Herbs....

Now, I received some great advice about getting rid of moles from my raised beds....my parsnips, carrots and other veg may well have a taste of parika, cayenne and cinammon to them this year...but it has worked and Mr Mole and his family now seem to be beating or digging!! a tunnel to the neighbours instead...

Now, as I know so many people here use herbs and grow their own....I have decided today to plant my sweet cicely andtransplant my other herbs in to pots instead of a raised bed. Everything has come up quite easily except the 2 bundles of chives...can only get one out as they seem to have lodged permanently...and will need assistance from hubby to get these out...

In the raised bed the herbs were just in rolawn topsoil....can I transplant them to just a compost mix...or should I transplant some of the soil too....what do other herb growers plant there herbs in-John Innes number 3 or a mix or just plain old multipurpose?
I know it isn't exactly the best time of year to transplant...however in Wales at the moment we are having an abundance of rain and intervals of sun, and I have cut the chives and mint down so they should transplant ok-ish...not suffering from droughts this end of the country!!!!

Then whilst doing this...another though occurred.....I have never had a mole in my herb bed ever....and boy there are some big worms in there that they could eat.....so what would be other peoples thoughts on whether putting herbs in next year amongst the parsnips, carrots, swede etc...in the other beds? Think there has to be a reason why Mr Mole and family haven't put their suitcases in to the herb bed!!! Just wondering whether it might be the smells, or the root systems they don't like?

Not a diabetic question I know...but such advice previously on herbs...thought I could ask our gardeners for advice!!!

I had a fantastic apple tree in a pot, lovely miniature one and it was fantastic...since moving to Wales put it in the ground and nothing, not one single apple-although it is still alive. So puchased another apple tree which grows apples just off the direct stem-put it in the pot the first apple tree was in-and it has had more apples than I can cope with-at least 18 on the solitary stem, and I will have to pick off the smallest ones early-and it flowered and fruited the first year I had it. The stepovers and espalier pear and apple trees in the ground and all the normal apple trees have taken 3 years to flower and fruit-total apples so far-3!!!

Personally I think in the future when we move back to England (again!!) I will purchase just the miniatures and keep in pots....

Thanks for the advice on the soil for the herbs, I did have some garden grit, so added this in for some extra drainage, and as the pots are large, put some flower pots upside down inside to save some compost/soil mix too. With the rain we have had since doing this job this morning of replanting them-they have all perked up nicely.

Strawberries-if ever planting in the ground-give them some room between plants, and check over for ones that turn grey or mouldy everyday or every other day....and remove them asap..as this will spread to the other strawberries on that particular plant...mainly happens if too close together and wet conditions....when bought in spring or taking the runners off the plants look tiny, and folk like to plant closer than they should.
Don't forget if taking plants from runners...the first leaf on a runner does not root..it is the 2nd leave that will root if pegged down.....

Thanks fellow gardeners.....

Herbs and now it appears to be strawberries as well...37 a day????

To the gardeners out there that helped me with my growing ginger query........just to let you know I have 2 shoots an inch talll!!!!! Wey, hey, hey - at this rate of growth I should have ginger in 20 years time!!!!!