my balcony. It's already produced three more leaves since I bought it, so I'm hoping for a monster :)
They're cool plants Gavin, I'm sure it'll grow well for you and I think they bring a real prehistoric jungle vibe to a garden. I'm sure you won't regret it if you have the space!
Nice one Stephen, that's an amazing garden to visit and pick one up from, I hope it continues to grow well for you! They can still get to a big size in a pot but are more reliant on lots of water and a bit of shade from the midday sun in summer if possible. Good luck with it although it doesn't sound like you need it!
@@gavinwoodley5620 Cheers Gavin! Shade shouldn't be a massive issue, there's plenty growing in the shade at Trebah, Chatsworth and at Picton Castle gardens where I filmed a vid last spring. As long as it's not too dry I'm sure the plants will do well!
I have two questions. 1) I live in south Jersey (US) I believe my planting area is 7A and I absolutely love your videos and want to experiment with this plant. Do you think it would survive? 2) What do you do with it in the winter months?
Hi and thanks, apologies for my delayed reply! In all honesty I think they're well worth a go for you, I've seen them growing in gardens up in Scotland and they look after them the same as I do. I covered them in one of my 'epic' overwintering vids but you basically just remove the leaves in late autumn and use them to create a teepee over the crown. Potentially you could also pack straw under it and cover with a large plastic pot too. With this protection they do seem to be able to take quite considerable freezes. I'd definitely give one a try!
Hi George. I have one gunnera can i move it at this time of year? It looks healthy. I have defined what the boggiest spot is in my garden and feel the gunnera will do good there. Its about two foot away!
Have you thought about buying seeds, Peter? I've had the same problem as you, not being able to find live plants anywhere near me, and I've just bought some seeds from ebay. No idea how they'll turn out, but they were only a couple of pounds for, I think, 15 seeds.
@@MarkMichalowski Yes I have. However, am not a fan of eBay, and on Amazon there are only bad reviews. So seeds are rather not an option. But thanks for the advice.
Hi, that's a fair old trip that! I don't know of any exotic type specialists around Lincoln unfortunately but if you're heading up the A15 to North Lincolnshire then Linden Nursery near Appleby is worth a visit (approx 30 mins from Lincoln) and the garden centre at Kirton in Lindsey used to have some interesting plants at fair prices. Sorry I can't think of anywhere else but I hope you have a great weekend!
Haha it did go through my mind but I'd rather not send out a plant that isn't fully rooted etc. yet. It's got another local home planned, you may see it reappear in a future garden visit though. I hope you're able to track one down soon though!
Luverly stuff there, George. Not at all envious, oh no. Not at all ;-) I've got some gunnera seeds arriving in the post in the next couple of days (along with some ricinus communis seeds) - any advice on how to make sure they get off to a good start? I've got one of those mini indoor greenhouses as well as a window tray with a clear plastic cover. Should I plant the seeds into seed trays with individual compartments, or should I go for slightly bigger pots to minimise the amount of potting-on that I'll need to do later in the season? And how deep do gunnera roots go when they're fully grown? Cheers matey! PS I've got my own hori hori knife - OK, it's an old bread-knife, but it's almost as good :)
Haha thanks Mark, nothing wrong with an old bread knife as long as you're not abusing it too much! Nice one on the Gunnera seeds, from what I've read they should be sown whilst fresh and you should be careful not to touch the seeds and get oil off your hands onto them. Personally I'd just go for the seed tray to get them going, use the clear cover and keep them somewhere warm and bright but avoid cooking them in direct sun. I wouldn't sow them too deep either. I agree with the principle of reducing potting up but I've gone to the effort of making loads of individual pots with other untested seeds before only to find germination was poor and I'd have been better just having a go in one tray then separating later if it went well. Less space and initial effort! As for the root depth, I've never dug up a very established plant, mine was only in the ground for a year at the old but the root system doesn't seem huge and the roots are fleshy so not likely to cause issues like a tree root or bamboo if that was your concern.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Cheers Mr G! I scattered the gunneras on an open tray and lightly covered, like you suggested - but I've put the two lots of ricinus (communis and zanzibariensis) into small individual pots. Bunged 'em in my indoor mini-greenhouse with a couple of USB-powered heated shoe insoles under the gunnera! Recycling, eh? You gotta love it!
@@MarkMichalowski Sounds like a plan, I'd do the same with the pot situation. Good luck with them all! Top marks for ingenuity and recycling, I've not come across that idea before haha!
Hi, yes, that's perfectly normal and sometimes they do send flowers out very early. I'd go for it whilst it's damp and mild and before they really get growing.
Hi George. I divided mine last year and ended up with 2 decent plants this year which I potted up and kept in a conservatory. I had some really big leaves starting but I was a little too eager to get them in the garden and they got hit by a frost and ruined the leaves. I remember you saying that the first leaf is usually the biggest. I've cut the dead leaves off and I'm starting from basically just crowns (which appear healthy and have flowered already). Am I likely to get good growth even though I've had to cut the first 3 leaves off each of them?
Hi Darren and personally I wouldn't worry at all. With them being young plants they'll continually push out bigger leaves as they size up so as long as you're ready to potentially protect them from any late hard frosts they should grow away just fine.
Dappled/Partial shade is best. The leaves do tend to burn in full sun in the hottest part of the day. Obviously it depends on the aspect of your garden. Morning sun would also work.
Thanks for dropping in to respond and I completely agree. The wetter the soil the more sun they'll take but with summers like last year even plants growing near water would likely have got scorched a bit so a bit of shade is definitely appreciated!
Thanks for your kind words and I completely agree with the other response. Ideally one of the damper areas of your garden with some shade and shelter will give the healthiest plants and the biggest leaves. They're thirsty plants wherever they grow though!
Where did you get your original plant from George? It would be good to find a supplier that sells Manicata rather than mislabelled tictoria which is what I’ve ended up with 😢
It's a frustrating problem isn't it! I got my original plant from an individual rather than a supplier unfortunately but if I come across a reliable source of genuine manicata I'll be sure to share it on my Facebook page and over here so hopefully you can get one.
Hi George, could you recommend somewhere that sells manicata. I've tried twice and now have two tinctoria. Not what I wanted. I think I would rather have real rhubarb than tinctoria 😅. Thanks for any recommendations.
Hi Stanley, I can't unfortunately. I got mine from a private seller after ending up with the same. It could be worth joining the Gunnera Facebook group if you're on there but if I come across a reliable source of the real deal I'll share it on my FB and over here too!
Hi Tony, good questions and I can confirm it won’t. Gunnera do get very big and the rhizome of the plant will slowly expand above ground but they aren’t prolific seeders or have a running / suckering habitat like most ‘invasive’ plants. The reason tinctoria are classed as an invasive is that in the wild they can block out our native vegetation and cover large areas as their seeds are washed down streams but in a garden setting, given enough space, they’re not what I’d class as a problem plant.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden hi George thanks for your great explanation and reply. Mrs has said is wasnt to put in the ground, but is really struggling in the pot now. 😎 Unfortunately I think I've lost my Red banana I wrapped it up in loads of straw and fleece but think the frost still got to it in the greenhouse. It' feels mushy 🤔
@@TonyField No worries! Sorry to hear about your red banana, unfortunately they don't always tolerate being wrapped for long periods unless they're very dry and it was an especially cold & long winter I'd chop all the mushy bits away and hopefully there's some firm pseudostem left that'll grow away again. Fingers crossed!
Its now illegal to do this. I know this is an old(ish) video but it turns out it is now classed as an invasive plant and we're not allowed to propagate, sell, buy or gift this plant anymore. I think they're actually saying that you should decrown them as well. Also the leaves need to be taken to the dump rather than garden bin. Fortunately we don't have to dig them up and we can keep them in our garden. I will say though I've had my Gunnera for about 20 years and it has to be the slowest invasive plants I know lol.
Hi David, anything high in nitrogen will help with big leaf growth but I think the key with Gunnera is to have a good soil / compost rich in organic matter and plenty of water, that'll get you most of the way. Then, chicken manure pellets, liquid seaweed, blood fish and bone, Miracle Gro etc, they're all good every month from April though to late Summer.
Definitely manicata, they’ve got the loose flower and the mother plant is HUGE but you’re right to question these days given that the majority are tinctoria!
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I agree with your comment that you can't really garden with gloves on. You aren't able to feel what you are doing properly so I only use them for pruning roses usually. Having said that, my hands are full of tiny scratches at the moment from moving spiky succulents out of the greenhouses the other day!
Haha yes Alan, my arms are usually scratched up after a day in the garden too. To be fair the thinner gloves are a bit better but I'd rather do without unless I'm moving lumps of stone or ripping out nettles, both of which seem to be done quite a bit at the minute! I'm sure your spiky succulents will appreciate the spring sun and fresh air outside, hopefully we both have a good spring!
I really enjoyed this video.
Hi Peter and thank you very much, I appreciate you letting me know!
Amazing work, you make it look easy but I think I would be too scared to attempt it
Thank you very much, I don’t know about that! Over time you find that a lot of these fleshier plants are very resilient and divide well. As long as you do it at a sensible time of year and don’t let them dry out they’re usually fine 😊
The Gunnera invasion.... You faced it the right way!
But, maybe Mother Nature didn't want you to separate the two babies from the mother??(sending rain, and strong winds)...
By the way, it looks like the mother plant seems to be leaning to the right a bit, and that could be the reason why it produced
babies are on the left side. Take care George! 🌱🌧
Thanks as always Bernard and I hope you're enjoying some spring weather! Yes, the weather potentially was an omen haha but all three plants are doing well now. I suspect the mother plant was growing towards the evening sun more but it definitely made for two easy divisions. I hope they grow well in their new homes!
Great video again, George, with good advice on the time of year when to split the plants .
I can see there has been plenty of activity going on further down the garden with that path mate 😂it's like a swamp. A sure sign that some heavy work is getting done . I can't wait to see that bottom end of your garden once it's finished and planted up, it's going to look awesome .
Cheers Shane, hopefully it does look good when it's done, just in the hard graft phase currently (when I can!). I got a couple of tonnes of horticultural grit down and the same amount of subsoil back out on Friday. Nothing exciting but all the ground work (to use a pun) that will set things up well long term. I'm not worried how the paths etc look until the carnage at that end of the garden is done haha!
I've just divided a few today😊
Awesome Toby, loads more plants!
Hello george . Ive watched , ive learned, ive realised that you are a total enjoyment to watch ! Ive just moved a gunny into a different location, im looking to getting a few more soon as they are the perfect partner for the tree ferns👍 . Cheers george , love to you and your family . Regards from steve.❤
Hi Steve and cheers, pleased you enjoyed the video which was basically me hacking a plant up! Gunnera do go great with tree ferns, you're right. They certainly capture that Jurassic vibe! Thanks and all the best to you too Steve.
Goodman George, another crazy man out in that weather, its like gardening in Ireland all year round 😂 I've a baby manicata planted last year to hide my dumping ground, hopefully it'll put on some amazing growth this year. And yeah mate get the big patio reveal done 😬
Haha yes, I bet it is Hugh! Worth the perseverance for the 2 days of sun you get a year though! I imagine your manicata will do really well in your climate though. As for the patio, there's no big reveal yet haha, I've only had 3 days on it since the last video but getting tidied up ready to start the progress vids again. I'm jealous of your progress, you're doing a fantastic job with your place!
Gunnera emerging really are like some alien plant! I’m gutted mine turned out to be Tinctoria, but it seems this is the case with a lot of garden centres misidentifying plants.
Aw, that's a shame. Was it quite weeny when you got it?
@@MarkMichalowski I got it as a very young plant from Burncoose nurseries online. Labelled Manicata
Sorry to hear that, it is a real problem in the trade and it's very hard to definitively identify younger plants, especially before they flower. Hopefully you manage to track the real deal down sooner or later, maybe join the Gunnera Facebook group to see if there's any coming up for sale on there?
It's definitely harder to ID young plants isn't it Mark, I definitely wouldn't claim to be an expert until they're a bit bigger and ideally flowering.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks, I'll keep an eye out on the Facebook Group. Keep up the great content 👍
Hats off to you for finishing this video in the storm 😂 Thanks for sharing your tips! The owners of the nursery where I work have a Gunnera on their pond. I might see if we can take some divisions to sell on. I would love one myself but just don’t have the space for that beautiful beast.
Haha yes, it got pretty crazy just after I’d finished so (nearly!) perfect timing! Interesting, if its a proper ‘manicata’ (potentially a bit of a tricky subject currently with the classification of a hybrid) but a big plant you can ID with the help of googling ‘Gunnera Manicata: how to recognize the real one’ then there’ll definitely be a lot of demand for them! Yes, they’re definitely thirsty plants and get huge, I wish I had your practically and restraint at times…
Wow! George your brave man potting up in that weather ,keep up the good work mate 👍
Haha thanks, I did have a full glorious day of sun in the garden on Friday so can’t really complain 😂
Hi George great video and well done for persevering in that weather with no jacket on😀 looking forward to more video's to come 😁kay& Stuart
Hi to you both and thank you very much! Yes, it didn't start off too cold but I was determined to get the video finished haha! Hopefully loads more vids on the way this spring and some of them might even feature sunnier weather if we're lucky...
@@GeorgesJungleGarden this weekend and next week looking good here so hope your weather is as good 😁
@@o000omusico000o It's beautifully sunny again today so I'm enjoying it while it lasts! Hopefully we both have some more consistent sun soon!
Been snowing in Snowdonia again today George. I have loads of gunnera away ....only forgetting to bring some with us for the garden we moved too two years ago!!
Wow, snow, we could have had it worse then! Hopefully you have the right spot for some more Gunnera at your new garden Tony!
Great video George. My Gunnera is much smaller and around 9 years old. Might need to be relocated. Good to see how they can be split.
Thank you very much! Mine has only been in the ground for a few years this year so I suspect you might be right if yours is significantly smaller. It'll likely be an availability of water issue or it'll unfortunately be a G. tinctoria that was missold as manicata...
North Lincolnshire certainly is changeable at the moment, excellent video thank you
Thanks. It definitely is, that's April for you! Hopefully some nice sun on the way next week so we can't moan just yet!
Love the vids George. Keep up the good work mate, cant wait to see everything growing come the summer 👍
Thank you very much! Hopefully it's a good growing year for us all. I'm not planting much of a summer display here this year but I'm excited to see everything that's in the ground hopefully come back and put on some size this year! Exciting times...
You did well to battle on in those conditions. Hope the camera survived! Can't been bringing new Gunneras into the world. 😊
Haha yes Kris, you know what it's like when you have a timeslot to get a video done and are determined to sort it! There were a couple of heavy showers between the different sections so by the time the third one came I just thought I'd stick with it! The camera is OK thanks, it can take a bit of rain but the mic & little lens were a bit of a gamble that luckily didn't go wrong. Yes, hopefully the divided Gunneras grow well in their new homes!
perfekt video 🤗👍🏼😃thank you for this information of gunnera ❤this plant is great !! I hop my one comes this spring 😊thank you George 🙌🏽☀️great wish at Max 🐶😊
Thank you very much Pascal! They're amazing plants indeed and I hope yours grows well for you! Max is enjoying life on the sunny windowsill! All the best and happy growing to you too.
😂beautiful easter moment 👌. Awesome video as per man. I'm desperate for a decent Gunny
Haha yes, just amusing myself and trying to make quite a basic garden task more interesting! Thanks, I hope you're able to track one down soon!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Bought one and it's a little thing. Sitting soggy loving life.
How do you find the time, you got such a big garden
@@cake-diver8991 It'll soon be a big plant I'm sure! I just have to make the most of the time I get haha, most of which ends up on the videos anyway! It's quite a long garden but not unmanageable and a lot of it will be planted with permanent structural plants which need very little care / maintenance through the year anyway. Building it all is definitely taking the time but passion and working towards something power you through!
Fire pit! Excited to see the progress. Thanks very much for your super helpful and enjoyable videos as always. I learn so much from you. Unfortunately I bought what I thought was a manicata but now realise was tinctoria. It’s still very beautiful and becoming a monster already. Quick question in case you see this. My T-Rex that is still young (now in leaf nearly 1 m tall) is being eaten by slugs. I think it’s slugs because I see trails. Do you have methods to protect young tetrapanax from this? I think the plant might grow faster than the slugs can eat but it’s a close race! Thanks for your wonderful channel. Keep going strong - your channel is such a reliable source of info!
Thanks Ronan, got a couple more days work to do on it then I'll be able to start videoing the progress again between my other vids! Great to hear you Gunnera is growing well and tinctoria are still cool plants! As for your Tetrapanax, if it's that height then yes, I imagine it will win the race against slugs but is it an option to use a mulch of grit sand or something around the base just while it gets established? You can get wool pellets and all sorts, just something they won't like going over to get to the trunk for the next few weeks. Once we're in mid-June they shouldn't stand a chance! Thanks, I appreciate your kind words. I've got a lot of vids planned for this year and will try to make as many happen as I can!
I still have two to plant this year. But I need to prepare the area first and the weathers not looking great the next couple of weeks. There goes more of the lawn, just don't tell the missus.
Nice one, yeah no point rushing, you might as well wait until things are a bit drier at the back end of next week hopefully. Haha yes, I'm sure lots of partners of exotic plant growers are used to rapidly disappearing lawns, good luck with it!
Hugely entertaining video George 😂❤
Haha thanks, I had to jazz up what is basically 15 minutes of me talking and hacking at a plant!
Thanks George . Great video
Thank you very much Robert!
Nice one mate love the paths
Cheers Steve! It's the same quick wood chip I put down a couple of years ago but starting to work at the far end of the garden is paddling it down a bit haha, it'll be time for a top up soon!
Great video I would loved one but my garden is to small glad to hear the fire pit videos will return No George gardening with gloves is no good
They're definitely not the best plant choice for small spaces Iris, you're right there! Yes, just getting it all tidied up and some of the boring prep work out of the way then I can hopefully get some planting and landscaping together early next month. Nope, not a fan of the gloves haha!
Interesting what you said about standing in water during winter, i stupidly did that now not sure what’s died or not. Have some leaves coming through on my big plant but my smaller ones aren’t looking good. Looking to get them in the ground
They're definitely a plant that can cope with growing close to or in water but sometimes a bit of drainage can help borderline fully hardy plants come through winter better. Hopefully your smaller plants come through, there's time yet and I'm sure longer term they'll be happier in the ground. I uploaded a video earlier this week uncovering mine for this year and talking about some spring care tips if it helps you.
Like a surgeon separating two Siamese twins
I have watched a few videos of yours! Very inspired! Question: with those flowers, how do you collect seeds? I would like to try seedlings out. thank you!
Nice one, thanks! To be honest I've never had success growing from seed and some people believe this particular plant to be sterile unfortunately. They'll be removing plants labelled as manicata from sale soon (check out my last vid from last year) so it might be worth shopping around for a plant while you can!
Reminded me of Norman Bates😂😂
Haha yes, you could definitely do some damage with one of those!
Just bought one hope I don’t regret it 😀
I bought a baby one (in a 10cm pot) a few weeks ago at The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, and have just planted it out in a large-ish pot on my balcony. It's already produced three more leaves since I bought it, so I'm hoping for a monster :)
They're cool plants Gavin, I'm sure it'll grow well for you and I think they bring a real prehistoric jungle vibe to a garden. I'm sure you won't regret it if you have the space!
Nice one Stephen, that's an amazing garden to visit and pick one up from, I hope it continues to grow well for you! They can still get to a big size in a pot but are more reliant on lots of water and a bit of shade from the midday sun in summer if possible. Good luck with it although it doesn't sound like you need it!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden space isn’t a problem, just shade, but I’m sure I can make it work, love the vids by the way ! 👍
@@gavinwoodley5620 Cheers Gavin! Shade shouldn't be a massive issue, there's plenty growing in the shade at Trebah, Chatsworth and at Picton Castle gardens where I filmed a vid last spring. As long as it's not too dry I'm sure the plants will do well!
I have two questions.
1) I live in south Jersey (US) I believe my planting area is 7A and I absolutely love your videos and want to experiment with this plant. Do you think it would survive?
2) What do you do with it in the winter months?
Hi and thanks, apologies for my delayed reply! In all honesty I think they're well worth a go for you, I've seen them growing in gardens up in Scotland and they look after them the same as I do. I covered them in one of my 'epic' overwintering vids but you basically just remove the leaves in late autumn and use them to create a teepee over the crown. Potentially you could also pack straw under it and cover with a large plastic pot too. With this protection they do seem to be able to take quite considerable freezes. I'd definitely give one a try!
Hi George. I have one gunnera can i move it at this time of year? It looks healthy. I have defined what the boggiest spot is in my garden and feel the gunnera will do good there. Its about two foot away!
Hi, yes, go for it. Now is a good time and I'm sure it'll love that spot!
👌👌👌👌
Thanks as always!
Great Video Georg.
What an awesome plant. So sad, i can‘t find one in my country 😢
Thanks Peter, they are! I hope you're able to track one down soon!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden If one day you sell a separated one too and send it to eu, please think of me 😉
Have you thought about buying seeds, Peter? I've had the same problem as you, not being able to find live plants anywhere near me, and I've just bought some seeds from ebay. No idea how they'll turn out, but they were only a couple of pounds for, I think, 15 seeds.
@@MarkMichalowski Yes I have. However, am not a fan of eBay, and on Amazon there are only bad reviews.
So seeds are rather not an option.
But thanks for the advice.
@@petergager1253 No probs! Good luck in your search :)
Hey bro, I live on the south coast in Dorset, but I’m in Lincoln this Thursday - Monday, any garden centres you’d Recommend?
Hi, that's a fair old trip that! I don't know of any exotic type specialists around Lincoln unfortunately but if you're heading up the A15 to North Lincolnshire then Linden Nursery near Appleby is worth a visit (approx 30 mins from Lincoln) and the garden centre at Kirton in Lindsey used to have some interesting plants at fair prices. Sorry I can't think of anywhere else but I hope you have a great weekend!
Ohh .... is there gonna be a new winner selected by Remi & Max?
If so Im feeling lucky ;-)
I have been looking for a gunnera in NL but no luck so far.
Haha it did go through my mind but I'd rather not send out a plant that isn't fully rooted etc. yet. It's got another local home planned, you may see it reappear in a future garden visit though. I hope you're able to track one down soon though!
Luverly stuff there, George. Not at all envious, oh no. Not at all ;-)
I've got some gunnera seeds arriving in the post in the next couple of days (along with some ricinus communis seeds) - any advice on how to make sure they get off to a good start? I've got one of those mini indoor greenhouses as well as a window tray with a clear plastic cover. Should I plant the seeds into seed trays with individual compartments, or should I go for slightly bigger pots to minimise the amount of potting-on that I'll need to do later in the season?
And how deep do gunnera roots go when they're fully grown?
Cheers matey!
PS I've got my own hori hori knife - OK, it's an old bread-knife, but it's almost as good :)
Haha thanks Mark, nothing wrong with an old bread knife as long as you're not abusing it too much! Nice one on the Gunnera seeds, from what I've read they should be sown whilst fresh and you should be careful not to touch the seeds and get oil off your hands onto them. Personally I'd just go for the seed tray to get them going, use the clear cover and keep them somewhere warm and bright but avoid cooking them in direct sun. I wouldn't sow them too deep either. I agree with the principle of reducing potting up but I've gone to the effort of making loads of individual pots with other untested seeds before only to find germination was poor and I'd have been better just having a go in one tray then separating later if it went well. Less space and initial effort! As for the root depth, I've never dug up a very established plant, mine was only in the ground for a year at the old but the root system doesn't seem huge and the roots are fleshy so not likely to cause issues like a tree root or bamboo if that was your concern.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Cheers Mr G! I scattered the gunneras on an open tray and lightly covered, like you suggested - but I've put the two lots of ricinus (communis and zanzibariensis) into small individual pots. Bunged 'em in my indoor mini-greenhouse with a couple of USB-powered heated shoe insoles under the gunnera! Recycling, eh? You gotta love it!
@@MarkMichalowski Sounds like a plan, I'd do the same with the pot situation. Good luck with them all! Top marks for ingenuity and recycling, I've not come across that idea before haha!
Mine has its flowers coming through on all the clumps, can I still split it with the flower on?
Hi, yes, that's perfectly normal and sometimes they do send flowers out very early. I'd go for it whilst it's damp and mild and before they really get growing.
Hi George. I divided mine last year and ended up with 2 decent plants this year which I potted up and kept in a conservatory. I had some really big leaves starting but I was a little too eager to get them in the garden and they got hit by a frost and ruined the leaves. I remember you saying that the first leaf is usually the biggest. I've cut the dead leaves off and I'm starting from basically just crowns (which appear healthy and have flowered already). Am I likely to get good growth even though I've had to cut the first 3 leaves off each of them?
Hi Darren and personally I wouldn't worry at all. With them being young plants they'll continually push out bigger leaves as they size up so as long as you're ready to potentially protect them from any late hard frosts they should grow away just fine.
Great video, are these OK in shade or prefer sun please? I have two potted 2 year old ones so not sure where to plant
Dappled/Partial shade is best. The leaves do tend to burn in full sun in the hottest part of the day. Obviously it depends on the aspect of your garden. Morning sun would also work.
@@davidbanner9001 Thanks so much
Thanks for dropping in to respond and I completely agree. The wetter the soil the more sun they'll take but with summers like last year even plants growing near water would likely have got scorched a bit so a bit of shade is definitely appreciated!
Thanks for your kind words and I completely agree with the other response. Ideally one of the damper areas of your garden with some shade and shelter will give the healthiest plants and the biggest leaves. They're thirsty plants wherever they grow though!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thank you!
Where did you get your original plant from George? It would be good to find a supplier that sells Manicata rather than mislabelled tictoria which is what I’ve ended up with 😢
It's a frustrating problem isn't it! I got my original plant from an individual rather than a supplier unfortunately but if I come across a reliable source of genuine manicata I'll be sure to share it on my Facebook page and over here so hopefully you can get one.
Hi George, could you recommend somewhere that sells manicata. I've tried twice and now have two tinctoria. Not what I wanted. I think I would rather have real rhubarb than tinctoria 😅. Thanks for any recommendations.
Hi Stanley, I can't unfortunately. I got mine from a private seller after ending up with the same. It could be worth joining the Gunnera Facebook group if you're on there but if I come across a reliable source of the real deal I'll share it on my FB and over here too!
I've, got one in a pot are they safe to put in the ground. It's, not going to take over or be invasive?
Hi Tony, good questions and I can confirm it won’t. Gunnera do get very big and the rhizome of the plant will slowly expand above ground but they aren’t prolific seeders or have a running / suckering habitat like most ‘invasive’ plants. The reason tinctoria are classed as an invasive is that in the wild they can block out our native vegetation and cover large areas as their seeds are washed down streams but in a garden setting, given enough space, they’re not what I’d class as a problem plant.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden hi George thanks for your great explanation and reply. Mrs has said is wasnt to put in the ground, but is really struggling in the pot now. 😎 Unfortunately I think I've lost my Red banana I wrapped it up in loads of straw and fleece but think the frost still got to it in the greenhouse. It' feels mushy 🤔
@@TonyField No worries! Sorry to hear about your red banana, unfortunately they don't always tolerate being wrapped for long periods unless they're very dry and it was an especially cold & long winter I'd chop all the mushy bits away and hopefully there's some firm pseudostem left that'll grow away again. Fingers crossed!
Its now illegal to do this. I know this is an old(ish) video but it turns out it is now classed as an invasive plant and we're not allowed to propagate, sell, buy or gift this plant anymore. I think they're actually saying that you should decrown them as well. Also the leaves need to be taken to the dump rather than garden bin. Fortunately we don't have to dig them up and we can keep them in our garden. I will say though I've had my Gunnera for about 20 years and it has to be the slowest invasive plants I know lol.
Had one a couple of yrs not as big as one in pots but was very small what feed would you recommend ❤
Hi David, anything high in nitrogen will help with big leaf growth but I think the key with Gunnera is to have a good soil / compost rich in organic matter and plenty of water, that'll get you most of the way. Then, chicken manure pellets, liquid seaweed, blood fish and bone, Miracle Gro etc, they're all good every month from April though to late Summer.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thx buddy getting some tomorite for my climbers so that will do and had some blood,f,b
Mine died :(
Oh dear Fran, sorry to hear that. There's still time for a recovery if there's any signs of life showing, fingers crossed for you!
These are not manicata I'm Afraid, they look like tinctoria
Saying that's it's hard to tell at the moment until they actually emerge
Definitely manicata, they’ve got the loose flower and the mother plant is HUGE but you’re right to question these days given that the majority are tinctoria!
True, the flowers are the only way of definitively showing really, especially with younger plants earlier in the season.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden fantastic video though. Thank you for sharing George your videos are really helpful
@@hooperb63 Cheers Kevin, I appreciate the support!