Food Gardening

[manticle]

So far only male flowers on my jap but it's only just started blossoming.
Got 2 nugget plants and both are flowering and fruiting very well.
Butternut went in late, just cos I ate one and the seeds were germinating so I thought I'd have a crack.
Got 2 fruits on a nugget plant that look like japs. Appeared well before the japs flowered.

 

[Camo6]

Roasted some Queensland Blue the other night with skin on. Love the taste and texture of the skin as much as the flesh.

 

[manticle]

Roasted skin on is the best.

 

[Bribie G]

I just ordered a kilo of Giant Russian Garlic bulbs from Eden Seeds, March approaches which I understand is garlic planting time here in the Northern Rivers.

How long does garlic generally take from planting to harvesting? I'm preparing a bed with well-rotted compost.

ed: yes I do realise that GRG is related more to the leek.

 

[manticle]

About 6 months for normal. I put russian in a month or so ago (just cos it was available) and it came up promptly.
As far as I understand, it should flower and be ready for harvesting once those flowers die off. That may take more than a year.

Based on reading only though.

 

[shaunous]

I thought Garlic took 2 years, that's why ive never planted it, that and because everyone grows it around here and gives it for free..

 

[manticle]

I plucked mine after about 7 months but that may have been too early as they were large individual bulbs rather than heads. Delicious though.

Total novice when it comes to gardening really.

 

[Dave70]

.

 

[Dave70]

Getting close to a kilo of toms a day, green house toms almost finished, definitely only going to grow hydro toms next year, hybrid cherry red and black the black are so sweet, and I am impressed with Mr Fothergills Tiny Toms, only supposed to be grape size but most are pigeon egg size.

I am starting to get a few egg plants showing even though I haven't seen any bees something must be pollinating them.

Never grown the Nugget purely on reviews made about the taste are you getting plenty manticle?
I am getting loads of Butternut but the Crook Necks are a failure loads of male flower no females, the Butternuts that I pollinated from the Crooknecks are heaps bigger than those pollinated with Butternut male flowers.

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Are you fertilizing those toms with anabolic steroids?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

No just getting the pH and nutrients right, less chance of disease, and no Blossom End Rot, got some carrots going in one pot to see what they come out like while I am waiting for my garden set carrots to be ready, will be interesting to see if they split.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Looks like I got QLD Blue, Counted about 7 so far, one is about 20cm across. Spotted a new baby punk today

Most of the flowers are male and there are heaps of bees and insects getting in out of the flowers, so pollination isnt a prob.

There are 2 separate plants growing together

Gave it a deep water yesterday as I have free draining soil ( a liitle but to free draining at times ) and the tendrals grew up to 1m when I got home

Shall get some more pics latter

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I put my garlic in in April, generally takes about 8 months so in manticles case he was slightly early at 7 months.
I have a chili plant which I want to overwinter undercover it is in a pot but is becoming quite tall I was considering cutting the growing tip as I have read this encourages Sweet Peppers to become stronger and be more productive, so I had a read about chili's and was surprised to discover the hottest chili was grown in Australia and the guy who grew it fed it with the run off from a worm farm, his theory is that because a lot of bugs live and die daily in a worm farm that the plant believed it was under attack from bugs, therefore became more potent.
Also read that a chili is only hot to mammals and bugs but not birds which the plant uses to spread its seed, the seed can pass through a bird and come out none the worse, but in a mammals digestive system the seed is destroyed and it is also a defence against fungal mould.
Anyhow if a chili plant is tipped, it does bush out, becomes stronger and is more productive.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Punks are coming along nicely

 

[shaunous]

I'll trade you one pumpkin for a Moon & Stars Watermelon

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

I'll trade you one pumpkin for a Moon & Stars Watermelon

SOLD


I have seven confirmed Punks that I can see and prob a few next door that grew thru the fence

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

https://www.diggers.com.au/shop/certified-organic-seeds-and-more/watermelon-moon-and-stars-red/s2511/

 

[Mardoo]

And that thick skin would make damn fine watermelon pickle, one of my favourite food memories from my grandmother. Damn that was good!

 

[Danwood]

How good is it walking outside with a coffee on a cool, sunny morning and picking a few things for lunch ?
Very good, that's how good !
The R de Ms are just starting to turn red. I'm looking forward to those, some are monsters (in size and sheer damn ugliness).
Panzanella with chicken thighs on the charcoal BBQ for lunch. Good times, cheers all.

 

[manticle]

Magic

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Found a few more babies this morning